Application Process

STARS will award up to twenty $20,000 Research Planning Grants to assist Research Teams in the formation of their full research proposals for the $100,000 Grants and/or to provide modest support for research by the teams even if this does not lead to a full research proposal. Applications for the $20,00 Research Planning Grants must include:

1. A 1000-3000 word statement describing how a research planning grant will assist in the formation
    of the Research Team and catalyze its process of planning for major STARS research. The
    proposal should comment briefly on the research to be pursued if the $100,000 research grant
    proposal created by the team is funded.

2. A curriculum vitae for each team member
3. Two sample publications from each team member

4. A completed application form from each team member

Applications are due May 1, 2007. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of distinguished judges. Research teams will be notified on June 15, 2007, whether they have been selected to receive a research planning grant.

Desired Outcomes

The primary outcome for the $20,000 Research Planning Grants is a proposal for a $100,000 Research Grant, though there may be other additional outcomes including preliminary STARS research.

The following are suggestions for use of the $20K grant funds.

Support for release time or sabbatical leave.
Employ a Research Assistant to do background work on behalf of the research team.
Travel to bring the research team together several times during the grant for a ‘week of work’ drafting
    a STARS $100,000 research grant proposals.
Purchase books, journals, and other research materials.

Note: Teams may apply for a $20,000 planning grant even if they do not intend, at least at the outset, to use these funds in preparation for a major STARS research grant but simply to pursue STARS-type research at a more modest and limited fashion. However, teams that apply for the STARS planning grants as a means to move ahead towards major STARS research will be strongly favored in the judging process.