It is our pleasure to announce the next cycles of Tufts Springboard, with applications for Research & Scholarship program due on Friday, May 13, 2022 and Tuesday, October 18, 2022, and for Educational/Curricular program due on Friday, January 20, 2023.  Special consideration will be given to research, scholarship, and educational projects that focus on racial inequities and/or promoting anti-racist interventions in keeping with the University’s commitment to be an anti-racist institution. 

Co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR), the goal of Tufts Springboard is to stimulate high impact research, scholarship and educational initiatives that have an explicit plan leading to extramural funding or other outcomes that influence research, scholarship, educational outcomes, and/or policy.  Moreover, the Tufts Springboard program aims to further the priorities of the University and its schools and to fortify Tufts' status as a R1, very-high research activity university. 

The Tufts Springboard program is designed to be responsive to the needs created by the constantly changing world and funding landscape in several distinct ways. Applications for Research & Scholarship program will be reviewed two times each year—in Fall and Spring. Applications for Educational/Curricular program will be reviewed once each year in Winter.

Projects should be built on the applicant’s prior work and lead to a long-term research, scholarship, or curricular endeavor. The program is not intended for one-off projects, but rather to make a lasting contribution to Tufts mission via research, scholarship, or education.  The emphasis is on outcomes that draw vital support and recognition to Tufts as a leading contributor to the world around us through research, scholarship, and educational outcomes. 

There are three funding tiers*.  

Tier 1 (awards up to $100K) is meant to advance large collaborative efforts, build critical mass, and position Tufts to have the highest possible impact and must lead to an extramural proposal of >$1M/yr (direct cost) for ≥2yrs within 12 months of completion.  

Tier 2 (awards up to $35K) supports ambitious research projects that will build collaborative teams with the goal to amplify long-term research, scholarship, and educational endeavors. Extramural applications are strongly encouraged and a detailed continuation plan is required.

Tier 3 (awards up to $15K) can be used for a variety of research, scholarship, and educational innovation.  Extramural applications are strongly encouraged and a detailed continuation plan is required.

*NB: Funding structure and award duration have been revised, please see website for more details.

Tufts Springboard reflects a desire to create a thriving ecosystem to advance research, scholarship, and educational innovation at multiple stages of magnitude, propelling Tufts to continuing success in this new decade.

With best wishes for our collective success,

Caroline A. Genco
Provost and Senior Vice President ad interim

Bill Shaw
Vice Provost for Research ad interim