IBM-Illinois Institute RFP call
IIDAI 2024 RFP Schedule and Guidelines
The IBM-Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute (IIDAI) is pleased to invite faculty and staff who have their academic home at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to submit proposals in response to this 2024 RFP. Below is the timeline.
• Pre-proposals due: Monday, December 16, 2024, by 12:00 PM (noon) Central Time.
• Notification of selected pre-proposals: Monday, January 20, 2025.
• Full proposals for selected pre-proposals due: Monday, February 17, 2025, by 12:00 PM (noon) Central Time.
• Notification of selected full proposals for funding: Monday, March 17, 2025.
Pre-proposals submission must follow the attached 2024 IIDAI Pre-Proposal template. Late submissions and submissions that do not follow the attached submission template may be returned without further review. Pre-proposals and full proposals should be submitted electronically to Ms. Noni Ledford (nledford@illinois.edu) by the deadlines.
Projects selected under this solicitation for funding are expected to begin in August 2025. Projects funded under IIDAI are subject to terms embodied in a Master Research Agreement (MRA). Key terms are summarized in a MRA terms summary. Both these documents can be requested from Ms. Ledford. All awarded project participants will be required to acknowledge that they have read and will comply with terms of the MRA.
IIDAI has defined research themes of high interest for which proposals are welcomed. These are described at a high level in the attached document entitled, “Fall 2024 IIDAI RFP Focus Areas”. The research priorities and needs are organized around four major research thrusts. These are:
1. Hybrid Cloud and AI
2. Quantum Computing
3. Materials Discovery
4. Climate and Sustainability
Proposals can be submitted by single PIs or multiple PIs. Prior to the pre-proposal deadline, faculty members are encouraged to discuss their project ideas and technical matters with thrust leaders and with Ms. Noni Ledford (nledford@illinois.edu) for questions on the process, the MRA, and other topics. The maximum a faculty member will be allowed to request as summer salary will be one month, independent of the number of successful proposals they develop.
Projects can be submitted for a duration of one year with the possibility of renewal for a second year. A second-year statement of work can thus be conditionally proposed. Release of funds for the second year will be subject to the renewal of the Institute in 2026, 2 a favorable review of project progress, and continued alignment of the proposed secondyear plan of work with IBM priorities.
Reviewing process and policy:
Each pre-proposal and full proposal will undergo a comprehensive review by at least two IBM experts in the relevant research areas and by the thrust leaders (both IBM and Illinois co-leads). For the Hybrid Cloud and AI thrust, subarea leaders will also participate in the review process to ensure focused and detailed evaluation. If a proposal's research scope spans multiple thrust areas, experts from each relevant thrust will collaborate to review the proposal. Conflicts of interest will be managed through appropriate oversight and procedures. While the reviews focus primarily on the technical merit of the proposals, alignment with IBM priorities is a key factor in the final decision.
If a pre-proposal is selected for full-proposal submission but the review of the pre-proposal identified an area requiring additional approvals (based on anticipated plans for IP or data management, for example), IIDAI thrust leaders will provide PIs with guidance on how to address these concerns prior to the submission of the full proposal.
The pre-proposals and full proposals will be reviewed against the following criteria:
1. Relevance and potential impact to IBM and IIDAI research priorities
2. Potential for advancing the state-of-the-art given the identification of the challenges being addressed, the proposed approaches, and expected project outcomes
3. Consistency between proposed tasks, timeline, and milestones
4. Relevant experience and expertise of the team identified to undertake the project
5. Reasonability of the scope of work and budget
For both pre-proposals and the full proposals, only a subset is expected to be selected for the next stage.
Funding process:
PIs who have been informed that their full proposals have been selected for funding will be provided with detailed instructions on how to complete a Research Project Agreement (RPA). The RPA will include a start date, statement of work and detailed and justified formal budget. The planned RFP schedule allows Research Assistantship appointments to be made in time for the Fall 2025 semester.
Externships at IBM Research Centers are one of the top priorities for the institute, with approximately 12-15 slots available for all thrusts. These externship opportunities will be awarded competitively, and PIs will be encouraged to proactively recommend eligible students who can fulfill key project responsibilities through this experience.
Please note that externship expenses do not need to be included in the project budget. However, to ensure continuous student support throughout the summer, we recommend budgeting for an 11-month, 50% Research Assistantship for those expected to stay on 3 campus year-round: this particularly applies to junior-level graduate students, who are still developing foundational skills.
Seed project opportunities:
In addition to the funds allocated for this RFP, the Institute will allocate funding to support seed projects, each lasting up to 12 months, to address emerging research needs and new priorities originating from an increasingly dynamic technology landscape. When opportunities arise during the 2025-2026 period, the Institute may either call for targeted proposals for seed projects or directly engage faculty whose expertise aligns with shifting research priorities. Proposals for these seed projects will be evaluated, and selected ones will be funded. One of the goals of these seed projects is to produce initial results that could lead to comprehensive, fully funded projects in the next funding cycle or opportunities for large federally or state funded opportunities.
Next steps:
There will be a virtual information session led by IIDAI Co-Directors and thrust leaders on November 14, 2024, 2:30-4:00pm Central Time, for the RFP. Please use this link to attend: IIDAI Information Session
There will also be a virtual consulting session for each thrust at the following times:
• Hybrid Cloud & AI, Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 10:00-11:00am Central Time. Use this link: Hybrid Cloud & AI zoom. If you’re interested in signing up for this session, please access: Hybrid Cloud & AI sign-up sheet.
• Quantum Computing, Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 9:00-10:00am Central Time. Use this link: Quantum Computing zoom. If you’re interested in signing up for this session, please access: Quantum Computing sign-up sheet.
• Climate and Sustainability, Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 3:00-4:00pm Central Time. Use this link: Climate & Sustainability zoom. If you’re interested in signing up for this session, please access: Climate & Sustainability sign-up sheet.
• Materials Discovery, Monday, November 18, 2024, 3:00-4:00pm Central Time. Use this link: Materials Discovery zoom. If you’re interested in signing up for this session, please access: Materials Discovery sign-up sheet.
RFP Information Session Materials
About IIDAI:
The IBM-Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute is a new model of academic-industry partnership designed to increase access to technology education and skill development, spur breakthroughs in emerging areas of technology, and accelerate the discovery of solutions to complex global challenges. The current research program of the IIDA Institute is built on a close collaboration between the University of Illinois and IBM researchers 4 working in the areas of hybrid cloud and AI, quantum computing, accelerated materials discovery, and sustainability.