MRA Funding Opportunities
The Mississippi Research Alliance (MRA) is excited to share our funding opportunities designed to enhance the capacity and capabilities of the State's research ecosystem.
Leading Mississippi
The MRA will help position Mississippi as a national front-runner in science and technology through making investments throughout the state’s research community. All academic institution granting four-year degrees are eligible to receive funding through the MRA through formal partnering with the program. Half of the funds are allocated to be awarded to emerging research institutions (ERIs), which are defined as an institution of higher education with an established undergraduate or graduate program that has less than $50,000,000 in federal research expenditures.
Seed Grant Award
Seed Grants provide up to $75,000 for 18-month projects across all NSF-eligible thematic areas, with a total funding pool of $720,000 allocated for the 2024–2028 MRA phase. While open to researchers at any career stage, priority is given to less experienced investigators and Principal Investigators without prior extramural funding, particularly those engaging in multi-university collaborations or partnerships with Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs). Applicants must secure adequate research space to receive funds, use their institution's appropriate F&A rate, and are encouraged to consult with MRA personnel before submitting their proposals.
Instrumentation Acquisition Award
Instrumentation Acquisition Awards (IAAs) provide up to $100,000 for a single piece of equipment or multiple interdependent instruments, with a total allocation of $1,000,000 for the 2024–2028 MRA phase
Instrumentation Use Vouchers
Facilitating access to resources in Mississippi is central to the mission of the MRA. Any researcher at an eligible institution can request up to $10,000 for materials and usage charges required to conduct experiments on a MRA affiliated resource. Funds are disbursed to the partnering facility that manages the resource for sole support of the voucher recipient’s activities. Preference is given to early-career faculty and those without other sources of support.
Travel Awards
The MRA offers support for travel to increase opportunities for collaboration. Travel awards will be made available to support student participation in statewide meetings, such as the MS IDeA/EPSCoR annual conference, the Mississippi Academy of Science Meeting, MRA proposed research symposia, regional meetings, and national scientific conferences. Researchers can apply for up to $2,000 in student travel support for planned in-state meetings or instrumentation training workshops taking place at MRA shared facilities. Travel support for faculty at any Mississippi academic institution will also be available for training at national laboratories, elite institutions, or collaborating with industry. Training on new acquisitions coming into MS that enrich expertise in the state is also supported. Up to $3,500 can be requested for out-of-state travel. Priority will be given to current MRA awardees.
Summer Research Experience for Emerging Research Institutions (RER)
The RER program connects faculty and students from Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs) with Mississippi Research University collaborators for a collaborative summer research experience.
Program Overview
- Target Participants: ERI faculty mentors and eligible undergraduate ERI students (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors; rising freshmen and graduating seniors are not eligible).
- Collaborative Structure: Pairs ERI faculty and students with a collaborator at one of the four major Mississippi research universities to advance ongoing research projects.
- Funding & Support:
- Students: Receive a $7,000 stipend plus housing and food support.
- ERI Mentors: Receive a $2,000 stipend and a $2,500 travel allowance.
- Host Research Institution: Receives $2,000 in research supplies for the host at one of the four major MS research institutions.
- Application Requirements: Applicants must provide contact details, institutional affiliations, the faculty member's research background (graduate school, post-doc, and current position), details on a Mississippi Research University collaborator (if already identified), and a brief description of the proposed research project.
- Career Impact: The application asks participants to outline how the experience will distinctly enhance the professional career of both the ERI faculty mentor and the ERI student.
