Catalyst Grants

• Exploratory projects: up to $50,000
• Readiness projects: up to $100,000
• Project time span: 1 Year
• Allowable expenses include graduate student/postdoc salaries, PI/co-PI summer salary, travel, and computing costs.
• At least 80% of the funds should support graduate students or postdocs.
• Indirect costs will not be levied, and no cost-sharing is required.
• Projects are expected to begin by Summer 2026.

• Relevance: Is computational science central to the project?
• Novelty: Is the proposed work sufficiently novel, relative to the field, rather than an incremental extension of existing work?
• Potential for external funding: Is there a plan for specific external funding agencies to be approached as an outcome of the proposed project, and a justification for why those agencies may find the work compelling?
• Preliminary Results: Have the ideas being proposed demonstrated a likelihood of success?
• Broader engagement: Is this an area that may attract other researchers at U-M and grow into a larger, interdisciplinary effort?

Can research scientists or research professors serve as PIs or co-PIs?
Unfortunately no, only tenure and tenure-track faculty are eligible to apply as PIs or co-PIs. Research scientists can participate as co-Is on a project.

Are faculty from U-M’s three campuses eligible to participate?
Yes. Faculty from the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses are eligible to serve as PIs or co-PIs on a project.

Am I eligible to apply as a PI, although I have a visiting position, and I am selected to officially start in the summer of next year?
Yes, provided that your project start date is no earlier than your official appointment start date.

Can a faculty member participate in more than one proposal?
No. An individual may serve as PI or co-PI on only one proposal per call.

Do PIs need to be MICDE-affiliated faculty?
No. Affiliation with MICDE is not required.

Can a proposal have a single PI?
Yes. Collaborative proposals are encouraged but not required.

Do projects need to include collaborators from computer science, mathematics, or cyberinfrastructure?
No, but interdisciplinary teams that combine computational and domain expertise are encouraged.

Does the project have to include both modeling and AI components?
No. Projects may focus on modeling, simulation, algorithms, or AI for science individually, or combine them as appropriate to the research goals.

Would purely methodological work without a specific science or engineering application qualify?
Probably not. Projects must demonstrate relevance to a scientific or engineering domain.

Are innovative applications of existing computational methods acceptable?
Yes. Both new methods and creative applications of existing approaches are sought.

Can a project primarily focused on software or tool development apply?
Yes, if the work advances computational methods or directly enables new scientific capabilities.

Is software development required as an output?
No, software is not expected as an output of the project, but open-source software, tools, or datasets are welcome outcomes.

How detailed should the plan for external funding be in the LOI?
It should identify one or more specific funding opportunities and explain how the Catalyst project will strengthen the team’s readiness to compete.

Can we request feedback if our LOI is not invited for a full proposal?
Yes, applicants may request summary feedback after notifications are sent.

Can project funds be used for experimental or lab analyses?
Data analysis is acceptable, but direct experimental costs are not supported.

Can funds be used for conference travel to present results?
Yes, reasonable travel to disseminate project outcomes or develop collaborations is allowed.

Can we pay undergraduate researchers from the grant?
Yes, but this should be a minor component; at least 80% of funds must support graduate students or postdocs.

Can we include subawards?
No. All funds must remain within U-M accounts.

Can funds be carried over beyond one year?
Extensions may be considered on a case-by-case basis, with a possible one-year extension. However, teams are strongly encouraged to complete the work within one year.

When will funding decisions be announced?
Invited LOIs will be announced in January 2026, and awarded proposals are expected to be announced in May 2026.

When must projects start?
All projects should begin by Summer 2026 to ensure timely progress.

What are the expectations for the projects?
Teams must outline a plan to submit one or more external grant proposals within the year. The readiness project teams will also be required to provide confirmation of submission and a short project narrative for the MICDE Magazine.