Strategic Equipment Investment Program

OU-Norman Vice President for Research, Partnerships Awards 17 Proposals Through New Funding Programs

Program Overview

The Strategic Equipment Investment Program (SEIP) is a new program being administered by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships. Awards from the SEIP can be used to support the purchase of all types of equipment, ranging from scientific to creative arts. The SEIP provides funding on a competitive basis for the purchase of truly strategic equipment that will have significant impact in enhancing a team’s capabilities and competitiveness at a national level. The expectation is that acquiring the proposed equipment will provide new opportunities for advancing the team’s ability to achieve new goals in terms of creativity, discovery, innovation, and competitiveness in securing external funding. 

Eligibility and Award Limitations

Proposal teams must be led by a tenured or tenure-track faculty member. Research faculty and permanent professional/technical staff may also serve as co-PIs on proposal teams. The maximum total SEIP budget for FY 2021 is $150,000 with the maximum of $50K budgeted for each proposal. Funding received from the SEIP may not be used to renovate facilities or for infrastructure enhancements. Although not required, financial commitments from a proposing team’s parent units will be a favorable consideration and how these units’ funds will be used should be clearly articulated, e.g., infrastructure renovations and/or assisting with the purchase the equipment.

The Application Process

Written proposals shall not exceed two pages (single spaced, 12-point font, Times Roman) and will be evaluated by a selected team of OU peer reviewers. The written proposal should include:

• A brief executive summary that articulates the need for a new piece of equipment and how it will help produce new ideas or data and possibly new proposal opportunities.
• Briefly define your team and the departments/colleges the acquisition of this equipment will benefit. You may choose to attach an appendix with a list of team members and departments if needed.
• A brief description of the unmet needs and the benefit this equipment brings to your team.
• What are the goals and expected outcomes and possible impact that this equipment brings to the university? How do the activities being conducted align with the Strategic Research Verticals and the University Strategic Plan Pillar 5?
• Provide a description of the equipment and at least one price quote. Please ask for a three-year service agreement to be included in the quote. The vendor quote can be placed in an appendix.
• Provide a statement related to available infrastructure and space. We understand that there could be a need for items like electrical upgrades, exhaust, etc., but do not include these costs in the proposal. Contact AVP Melany Dickens-Ray (mdickens@ou.edu) if you have questions or need assistance related to matters of space or infrastructure requirements. 

Budgeting and Available Resources

As mentioned above, there will be a total of $150K available for all selected proposals, with a maximum budget of $50K for each proposal. At least one equipment quote must be included with each submitted proposal. Financial commitments from your department, college, or research units will be considered as favorable, and this support should be articulated in the proposal.

Proposals should be submitted as one pdf file using the following submission portal.

SUBMIT APPLICATION

If you have any questions, you may reach out to Sr. Associate VP John Antonio (antonio@ou.edu) who serves as the point of contact for the SEIP.

Timeline

• April 19, 2021 – Written proposals are due by 5:00 pm CST
• Early May 2021 – Notification of selected proposals for awards
• June 1, 2021 – Project start date