Research Resilience Initiatives

Purpose:

The purpose of this funding track is to preserve and enhance select at-risk institutional capabilities that are essential to the research and education missions of the University of Maryland AND to provide temporary funding to enable select institutional initiatives to prepare and pivot to new and sustainable sources of funding. 

Criteria for Submissions:

• Articulates a highly compelling need for short-term funding that preserves select capabilities for a defined transitional period (not greater than 12-18 months)
• Documents federal actions or federal intent to reduce/eliminate/pause funding in the applicant’s area of research
• Identifies and clearly delineates a strategy for near-term, long-term, and sustainable funding potential (at a granular, i.e. program specific level).
• Defines the scope of the capabilities, impact, and institutional priorities that would be lost if funding were not provided

Eligibility: 

This PI of the application must be the head of a department, institute, multi-disciplinary initiative, large campus center, or cooperative agreement.  A letter of support from the Dean of the PI must be provided.  No more than 2 submissions per college are permitted. If you are unsure of your eligibility please contact Dylan Baker and Eric Chapman. 

Number of Awards:  

It is expected that 4-5 awards will be funded through this program track. A maximum of $500K in one-time, non-renewable funding can be requested by a PI on behalf of an institute, department, large center, etc. 

Use of Funds:  

Acceptable use of funds include temporary provision of salary to PTK faculty for a clearly defined business development need and/or of pilot data development that positions units to secure future funding from a non-traditional funding source. Funding to support or partially support graduate students is also permitted.  Funds will be made available in January 2026 and must be spent by September 30, 2026.  Funds shall not be used for the following purposes: TTK summer salary, routine administrative support, or other recurring expenses such as software licenses. Repurposing of funding is not permitted. 

Requirements of Awardees:

• During the award period, quarterly updates are required on use/accounting of funds, detailed progress reports on planned proposal activities and paths to implementing alternative funding.  Semi-annual reports following the award period are expected for a year following the award period. Specified metrics on the usage of funds that must be followed will be shared in the award notification letter.
• Coordination and use of local or central proposal development and management resources (to include ‘red team’ reviews) is strongly encouraged to enhance the quality of proposal submissions to external funders. 

Review Process: 

A three to four page narrative, to be accompanied by a detailed budget request, must be submitted by Dec 22, 2025. All proposals must be submitted via the InfoReady portal. Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by university leadership for funding decisions.  Funding decisions will be made by January 15, 2026. 

Submission Link for Preserve, Pivot & Grow Program: Track A – Strategic Institutional Investments:
https://umd.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/2000101

Purpose: 

The purpose of this track is to provide short-term funding that preserves select capabilities that enable a principal investigator, and/or lab group members to sustain operations impacted by recently terminated, reduced or paused funding AND to enable a portfolio pivot that better positions the faculty member or lab group for new and sustainable funding sources. 

Criteria for Submissions:

• Articulates need for short-term funding that preserves select capabilities for a defined transitional period
• Clarifies a strategy for near, long-term and sustainable funding sources that are identified at the program or forecasted level.
• Defines the scope of the capabilities, impact, and institutional priorities that would be lost if funding were not provided

A letter of support from the Dean that specifies ongoing college/school support to a faculty member is required. Multiple requests from the same department must be rank ordered in terms of priority by the Dean/Department Chair.  Applications not meeting the above criteria are not encouraged. 

Review Process:  

A two to three page narrative, to be accompanied by a detailed budget request, must be submitted via the InfoReady portal by January 15, 2026. Proposals will be first reviewed and prioritized for funding by the Deans. Final funding decisions will be made by university leadership. Funding decisions will be made by January 31, 2026.  

Eligibility:  

Faculty Principal Investigators (PIs) who were impacted by recently terminated, reduced or paused funding to enable a portfolio pivot that better positions the faculty member or lab group for new and sustainable funding sources.  Faculty who were not impacted by a grant termination or grant reduction are eligible to apply, but they must specifically also convey how the changed funding environment has negatively impacted their prospects for funding.  

Number of Awards:  

Approximately 25 awards are expected.  A maximum budget of $50K can be requested.  A detailed budget identifying how the funds are intended to be used must be submitted and accompany the narrative.  Any repurposing of funding greater than $5K requires prior approval. 

Use of Funds:  

Acceptable use of funds include temporary provision of salary to PTK faculty, business development needs, development of pilot data to position for future funding.  Funds shall not be used for the following purposes: TTK summer salary or routine administrative support. 

Requirements of awardees:

• Quarterly updates on use/accounting of funds, detailed progress reports on path to implementing alternative funding; semi-annual reports following the award period are expected for a year following the award period. Specified metrics on the usage of funds that must be followed will be shared in the award notification letter.
• Coordination and use of local or central proposal development and management resources (to include ‘red team’ reviews) is strongly encouraged to enhance the quality of proposal submissions to external funders. 

The number of awards in the institutional and individual tracks are estimates; they may change based on the quantity and quality of submissions. 

Submission Link for the Preserve, Pivot & Grow Program: Track B – At-Risk Individual Faculty & Lab Groups
https://umd.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/2000123

Overview: Pivot funding of up to $50K will be made available for approximately 7 tenure-track faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor.  Funding will be prioritized for faculty whose areas of research were impacted by shifts in the federal funding environment. This could include, for example, research in the fields of health disparities, environmental justice, climate science, or other disciplines). Junior faculty who were leading or were part of grants that were recently terminated, paused or reprioritized for other areas of funding are encouraged to apply.  

Requirements: A two-to-three page proposal is required.  The narrative must describe why the funding is critical for the faculty member; how the funding will be used to strategically pivot or pilot new lines of research into more sustainable funding pathways. Identifying specific funding programs is required at the time of submission.  The proposal must identify why this bridge funding is critical to support the faculty member’s ongoing scholarly or research activities. The narrative should explain how the temporary support will sustain or advance their work and demonstrate the likelihood that the faculty member will secure new external funding, establish a stable funding stream, or achieve a key milestone in their academic career by the time the funds are spent. Proposals that promote interdisciplinary research across departments, schools, and universities (UMB and UMCP) are encouraged.

Budget: A maximum of $50K will be provided.  A detailed budget of how the funds will be used must accompany the narrative.  Recipients are required to provide semi-annual progress reports on the use of funds as well as planned proposal submissions. 

Submission: All application materials must be submitted through the Infoready portal no later than January 9, 2026. Proposals will be evaluated based on the need for funding in light of the new funding environment, the proposed impact/use of the funding, and the likelihood to secure additional funding. Funding decisions are expected in late January 2026. 

Award Requirements: Recipients are required to provide semi-annual progress reports on the use of funds as well as planned external funding submissions. Specified metrics on the usage of funds that must be followed will be shared in the award notification letter.  Faculty are strongly encouraged to consult with central or school-based proposal development resources to enhance proposals to external funders prior to submission.  

Submission Link for MPower Early Scholars Investment Fund – Track 1: Junior Tenure-Track Faculty
https://umd.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/2000155

Overview: This track is intended to provide temporary funding to graduate students whose assistantships were impacted by grant pauses, terminations or executive branch reprioritizations in the federal funding landscape.  Up to $30K in funding per graduate student will be available. Approximately 25-30 stipends in total will be made available for this year. 

Requirements: A 1-2 page narrative describing the need for the funding is required. The narrative must highlight why the funding is critical to support the graduate student, how the temporary funding will be used, and the likelihood that the graduate student will either complete their doctoral degree or be supported by a new funding source by the time the funds are spent. 

Provide a detailed budget of requested GA stipend, fringe for health insurance (22.1%), actual tuition costs (in-state or out-of-state; 899 flat rate). Ask for what you need so we can support as many students as possible. This is not requesting a typical assistantship but instead requesting the support needed for the student per the guidelines of the award.

A support letter from the doctoral advisor shall be included with the nomination outlining the eligibility, need, academic progress, and trajectory of the student. If applicable, the letter should also reference a lack of other funding sources that can support the GA. 

Submission: All nomination materials must be submitted through the TerpEngage Awards Portal (https://terpengage.umd.edu/gsawards/s/) for the “MPower Early Scholars Investment Fund - Track 2, PhD Students” no later than January 9, 2026. The program’s DGS/CGS should submit the nomination materials through the awards portal. Nomination materials submitted by programs will be reviewed and prioritized by the Dean of the School/College and shared with the Dean of the Graduate School for funding decisions.

Award Requirements: Departments are required to track and provide metrics of the awardee, including the number of graduate students supported, the number of graduate students retained or funded on new projects, the number of graduate students who complete degrees following use of this funding and the number of research outputs that occur during or after the bridge funding.  Outputs include publications, presentations, patents, submitted proposals. 

Overview: Funding will be made available for postdoctoral fellows impacted by grant pauses and terminations, new executive branch program priorities, and related hiring shifts directly tied to those grant pauses/terminations and new priorities.  Up to six-months of temporary, one-time funding (at a maximum cost of ~$37.5K, inclusive of fringe) will be provided for 4 candidates. 

Requirements: A 1-2 page narrative describing the need for the funding is required, as is a letter of support from the Department Chair and supervisor (co-signed) of the applicant. The narrative shall describe how the funding will be used and leveraged to pursue additional funding and/or new employment opportunities. 

Submission: Postdocs shall submit the application through the TerpEngage Awards Portal (https://terpengage.umd.edu/gsawards/s/) for the “MPower Early Scholars Investment Fund - Track 3, Postdocs” no later than January 9, 2026. The Department Chair will be notified to upload their co-signed letter of support no later than January 20, 2026. Application materials submitted by postdocs will be reviewed and prioritized by the Dean of the School/College and shared with the Dean of the Graduate School for funding decisions.

Award Requirements: Departments are required to track and provide metrics of the awardee, including the number of postdocs supported and the placement of the funded postdoc in position, postdoc productivity during the awarded bridge funding (presentations, publications, proposals submitted), and other metrics upon request.