2024–2025 Innovation Accelerator Process and Timeline

Proposals were reviewed and chosen for funding in a multi-round process. The timeline for submissions and reviews during the 2024-2025 Innovation Accelerator is described below.

Two-page Proposals

By Friday, October 25, 2024, proposals of no more than two pages were submitted using the online form Please include:

Team – the name(s) and affiliation(s) each faculty or staff member serving as leads on the proposal.
Title – a descriptive title of the big idea(s).
Significance – Explain how the proposal supports the strategic plan.
Innovation – How does the proposal challenge or shift existing paradigms? How will it help realize our vision?
Budget – How the team would allocate up to $20,000 in funding. Up to three faculty or staff may charge up to $2,500 in salary to the grant, with the balance towards support travel, supplies, student stipends, etc.

Seed Grants–$120,000 Total Funding Available

The two-page proposals were shared with the trustees and participants at the Saddle Rock retreat (November 1–3, 2024). By mid-November 2024, six proposals were selected to advance to a “seed stage.” During this stage, the President’s Office provided up to $20,000 per team. The Cabinet determined the awards and amounts based on the projected impact of each proposal in advancing the strategic plan.

Full proposals. November-March: proposals were expanded and detailed based on the feedback and guidance provided. By Friday, March 14, 2025, full proposals of no more than 10 pages were submitted using an online form. These expanded proposals included:

Narrative – Define the future state, explain your methods and strategies. Assume the target audience includes both academic and foundation leaders.
Demonstration – Share any preliminary results or capability.
Plan – Create a specific, actionable plan for what you want to do and why. Define success for the proposed work. Explain how your plan will achieve positive results.
Budget – Explain how the team would allocate up to $80,000/year in direct costs for up to three years (i.e., $240,000 max total). Up to three faculty or staff leads may charge up to $10,000/year in salary to the grant. Explain and justify all proposed expenditures so that it is clear why they are essential for the success of the project.
Fundraising needs – Outline the resources needed to ensure the long-term success of the proposed effort. Additionally, provide an overview of any fundraising needs, including a brief explanation of how these resources will support the project’s sustainability.

Innovation Accelerator Summit–Up to $960,000 in Development Grants Available

In April, the College hosted its first Innovation Showcase during which each team presented their proposal to the community. An evaluation team consisting of internal and external stakeholders made recommendations on three initiatives that should receive development grants of up to $240,000 each. Award allocation was determined by the Cabinet based on the projected impact to advance the strategic plan and set the stage for campaign fundraising.

Office Hours and Available Resources

Cabinet members held a series of office hours during the weeks of October 7, 14, and 21 to answer questions teams had in building their two-page proposals.
Teams building full proposals access supported from the Cabinet and Advancement leadership. The aim was to foster collaborative work with the administration to build a strong proposal and prepare for the Innovation Accelerator summit.

Going Farther Together

In 2025–2026 the selected teams began the work described in their proposal as Innovation Accelerator Laboratories, with progress reports to be submitted to the Cabinet at the end of each semester (details forthcoming). We expect to repeat this request for proposals process next year, and ultimately aspire to realize the Innovation Accelerator as a long-term center of excellence to cultivate forward thinking possibilities for Harvey Mudd.