ICAST 2026 Seed Grant Opportunity

The Institute for Community and Society Transformation (ICAST) is pleased to announce $20K seed grant funding opportunities. One purpose of this opportunity is to foster the creation and/or development of multidisciplinary research teams in key areas related to community and society transformation. A second purpose is to increase conpetitiveness of OU multi-disciplinary research teams to compete for external funding. In line with ICAST's mission and strategic plan, this seed grant opportunity focuses on proposals that align with any of the areas of emphasis below. If you have questions regarding the appropriateness of your proposal for this opportunity, please contact icast@ou.edu. Proposals may focus within or across these areas.

Areas of Interest

• Health & Opportunity
• Education
• Data, Technology, and Society
• Native Nations Partnering

Submission Details

We encourage submissions from ICAST affiliates from any of the Norman campus programs, including those located in Tulsa. Please submit a two-page summary of your research idea that includes a purpose, description of research activities, budget and budget justification, targeted/possible future funding opportunities, and a description of the team members. Each team must include two or more members drawn from different disciplines. Note: funding is not intended for conference travel. 

Expectations for Funded Teams

1. Provide a 1-page progress report to ICAST at the 6-month mark. The progress report should describe the progress to date relative to proposed work plan and identify any risks to completing the project. 
2. Present project at a future ICAST networking session, either during the performance period of within 1 year of completion
3. Work with ICAST to identify external funding sources/opportunities and engage in teaming sessions with ICAST for proposal developnent
4. Provide a 3-page summary at the end of the project summarizing findings and future plans. This summary should include identifying one or more potential funding opportunities that the team has pursued or will pursue that aligns with the project's topic or theme. 
5. Work with ICAST to develop social media content and award announcement at project completion

Anticipated Timeline

• Due Date - April 15, 2026, 5:00 PM, CST - submit via email to icast@ou.edu
• Proposal review period - April 16 to May 5, 2026
• We anticipate making 6-7 awards of $20K each for this opportunity
• Anticipated award announcements - May 10 - May 15, 2026
• Anticipated performance period - June 1, 2026 - May 31, 2026

Click here to download a PDF of the ICAST Seed Grant Opportunity