The UNC Research Opportunities Initiative (ROI) program provides targeted funding for innovative and potentially game-changing research projects. Funded by a recurring annual appropriation from the North Carolina General Assembly, the ROI represents a significant financial investment in the UNC system’s strategic goals.
Priority research areas eligible for ROI funding include advanced manufacturing; marine and coastal science; defense, military, and security; pharmacoengineering; energy; and data science.
LIMITED SUBMISSION: The UNC System Office accepts only one proposal from each institution. We are hosting this internal competition to determine Appalachian State's applicant.
*NEW FOR 2020: The UNC System Office has released the competition earlier than in past years, allowing us to give the selected applicant extra time to prepare their full proposal for submission to the UNC System Office, therefore the internal deadline is earlier this year than in prior years.
Competition Calendar:
- 12 pm, October 30, 2020: internal competition applications due
- 12 pm, November 20, 2020: internal faculty reviews complete
- 5 pm, November 23, 2020: all applicants notified of status
- 5 pm, November 24, 2020: selected applicants confirm their intent to apply
- Immediately following Thanksgiving break 2020: selected applicants meet with VPR and Sponsored Programs Staff
- 5 pm, February 1, 2021: final application materials due in AGrants for routing & review
- 5 pm, March 1, 2021: application materials due to UNC System Office
Award Focus and Scope
Research grants may request from 1-3 years of funding at a maximum of $1,250,000 total for research projects. The maximum amounts permitted per year are: FY 2022: $250,000 | FY 2023 $500,000 | FY 2024 $500,000.
Applicants to Appalachian's internal competition will submit a 6 page draft proposal for consideration. See application for details (full ROI applications to the UNC system have a 12 page limit).
For full details, expectations, and guidelines visit the competition page.
Contact grs@appstate.edu with questions about this program or competition.