Longhorn Innovation Fund for Technology Seeks Proposals
April 12, 2011
The Research and Educational Technology Committee (R&E) of IT governance is seeking proposals for the Longhorn Innovation Fund for Technology (LIFT), a $500,000 fund for use towards innovative technology projects. LIFT funding is targeted towards projects that improve the quality of instruction, create a differentiator for attracting high caliber students to the University, or result in a competitive advantage to the University in attracting sponsored research.
LIFT is intended as one-time seed money for projects that leverage information technology to help the University succeed; preference is given to proposals that address significant campus needs in innovative ways. While LIFT is not intended to provide ongoing funding for any project after the initial award period, the committee will consider additional funding on a one-time-only basis for projects based on merit. Any UT faculty or staff member is eligible to submit a project proposal.
Timeline
The timeline for this year's proposal process is:
- April 11, 2011 - Solicitation for proposals
- June 1, 2011 - Deadline for proposal submission
- July 15, 2011 - Notification of award recipients
- September 1, 2011 - Project start
Additional information, including instructions and the required proposal template, can be found on the LIFT website.
Previously Funded Projects
Progress reports on the inaugural recipients of LIFT funding provide background and insight into the types of projects the committee is looking to fund. These five projects were funded for fiscal year 2010-2011, out of a field of 31 total submissions:
- The QUEST Continues
- Enabling Data-intensive Research and Education at UT Austin via Cloud Computing
- Smart Buildings Initiative
- eFossils - An Interactive Online Community Database for the Study of Human Evolution
- Data Flow Infrastructure Initiative
