New Frontiers wordmarkCU Boulder New Frontiers Grants are designed to foster groundbreaking, interdisciplinary research projects with the potential for high impact. “High impact” projects may include the potential for significant advancements in knowledge, problem-solving or innovation that exceeds incremental progress and creates new paradigms of understanding.

With support from the Research & Innovation Office (RIO), the Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Engineering & Applied Science and the School of Education, New Frontiers is open to any eligible CU Boulder faculty member.

The New Frontiers Grants (NFG) program aims to support visionary, interdisciplinary projects that advance knowledge and innovation. The program seeks to stimulate new strengths at CU Boulder by encouraging researchers to think beyond individual disciplines and work together to tackle complex and impactful research challenges.

The program will support research teams with representation from two different colleges or schools and at least one institute-affiliated researcher.

NFG is divided into four phases and two rounds. The second round will be announced in 2025.

On this page:

Overview

Kickoff & Frontier Forums

  • RIO and NFG partners kick off the program with an overview of the intent and ultimate objective.
  • Faculty present ideas to campus via one-minute, lightning-style presentations at the Frontier Forums (details below) using this quad chart template and invite others to join as collaborators.

Idea Phase

  • After the Townhall Kickoff and Frontier Forums, the program solicits innovative ideas via a one-page prospectus to develop new research strengths for campus.
  • Three selected ideas move to the Planning Phase.

Planning Phase (12 months)

  • Following the Idea Phase, the program awards three grants ($25,000 – $50,000) to incubate ideas.
  • Supports project organization, team building and preliminary data collection.
  • Teams develop their "big idea" for Launch Phase competition, which will occur the following year.

Launch Phase (18 months)

  • The program awards $200,000 to one selected Planning Phase project.
  • Advances research by fostering large teams, amplifying collaborations and developing large grant proposals.
  • $10,000 for workshop or conference convening is available for successful Launch Phase projects. 
  • Successful Launch Phase projects gain national research recognition and promise significant impact in relevant fields.

Graphic demonstrating how one phase leads into another, with key dates and deadlines

Timeline and Requirements

Eligibility

Teams must consist of faculty from at least two different colleges or schools, and one institute-affiliated researcher. As such and since the program intent is true interdisciplinarity, teams with three distinct faculty are encouraged and will be prioritized; however, teams may consist of at minimum two researchers – one affiliated with a college and one affiliated with a different college and an institute. For instance, a faculty member may have an affiliation with INSTAAR and the College of Arts & Sciences while the second team member comes from CMCI.

All CU Boulder Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty, Instructors and Senior Instructors (including Teaching Assistant Professors, Teaching Associate Professors, and Teaching Professors), and Career Track Research Faculty (i.e., Research Professors Series, Senior Research Associates* (SRA), and Research Associates* (RA)) who hold an appointment of half-time or greater are eligible to apply. The lead PI should be employed by CU Boulder. Co-PIs are allowed and can be funded as long as they are CU Boulder faculty. 

Collaborators from other institutions are also permitted but cannot receive funding from the program. *Postdoctoral Associates, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Research Associates/Senior Research Associates in short-term, transitional postdoctoral training positions should not apply as the intent of this award is to foster programs of research and scholarly activity that will be of long-term benefit to CU Boulder.

Additional Eligibility Information

  • Applicants may submit no more than one proposal as a funded PI or Co-PI. Applicants can serve on multiple proposals as an unpaid co-PI.
  • Recipients with active awards may not be compensated for another project, but may serve as an unpaid co-PI. Like PIs, co-PIs may only be funded in one active NFG award.
  • Projects with a major scientific or budgetary overlap with the PI's active research support are ineligible.
  • Projects with a primary focus on curriculum development are ineligible.
  • Faculty course or teaching buy-out is not an eligible expense for the Planning Phase. However, subject to department approval, it may be an option during the Launch Phase. 
  • Applicants with existing resources that could be used to fund their project are discouraged.
  • Applicants may request up to two weeks of summer salary in their proposal budgets. 

Review Criteria

Interdisciplinarity
How does the work itself foster cross-disciplinary collaboration?

Innovation
How will the project develop a new or unique research strength or direction for campus?

Integration
How will the project integrate with or leverage research funding priorities and center-level opportunities?

Frequently Asked Questions

“New” is at the discretion of the applying teams and must involve a new direction or advance in the field(s).

Teams must consist of faculty from at least two different colleges or schools, and one institute-affiliated researcher. Teams with three distinct faculty are strongly encouraged and will be prioritized; however, teams may consist of at minimum two researchers – one affiliated with a college and one affiliated with a different college and an institute. For instance, a faculty member may have an affiliation with INSTAAR and the College of Arts & Sciences while the second team member comes from CMCI.

An institute-affiliated researcher is a faculty member associated with one of CU Boulder’s 12 research institutes.

The program launches on January 29, 2024, with a February 7, 2024 virtual townhall to introduce the initiative. There will be 2 Frontier Forums to facilitate teaming opportunities in advance of the Idea Phase deadline of March 18, 2024. Select ideas will be invited to present in-person pitch presentations between April 10-19 for Planning Phase awards ($25-50K), which will run July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. The Planning Phase recipients will submit proposals for Launch Phase funding ($200K) on June 16, 2025. The selected Launch Phase project will run from July 1, 2025 – December 31, 2026. A second round/grant cycle will be announced in 2025 and follow a similar schedule as 2024.

 One-minute lightning style presentations are not part of the evaluation process. The forums are intended to help with idea generation and teaming.

 In-person pitch presentations (5-minute pitch / 5-minute Q&A) are by invitation and will be presented to NFG leadership. At least three pitches will receive Planning Phase awards.

$200,000 grants (plus $10,000 for workshop/conference convening) to at least one of the Planning Phase awards.

Projects incorporating justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI)-related activities are encouraged. Projects involving commercialization of technologies are also welcomed and may be eligible for Venture Partners funding. Applicants should highlight any commercialization elements within their submission. 

Yes, requests for no-cost extensions or project changes must be approved by the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation or the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research before the project termination date. Such requests should include sufficient justification and be sent to rio@colorado.edu.

Yes, but can only be paid from one grant award. For instance, you may be compensated as the lead PI for one proposal and serve in an unpaid capacity as Co-PI on another proposal.

External Co-PIs and collaborators from other institutions are allowed if serving in an unpaid capacity.

Yes, third party contractor support or community partnership funding may be permitted if the work is an integral part of the project scope.

Funding for the same work that is already funded elsewhere will not be supported.

Yes, however, projects leveraging existing CU equipment and instrumentation are strongly encouraged over purchasing duplicative or external equipment. Please see CU Boulder's Shared Instrumentation Network for available resources.

Special Terms & Conditions for Planning Phase & Launch Phase Grantees

  • Meet quarterly to ensure extramural, center-level funding pursuits are on track. Center programs may include but are not limited to the following: ARPA-H Broad Agency Announcement; DOE Energy Frontier Research Centers; NIH P30/P50; NIH COBRE; NSF AI Research Institute; NSF Engineering Research Centers (ERC); NSF Materials Research Science & Engineering Centers (MRSEC); NSF Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1; NSF Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-2; NSF Science and Technology Centers (STC).
  • Provide quarterly progress reports to the Research & Innovation Office (RIO) outlining key accomplishments, work completed, engagement or meetings with extramural sponsors for follow-on funding, goals for the next quarter and any challenges or necessary project plan revisions.
  • Meet with Lewis-Burke Associates, a DC-based government relations firm, to discuss the project and strategize around center-level funding pursuits at the federal level.
  • Provide a final report with key impacts of the work and how broader spectrums of research and understanding were made possible with the funding. RIO staff will be in contact with report requirements.
  • Recipients agree to not seek or accept funding from any other Research & Innovation Office (RIO) funding source for the same project or activities funded under this award including but not limited to AB Nexus, Research & Innovation Office Arts & Humanities Grants and/or Research & Innovation Office Seed Grant funding.
  • Recipients agree to serve on future grant review panels for the Research & Innovation Office (RIO) including but not limited to NFG, Research & Innovation Seed Grant and/or limited submission competitions. Recipients agree to score and provide written comments for such competitions with award acceptance.
  • If the project entails any compliance issues such as IRB, IACUC, EHS, biohazardous material, etc., recipients certify that the appropriate compliance offices on campus will be made aware of the proposed activities before initiating any work.
  • Awards will be made available through the financial office in recipients’ respective college/school/institute on the first day of the listed project period following award notification (not earlier), at which time project spending can commence. The budget office at the PI’s respective college/school/institute will set up the speedtype (account) number for the award. RIO will transfer the funds to the speedtype. Recipients are advised to contact respective budget offices for the speedtype following award notification. 
  • No-cost extension requests of 3 or 6 months must be approved by the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation or the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research before the project termination date. No-cost extension requests should include a justification of why an extension is needed, how the funds will be used in the extension period, and the length of the extension request. No-cost extension requests should be sent to rio@colorado.edu. Unused funds at the end of the project will be returned to RIO.
  • If a recipient fails to fulfill any of the aforementioned conditions, RIO reserves the right to suspend funds.

Questions?

If you have further questions not addressed in the FAQs above, please email rio@colorado.edu.