BRIDGE Seed Grants

Please note applications for this call have closed. Applications for the Spring 2023 Call for Proposals are being accepted through May 10, 2023. Please click here for more information. 

The Bridge initiative (Building Research on Inequality and Diversity to Grow Equity) at Rice University seeks to further: 1) knowledge of the patterns, causes, consequences, and experience of inequality; 2) dialogue and action with respect to inequality on campus and in the Houston area; and 3) the training of future scholars of inequality.

The initiative provides seed funding to support research endeavors that explore inequality within the racially and ethnically diverse environment of Houston and the broader Gulf Coast Region. We seek proposals for new research endeavors, extensions of current projects, the generation of new data, and/or academic partnerships that address or inform our understanding of inequality. In particular, we encourage research that builds on Rice University’s specializations in the areas of urban, health, and education inequality.

Although it is not strictly required, it is strongly encouraged that each application include a minimum of two faculty members as principal researchers. It is expected that awarded research will lead to proposals that generate external funding.

Awards are funded up to a maximum of $50,000 and may extend for up to three years.

Proposal Requirements

Proposals must be written for an inter-disciplinary audience and include:

  • A project description of no more than five pages in 12-point font (including any figures or tables) in .pdf format. This description must outline a clear program of scientific, scholarly, or policy-related innovation that speaks to the initiative’s goals; as relevant, the means of addressing the issues listed under “Selection Criteria” below; and a clearly articulated plan of scholarly and/or publicly accessible publication.
  • A budget indicating how the requested funds would be used and indicating resources sought or acquired from other sources.
  • A list of any current and pending support for the proposed project that includes the funding source, the Principal Investigator, and the amount requested or provided.
  • A curriculum vitae for each Principal Investigator.

Selection Criteria

The selection committee will consider the demonstrated ability of the investigator(s) and the potential for the proposal to:

  • Identify, explore, and/or address inequality with intellectually innovative and/or policy relevant approaches.
  • Lead to external, private, or public funding.

In addition, the committee will favor proposals that satisfy as many of the following as possible:

  • Generate new information or extend current information holdings in a way that is usable by others.
  • Engage existing Rice University resources, centers, institutes, or programs.
  • Engage Houston community partners or stakeholders in ways that are mutually beneficial to the research and the partners or stakeholders.
  • Build interdisciplinary linkages across departments/schools.

Budget Requirements

Seed grants can be used for research-related expenses, including, but not limited to: support for graduate or undergraduate assistants, project-related travel, information collection, production expenses, supplies, and support for seminars and training. Seed grants cannot be used for course-related expenses or travel unrelated to the project (e.g. conference travel to present findings).

In conjunction with their application for a seed grant, applicants may also apply for a “BRIDGE Visiting Scholar Grant” to support engagement with a scholar, practitioner, or professional from beyond Rice.

Proposal Submission and Timeline

Proposals are due on or before December 5, 2019. Proposals must be submitted by email to BRIDGE@rice.edu. Awards will be announced by February 7, 2020.

Congratulations to our Inaugural BRIDGE Seed Grant Awardees!

BRIDGE Seed Grant Awardees

  • Dr. James Elliott, “Social Inequalities in Houston’s Environmental Adaptation: A Longitudinal-Comparative Study of People & Places in the Federal Buyout Program*”
  • Dr. Leonardo Duenas-Osorio and Dr. Elizabeth Brake, “Inequality and Ethics from Contingencies in Complex Power Grids”
  • Dr. Jesús Vassallo and Dr. Kyle Shelton, “Affordable Housing Laboratory”