Strategic Partnership Grants (SPG)
Supports Michigan State University faculty teams building long-run research centers through internal matching mechanisms.
⚠This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.
Michigan State University's Strategic Partnership Grants (SPG) program, funded by the MSU Research Foundation and administered by the MSU Office of Research and Innovation in collaboration with the Council of Research Deans, provides up to $400,000 in foundation funding per project, budgeted at $160,000 per year over a maximum of three years. A mandatory 20% cash match from the applicant's college or related institutional sources is required, bringing total project resources to approximately $480,000. The program runs two competitive tracks: Research and Scholarly Development, for leading-edge or futuristic research projects, and Center Development, for teams building long-term research centers intended to attract major external funding.
Eligibility is limited to MSU faculty teams; no external applicants, for-profit entities, or other universities may apply. Teams must secure college approval before submitting a pre-proposal and must demonstrate that the proposed work bridges to a sustainable, externally funded research program rather than concluding at SPG support. The 2025–26 cycle used a two-stage review: pre-proposals were due September 11, 2025, with full proposals due January 16, 2026. Up to five applications advance annually to MSU Foundation review in June. Since 2001, the SPG program has invested over $38 million across 79 projects, and funded projects have subsequently attracted more than $100 million in external grants and contracts.
Teams best positioned to compete are those with clear plans to pursue NSF, NIH, DOE, or DOD funding following SPG support, an interdisciplinary composition that signals breadth of application, and a realistic cost-share arrangement confirmed by their college. The next cycle is expected to open for pre-proposals in September 2026. Contact is managed through MSU's SmApply portal at research.msu.edu/strategic-partnership-grants.
Funds MSU faculty teams pursuing leading-edge, interdisciplinary, or futuristic research and center development across all disciplines, with the goal of bridging to substantial external funding.
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