University of California San Francisco
UCSF School of Medicine UCSF Medical Center

More Information About Seed Grants

CFE funds education research seed grant proposals from UCSF faculty. Grant amounts range up to $5,000.

  1. Eligibility
  2. Support
  3. Reporting Expectations
  4. Review Process and Selection Criteria
  5. Application Process

Eligibility

Applicants must be UCSF faculty members and preference is given to those who are currently or formerly enrolled in one of CFE's advanced education programs:

Principal investigator (PI) must be from UCSF School of Medicine. Faculty from other UCSF professional schools may participate as co-PIs. There must be a mentor from the CFE faculty or other UCSF faculty with education research expertise.

Support

CFE offers support to applicants throughout the application process and grant period.

  1. Consultations
  2. Payments and Reimbursement, including administrative support for payment of expenses

Consultations

Interested faculty may meet with CFE consultants to discuss the study. If you have materials already developed, we can help review them. We also have online research resources, linked below.

Both group and individual consultations are available for the following services:

  • Research question development
  • IRB application
  • Survey development and distribution
  • Data analysis
  • Manuscript preparation
  • Poster presentation

Individual consultations are available through an online request form. Request a "Seed Grant Consultation"

Group consultations offer the advantage of multiple points of view at once. Request a critique of your proposal at ESCape in a group consultation format. Contact CFE at cfe@ucsf.edu.

Send questions to Raquel Rodriguez.

Payments and Reimbursement

The funding guidelines clarify allowable expense and payment process:

  • No funds will be disbursed directly to the PI or to the department.
  • IRB approval is required before spending occurs.
  • Requests for payment should be submitted to the CFE with original receipts or invoice - Raquel Rodriguez
  • Allowable expenses include: research staff time, materials, equipment (except computer hardware), software and travel required to conduct the study.
  • Non-allowable expenses include: faculty salary, conference registration, conference travel, society memberships, computer hardware and journal subscriptions.

Reporting Expectations

Because the program goals include dissemination of education research, we recommend interim reports and require a final report.

Interim reporting opportunities:

  • Abstract consultation at ESCape weekly scholarship conference
  • Abstract submission to the UCSF Education Showcase.
  • Manuscript consultation at ESCape

Final reporting:

  • A final written report, preferably as a manuscript, is required within six months of the end of the grant period.

Review Process and Selection Criteria

Three researchers review each proposal using specific criteria. Please feel free to seek consultation from CFE for any criteria which are either unclear or seem beyond the scope of the specific study.

Application Process

Application Timeline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Review Detailed Application Instructions.

Notification: Applicants will be notified within six weeks of submission of the proposal. Note: Notification of IRB approval must be sent to Raquel Rodriguez prior to any spending.