PREP to Submit, a peer grant development fellowship
Propose your Research, Establish a Plan to Submit
Purpose/Program Overview
The selective Prep to Submit grant development fellowship opportunity supports up to 8 faculty at SIUE who demonstrate interest and potential in seeking external grant funding. This community of researchers will find support, partnership, and accountability in a research community with shared goals. Selected applicants will participate as members of a cohort of fellows focused on learning together about grant development as it pertains to their research interests, connecting proposals for external funding to their research agendas, and expanding their research mentorship networks.
The 18-month program includes 10 focused learning lab sessions, each 75 minutes, and 5 consultancy/ support sessions blending structured learning and grant proposal preparation support with collaborative peer and mentor interactive workshop sessions. All participants will have the opportunity to build a valuable network of peers and mentors. Prep to Submit culminates in the development of a complete external grant proposal with a targeted submission opportunity/date.
Incentives
- Professional Development funds: upon completion of the program, each fellow receives $1000 in professional development funds that can be used toward summer pay, travel, and pilot research support.
- External Mentor Consultation funds: Graduate School offers $600 in consultation funds for 2-3 consultation sessions with an identified external researcher with a notable record of funding success in the fellow’s field.
Learning Outcomes
- Vision for connecting grant writing to your research agenda
- Advanced knowledge of proposal submission in general and at SIUE
- Confidence in grant preparation, writing, and design
- Enhanced connections to SIUE peers and a built-in research community
- Expanded internal and external mentor networks
Program Completion
- Fellows fulfill their commitment to the program and their academic goals with a completed external grant proposal including identified funding opportunities, and – where applicable – a planned submission date.
Eligibility
NTT Instructors, TT faculty, Postdoctoral fellows, Research faculty, and VAPs are all welcome to apply.
- Applicants self-nominate. Applicants should notify chair/supervisor of plans to submit as chair/supervisor will be required to approve the submission before it moves forward for review.
- Priority given to applicants who have not previously been awarded large/significant external awards and to applicants with research FTE (full time equivalency) written into their contracts.
PREP to Submit Session Structure
18 months – three semesters - of guided grant development sessions* including:
- hands on workshops and labs focused on comment grant proposal components
- internal guest panelists on best practices and guidance in successful proposals
- external guest panelists on program review, competitive funding proposals, etc
- guidance from various SIUE staff experts including ORP
- support in developing external mentor relationships with role model grant winners
- writing retreats
* Specific session topics will be adapted to meet the needs and interests of accepted cohort members. Session schedule will be distributed in advance of the start of the program’s inaugural Spring semester.
Each session combines three elements:
- Instructional content (20–30 minutes)
- Collaborative peer review, workshopping, or guided writing (30 minutes)
- Feedback, planning, and course corrections (20 minutes)
Support Structure:
- Facilitators: Senior faculty with grant success + ORP staff + University stakeholders
- Guest Presenters: Past grantees, program officers (virtually), external reviewers
- Dedicated Blackboard site or other shared platform for resources, materials, and collaboration
- Professional Development funds to be distributed upon completion
- Mentor Consultation funds to be distributed directly from Grad School to external mentors as each mentor session is scheduled or completed.
Terms and Conditions of fellowship
Upon notification of acceptance, fellows should formally confirm their commitment to participate via email acceptance to Associate Dean of the Graduate School (ecali@siue.edu) with their Chair/Supervisor copied.
This is an 18-month program (January 2026 – May 2027), offering participants the opportunity for structured guidance and sufficient proposal development time in alignment with major external funding schedules. Participant attendance and presence is a critical component of the success of this opportunity. Applicants must confirm that they have the availability to attend meetings once a month on Fridays from 9:30 – 10:45 am. Fellows can miss up to three sessions beyond which PD and mentor funds will not be distributed to participant.
Successful program completion will be demonstrated with a complete external grant proposal that includes identified funding opportunities and – where applicable – a planned submission date.
Professional Development funds to be distributed at the point of completion. Mentor consultation funds to be distributed directly to external mentor upon scheduling of planned consulting session.
Timeline/Dates
- December 1, 2025: Applications due via the PREP to Submit Kuali Build app. Please allow time for your chair/supervisor to approve your submission.
- December 10, 2025: Notifications to accepted fellows are anticipated by this date.
- December 15, 2025: Accepted fellows email confirmation of plans to participate to Associate Dean of the Graduate school (ecali@siue.edu) with chair/supervisor copied.
Application Process
Applicants submit their application by completing PREP to Submit Application in Kuali Build, which includes uploading the following documents:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Statement of interest (500-700 words) that includes:
- Current academic/research aspirations, experience, and skills that you want to leverage in this stage of your career and in anticipation of your next career steps.
- Description and summary of a seed idea for a signature project that requires external funding support
- Vision for how your participation in the program will advance your research agenda and professional/career goals
