Strategic Partnership Grants (SPG)

Strategic Partnership Grants is funded by the MSU Research Foundation and administered by the MSU Office of Research and Innovation with the Council of Research Deans. The program supports Michigan State University faculty teams pursuing leading-edge, interdisciplinary, or forward-looking research that can grow into sustainable centers of excellence and attract significant external funding. Awards are budgeted at up to $160,000 per year for three years, or up to $400,000 in MSU Foundation funding, with a 20% cash match required from the applicant's college or related sources. Two categories are available, Research and Scholarly Development and Center Development, and selection is competitive and two-stage. The program is limited to MSU faculty teams and is not open to external applicants. This is the right fit for groups that can present a coherent research direction, campus backing, and a credible path beyond seed support. Since 2001, SPG has invested more than $38 million across 79 projects, and funded teams have gone on to secure more than $100 million in external funding, which underscores its role as a bridge between internal support and larger awards.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.