Large-scale Integrative Research Awards (LIRA)

An information session on the LIRA Program was held on February 27, 2024:


LIRA Program

The Provost and the Vice Chancellor for Research & Engagement, in coordination with the Chancellor, have established the Large-scale Integrative Research Awards (LIRA) program. LIRA will offer seed funds totaling up to $400,000 to support integrated team efforts to develop large-scale initiatives. The goal of this program is to empower creativity; to promote equitable collaborations, especially those that foster diversity, equity, and inclusion; and to attract substantial external funding. Preference will be given to projects that address large-scale societal problems, with potential for significant impact.

The program will provide professional cohort-based training to awarded teams on integrative teaming, equitable collaboration, and budget planning, and research development support for ideation and proposal development. LIRA topic areas should be well aligned with campus strengths, including, but not limited to, strategic emphasis areas, such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Sustainability; Healthy Aging; Society and Technology; and Data Science. The Provost and VCRE have also announced another seed funding opportunity — the Interdisciplinary Research Grants (IRG). IRG will focus on these same areas of emphasis but will target faculty teams at the earliest stages of collaboration who may not be targeting external funding.

Award start date: July 1, 2024

The LIRA program has two tracks:

  • Track 1  Integrative Team Development awards up to $30,000. Track 1 supports the development of integrated team research, often spanning multiple disciplines, leading to proposals for significant extramural funding of $1 million per year or more for at least 3 years. Track 1 awards will support integrative team development and may support research to demonstrate the viability of the concept.
  • Track 2 — Center Development awards up to $60,000. Track 2 supports the advancement of integrated teams, often spanning multiple disciplines, with a vision for a large, center-level grant proposal leading to external funding of $3 million per year or more for at least 5 years. Track 2 awards will support teams with pre-existing collaborations among participants.

LIRA Awardee Professional Training Overview

Awarded teams will have expressed their commitment to building their capacity to pursue large, multi-investigator funding opportunities. To achieve this end, teams will participate in team-specific and cohort-based integrative team development and research development strategy sessions. In addition, each team will participate in ideation and proposal development processes and consultations. For example, as a first step each team meets with LIRA program staff to discuss their status, strengths, and areas of opportunities for consultation and feedback from the LIRA staff.  Workshops and consultations on team development will cover team assessment, integrative teaming skills, and equitable collaboration. Workshops and consultations on research development will cover framing of research questions, center vision development, grant proposal strategy and project management, and budget development.

How To Apply: 

Apply in InfoReady at Large-scale Integrative Research Awards (LIRA) 2024

Request for Proposals: LIRA 2024 Request for Proposals (RFP)

Instructions for Preparation and Submission of a 2024 LIRA Proposal Application Package: