2025 ASU + Planet Collaborative Research Seed Grant Program

Overview

Arizona State University is offering a Collaborative Research Seed Grant Program to encourage new collaborative research projects utilizing ASU’s site license to Planet data. To spur intellectual exchange, build community, and foster opportunities for larger-scale collaboration between ASU and Planet Labs, ASU will pilot a seed grant program. The projects should be well-designed pilot studies with clear milestones that promote research innovation, entrepreneurship, and tech transfer with the possibility to leverage extramural funding. This is the final year of the funding available for the ASU + Planet seed grant fund.

Topics of Interest

• Consideration will be given those related to the strategic priorities of the collaboration, including:
• National Climate Security
• Water and Ecosystems Extreme Environments (refer to Impact Arizona EXTREME STC for examples)

Highest priority will be given to new projects with the greatest likelihood of enhancing future collaboration between Planet and ASU. The site of the work may be at Planet, ASU, or both. For projects that are selected, only the Planet Dove dataset will be made available. However, applicants will be eligible to request Skysat tasking (25 sqkm/task) to further enhance research with high resolution imagery. A limited number of tasking requests will be available per award, if requested and approved. These additional requests will be considered to determine the availability, timeliness, and cost.

Budget

Budgets are not necessary at the pre-award/application stage. Please work with your finance or business operations contact to finalize a budget upon award. A technology fee of 2.25% and risk management fee of 1.1% of salaries and wages will be applicable.

Evaluation

A working group, with members from Planet and ASU, will evaluate the proposals. The working group will prioritize proposals by focusing on several key elements, including scientific interest and innovation, validity of the proposed methodology, evidence of a true collaborative effort with meaningful contributions from all investigators, and the likelihood that the protocol, if successful, will lead to a competitive external grant application or otherwise significantly enhance future collaborations.

Review Criteria

Compliant proposals will be evaluated based on the following merit review criteria:

• Alignment with critical needs: The proposed project aligns with the topics identified in this FOA or addresses a compelling need.
• Impact for Arizona: If the project is successful, it will have significant impact—or lay the foundation for subsequent significant impact—on the Arizona economy. Impact may take the form of industry growth, business attraction, workforce development, job creation, service enhancement, or other outcomes.
• Approach, plan, and feasibility: The project’s approach to solving the problem or answering the question is innovative, differentiated from the existing state of the art, and technically sound. The plan to execute the project is clear and well developed, with SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely) milestones to monitor project progress.

Eligibility

• ASU tenure-track, and career-track faculty and postdoctoral researchers are eligible.
• Faculty is required as co-PI for postdoctoral submissions.
• Each proposal must identify an ASU principal investigator (PI).
• Only one application per PI will be accepted.
• PIs may participate as a co-investigator on multiple applications.
• If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact the individuals listed at the end of this RFA.
• Team submissions will be accepted.

Awards
Total funding available is $290,000. The expectation for this Funding Opportunity Announcement is that 3-4 projects will be funded. Projects are 12 months in duration and must be complete by June 30, 2025.

Timeline
The Arizona State University + Planet Collaborative Research Seed Grant Program has three significant dates:

1. Full proposals are due May 31, 2024, by 5:00 pm MST.
2. Award notifications will be no later than July 8, 2024.
3. Awards will be activated July 15, 2024.