Call for Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities Seed Proposals 2025

Introduction

The Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities supports the analytical and creative capacities of the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning to advance sustainable, just, and equitable cities. The Center for Cities research grants support proposals that expand knowledge, inform action on the ground, and lead to more ambitious and sustained research work on cities and urban issues. The Center for Cities creative project grants support projects that advance, enable, and facilitate creative work about cities and urban issues. Seed proposals are open to tenure and tenure-track AAP faculty. 

Learn more about our Center Funded Research. 

Description of the Proposal

All proposals should be no more than 1,000 words and include the following sections: (i) the significance of the proposed project, (ii) the status or stage of the work, (iii) expected outcomes, (iv) intended target audience(s), and (v) a brief explanation of the proposed budget and other sources of funding currently held by the applicant. All proposals are required to make explicit the connection of the work to cities and urban issues. Proposals should address how the seed funds will support applications to other external funding sources, how the proposed work fits the priorities and timeline of these funding sources, and the faculty member's commitment to apply for external funding either during or upon completion of the seed grant.

Budget

Proposal budgets should not exceed $20,000. All proposals should include a budget narrative that describes how the funds will be used and information about any funds the faculty member currently holds (i.e., startup funds, internal and external grants) in accounts on campus, as well as any funds for which the faculty member has applied. Examples of acceptable uses of funds include (but are not limited to): paying for a student research assistant, fieldwork, travel, data, software, materials, editorial services, fabrication, installation, tools, and printing related to the proposed project.

Selection Process and Timeline

A multidisciplinary committee will review and rank submissions. If selected, the proposed work should begin by May 2025 and be completed within 12 months from the start date. Proposals that are not selected are eligible to apply for funding in future years.

Reporting and Communications

Upon completion of the grant (May 2026), recipients will submit a 1-3 page report that describes outcomes from the work, including where recipients have applied for additional funding, and next steps that will build on the activities conducted during the seed grant. During the fall 2025 semester, recipients present their work to the AAP community. In addition, recipients will be asked to prepare a brief description of their work for the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities website, and to help with other communication assets as needed. With the help and support of AAP Communications, the Center for Cities will amplify the outcomes of funded projects.

Compliance with Cornell University Rules and Acknowledgment of Support

All funded research and creative work must adhere to Cornell University policies that govern such work. For example, all human subjects research must apply for review by Cornell's International Review Board of Human Participant Research, all international travel must be registered with Cornell International Travel Registry, and all expenses charged to a grant must be allowable and submitted in a timely fashion with supporting documentation. In all communications about the research or creative work, recipients are required to acknowledge the source of the funding, "This research/creative work was supported by the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities."

Questions and Deadline

Please send questions about the application process and all application materials to the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities centerforcities@cornell.edu. The deadline to submit proposals is Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.