Collaborative Research Opportunity (CORE) Grants

Program Description

Submission Deadline: Sunday, January 31, 2026 by 11:59pm

Award

Grants are limited to a maximum of $70,000. 

Eligibility

All tenured and tenure-track faculty, as well as research professors (Assistant, Associate and Full) are eligible. Projects must involve at least two faculty members. If you have a current Lehigh internal grant, you may apply only if the team, goals, and scope are distinct from your current award. All prior Lehigh award reports must be submitted for an application to be considered. 

Allowable Costs

CORE awards are investments in faculty research and impact. You may use funds for a wide range of expenses essential to the project, such as:

• Graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and hourly research assistants.
• Research materials (including books unavailable through the library).
• Access to off-campus research materials and lab supplies.
• Travel necessary to conduct research.
• Manuscript preparation and publication costs.
• Travel to disseminate outcomes (requires clear justification).

All spending must follow Lehigh’s Travel and Business Expense Policy. 

Non-allowable Costs

Awards cannot supplement current funding or support work already covered by active or pending grants. Funds may not be used for:

• Faculty salaries (except for the Accelerator grant summer salary)
• General-purpose equipment or computers (unless research-specific)
• Visiting faculty or course development
• Reprints or facility remodeling
• Costs incurred before the application date

If you have any questions about allowable/unallowable expenses, please contact our office. 

How to Apply

Application Details

Submit via Lehigh’s InfoReady portal, which requires:

• Project title (suitable for public websites).
   
• Names and roles of all participating faculty members. The Principal Investigator (PI) must serve as the primary correspondent responsible for deliverables and budget management. Co-PIs must approve the proposal submission
   
• Budget total and IRB/IACUC status - refer to our Research Integrity site.
   
• Abstract: A 250-word description of objectives, methodology and results in plain language. 
   

Body of Proposal

Upload a single PDF (1-inch margins, 11pt font minimum) containing:

1. Narrati​ve (max six pages, excluding references): 

• Background, context, and long-term goals. 
• Project plan – Outline the work and expected outcomes. Show that the plan effectively uses talent and resources to overcome the barriers identified.
• Plans for continuation - Identify specific external funding sources. support.
   

2. Timeline: Provide a simple 12-month timeline for completing the work. You must include the target date for your required external proposal submission. Start dates can be delayed up to six months for recruitment or seasonal factors.

3. Budget: Provide a one-page itemized budget and justification. 

4. Biographical sketches: Max 2 pages per faculty member. Standard agency forms may be used and should include education, research activity, publications, presentations, etc.

5. Recent Grant Fun​ding - List all internal and external grants from the past two years (active, completed, or pending). If this project appears to overlap with any of your other grants, please briefly explain how this work and its goals are distinct.

Align your proposal with the reviewer evaluation criteria below.

Note: A multidisciplinary faculty committee will review your proposal. Please avoid excessive technical jargon. Reviewers must be able to understand the project’s significance and why each budget item is necessary.

Review Process

The Internal Review Committee (IRC) evaluates proposals. Because the committee includes members from various disciplines, avoid technical jargon and ensure the project is accessible to non-specialists.

Evaluation criteria: 

• Opportunity, originality, and potential impact. The proposal should demonstrate a clear path to building a sustained, multi-investigator program in a field of rising importance. Reviewers will look for a distinct competitive advantage created by the team’s unique composition and a novel approach to solving problems of global or disciplinary significance.
   
• Quality of the Research Plan: Proposals must present a well-conceived plan that addresses critical questions regarding the project's feasibility and long-term viability. Reviewers will evaluate whether the research methodology, budget, and timeline effectively leverage existing talent and resources to achieve the stated goals.
   
• Continuation Plan: Applicants must outline a strategic path for external funding, identifying specific sources whose missions align with the project. The plan should demonstrate how the team will become highly competitive for major grants or a coordinated portfolio of smaller awards upon comple
  tion of the CORE project.
   
• Long-Term Potential and Strategic Fit: This criterion assesses the project’s ability to grow within the university, foster lasting collaboration among co-investigators, and connect with other programs or facilities. Successful proposals will show how the work links academic research to broader societal concerns while ensuring institutional sustainability.