WOODY L. HUNT COLLEGE OF BUSINESS SEED FUNDING PROGRAM

Excellence in research begins with precision investment.

The Woody L. Hunt College of Business Seed Funding Program supports faculty who design projects that drive innovation, shape policy, and redefine business practice. It’s more than a grant; it’s a partnership for competitive excellence.

Each award is structured to move ideas forward quickly, from proposal to performance, with the expectation of external success.

Purpose

This program accelerates research that generates measurable impact. It gives faculty the runway to design, test, and prepare proposals that position UTEP among the nation’s most competitive business schools.

Every funded project carries a shared goal: submitting a proposal to an external sponsor by the end of the funding period, supported by rigorous preparation and professional review.

 Vision

• Advance faculty research with high potential for external funding.
• Provide structured development through R&I proposal workshops.
• Strengthen UTEP’s national reputation for applied and analytical excellence.
• Cultivate a culture of accountability and research leadership.

Engineered for Success

• Award Amount: Up to $6,000
• Application Deadline: Fall and Summer (2 cycles)
• Eligibility: Tenured and tenure-track faculty in the College of Business
• Apply via: InfoReady

Proposal Development Path

Faculty funded through this program participate in R&I-led sessions on:

• Essential Grantseeking Skills
• Navigating PIVOT for Strategic Funding Searches
• Building Competitive Proposals with Sponsored Projects Services

Each project receives feedback from an external subject-matter expert before submission —an investment in precision and competitiveness.

Selection Priorities

Reviewers look for:

• Research Relevance. Importance of the problem or question to business, economics, policy, or organizational innovation.
• Methodological Rigor. Soundness of data design, analytical approach, and justification of methods.
• Potential for External Competitiveness. Clear plan for a major external submission to a federal or foundation agency within the year following completion.
• Applied and Regional Impact. Likelihood that the research will inform business practice, entrepreneurship, or economic development in the Paso del Norte region or beyond.
• Accountability and Deliverables. Realistic budget, schedule, and measurable outputs, including submission of at least one external proposal or manuscript.

Annual Cycle

The Woody L. Hunt College of Business Seed Funding Program has two cycles, one in the spring and another in the summer. Applications are due mid-spring, with awards announced and funding released in late spring. Each project runs for one year and concludes with a report that documents outcomes, data generated, partnerships formed, publications submitted, and planned external proposals. These reports become part of UTEP’s collective story of discovery and competitiveness.

Ideas That Deliver
(Coming soon: profiles of Business Seed projects that secured major external awards or reshaped regional research priorities.)