Pitt Momentum Funds - Teaming Grant

The FY26 Pitt Momentum Funds (PMF) Teaming Grants are administered by the University of Pittsburgh to catalyze the formation of new interdisciplinary collaborations among faculty that are poised to secure large-scale external research funding. These internal one-year grants provide strategic resources for early-stage ideation and collaboration across academic units. Funded activities may include hosting planning workshops, initiating working paper series, traveling to meet with prospective funders, or organizing visits for potential collaborators. Each grant awards up to $60,000 over a one-year period. Funding is intended to support collaboration formation and strategic planning rather than direct research implementation. Allowable uses of funds include hiring temporary workers, project-related travel, and contracting consultants. Expenditures that are prohibited include curriculum development, student-focused projects, faculty salary support, conference organization, or bridge funding between projects. All proposals must demonstrate alignment with one of the moonshots outlined in the 2028 Plan for Pitt. To be eligible, applicants must be full-time faculty members at the University of Pittsburgh. Appointment-stream faculty are permitted only if research is their core responsibility. A faculty member may participate in only one Teaming Grant submission per cycle. Teams must include faculty from at least three schools at Pitt, with DSAS divisions (Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences) considered separately. However, teams composed exclusively of DSAS or Health Sciences faculty are ineligible. One external co-investigator from an HBCU, non-R1 MSI, government agency, or nonprofit may be included if they are capable of contributing to future funding efforts. Modest stipends may be provided to nonprofit partners, if justified. The application process begins with submission of an Expression of Intent (EOI) via InfoReady, due October 24, 2025. The EOI requires a title, short abstract, moonshot alignment summary, list of investigators from three or more schools, and keywords. Upon acceptance, invited applicants submit a full application by December 3, 2025. Required elements include a project statement (up to 2.5 pages), budget, CV, and a letter of commitment from associate deans of all represented units. Finalists will participate in pitch sessions in March 2026. All submissions must be received by noon Eastern Time on the relevant dates. Evaluation is based on a weighted rubric totaling 10 points, measuring project significance, clarity, feasibility, strategy for follow-on funding, and overall merit. Award decisions are made by the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research based on peer reviews. Awardees must submit progress and outcome reports and agree to serve as reviewers in future PMF cycles. The program reflects the University’s ongoing commitment to fostering large-scale, high-impact interdisciplinary research.

Clearly align with a moonshot from the 2028 Plan for Pitt; articulate follow-on funding strategy with specific examples.