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About

The Research Opportunity Program is a seed fund program aimed at helping Berkeley faculty advance their research with a focus on unlocking new funding sources, given the evolving research funding landscape. This could be new funding sources that will fund existing lines of research and/or changes in your line(s) of research. 

Berkeley’s comprehensive research excellence is unique, enabling opportunities for fundamental inquiry, interdisciplinary collaborations, translation to the marketplace and broad impact for society. The program supports the excellence of faculty research across all disciplines, from the arts, humanities and social sciences to math, the physical, environmental, and biological sciences, engineering, data science and computation, chemistry, as well as the professional schools.

The Research Opportunity Program is supported by generous contributions to the Berkeley Research Impact Fund. 

Award Details: Applicants may submit proposals for any amount between $5,000 up to the maximum of $100,000 to be used during a period of up to two years. Awards will start July 1, 2026. 

Eligibility: UC Berkeley ladder-ranked Senate Faculty at all career levels (tenured and tenure-track) 

Deadline: The application deadline is April 10, 2026 at 6:00 PM.

Montage of people working in various research settings: lab, field work, and classroom.

The Berkeley Research Opportunity Program is made possible by contributions to the Berkeley Research Impact Fund. 
Make your gift here.

How to Apply

Proposal Requirements: All proposal elements should be written for an informed but general audience.  

Please use this application template to provide the following proposal components:

  1. Abstract (350 words max): Explain your field of study, how this seed funding will advance your research and open up new funding opportunities from other funding sources, and what would be accomplished during the award period. Please be as specific as possible about the identity of funders and what is known about upcoming funding opportunities.
  2. Impact Statement (200 words max): Please describe how your proposed research will help to unlock new funding streams that can support your research activities in the long run. We encourage you to include references to recently cancelled awarded grants, dissolution of departments or institutions, changing funding priority areas etc. 
  3. Research Narrative (2 pages max): Please be sure to include: 
    • Overview of your proposed project and anticipated impact on your field of study
    • How this seed funding will advance your research 
    • What you aim to accomplish during the award period
  4. Budget (200 words max): Please explain how the requested award amount will be used to support the proposed project. Applicants can request up to $100,000 of support for a period of up to 2 years. Please be sure to “right size” your request for the work that will be pivotal to your project. The evaluation committee is aware that costs vary greatly across disciplines. 

Award funds can be used for all research related expenses, including graduate student and postdoctoral research support, supplies and materials, computing expenses, equipment, publication expenses, and travel costs. Funds from the Research Opportunity Program are not intended to cover summer salary, but applicants may request exceptions in face of extenuating circumstances. Overhead should not be included in your budget. 

As you consider applying, please be sure to review other internal campus funding opportunities for your project as well as relevant external opportunities. If you have received support from other internal programs, please be sure to include this information with your application.

Proposal Submission: Applications should be submitted using this application form. They do not need to be reviewed by the Sponsored Projects Office.

The application deadline is April 10, 2026 at 6:00 PM.

FAQ

How will awards be selected?

Proposals will be reviewed on the basis of merit by experts in the relevant fields. 

Who is eligible to apply? 

UC Berkeley ladder-ranked Senate Faculty at all career levels (tenured and tenure-track) 

How can the award funds be used? 

Award funds can be used for all research related expenses, including graduate student and postdoctoral research support, supplies and materials, computing expenses, equipment, publication expenses, and travel costs. Funds from the Research Opportunity Program are not intended to cover summer salary, but applicants may request exceptions in face of extenuating circumstances. Overhead should not be included in your budget. Award funds should be used during the award period. 

When do the awards start? 

The award start date is July 1, 2026. 

When are applications due? 

Applications are due April 10, 2026 at 6:00 PM. 

Does my application need to be reviewed by SPO? 

No. Applications do not need to be reviewed by the Sponsored Projects Office. Applications should be submitted directly through the application form linked above. 

What are the expectations of Research Opportunity Program award recipients? 

A short report will be requested annually from all awardees. Some reporting may be required beyond the project end date to showcase the program.

Who do I contact with additional questions?

Please write to research@berkeley.edu with any additional questions you might have.