Strategic Allocation of Resources

Public Impact Research (PIR) aligns closely with UAlbany's institutional priority to support engagement and service, which reflects the University’s mission of being an engine of opportunity and to generate knowledge and innovations that create a better world.

PIR includes research and scholarly activities that address societal challenges and positively impact lives regionally and globally. It also encompasses multi-disciplinary research, scholarship, community engagement, translational research and related approaches.

Priority will be given to projects that align with UAlbany’s strategic areas and advance the goals of the UAlbany Strategic Plan 2024-2029.
 

Scope & Competitive Criteria

• Engagement: Community-engaged scholarship and translational research
• Policy & Communication: Public policy initiatives, knowledge transfer and science communication strategies that enhance public understanding and application of research outcomes
• Research: Foundational and basic research, as well as other forms of scholarly work that clearly articulate credible pathways toward local and/or global community impact 

International Partnerships and Collaborative Research (IPCR) fosters sustainable global research ecosystems, supporting UAlbany’s goal to build and strengthen research partnerships while creating new collaborative opportunities for students and faculty.  
 

Three Collaboration Themes

• Theme 1: Relationship Exploration (Travel) provides support for travel to a partner institution to visit a specific laboratory or principal investigator (PI). These grants facilitate the "human element" of research, allowing faculty to explore facility compatibility and research culture for long-term synergy. 
• Theme 2: Pilot Projects provides funding to initiate preliminary research with a new international collaborator. These grants are intended to generate initial data that can serve as the foundation for larger, joint applications for external funding (such as NSF, NIH, and/or international equivalents). 
• Theme 3: Joint Workshops provides support for hosting a workshop or a conference on a research topic of common interest. These events bring together faculty and students from both institutions to present work, identify shared challenges and lead to joint publications or white papers.
   

Existing Memoranda of Agreement

All proposals in this category must involve international institutions with whom UAlbany has an existing Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), which include:
 

India

South Korea

Primary Contact

Each proposal must have one primary contact, but multidisciplinary efforts are highly encouraged. Students and postdoctoral scholars must be endorsed by their faculty advisor, who will serve as the primary contact.
 

Key Performance Indicators

All StAR proposals must include a clear, concise plan for how progress and success will be measured during the award period.  

Applicants are required to identify mandatory StAR Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and optional, project‑specific KPIs that together demonstrate alignment with the UAlbany Strategic Plan and the goals of the selected StAR funding pathway.

Progress on KPIs will be used for mid‑award and final reporting and will inform future StAR program assessment.

Additional information about KPIs, Outcomes Reporting and the Proposal Rubric will be posted here when it becomes available.
 

Submission Portal

2026 StAR proposals must be submitted using the proposal submission portal, which will open on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.

The proposal deadline is Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

First-time applicants should follow the instructions and create an account. The portal provides additional guidance and formatting requirements, which may be previewed after logging in and selecting “Preview.”  
 

Review Committee

The StAR Review Committee will review each proposal and provide recommendations to the Vice President for Research & Economic Development. Proposals selected for funding will be announced once selections are finalized.

A list of Review Committee members will be posted here when it becomes available.
 

Funding Deadlines

Disbursements will be made by Friday, January 15, 2027, and must be spent by January 1, 2028.