Brief Program Description:

The TUNE designation program will invest in thematic excellence through a process that encourages ideas and collaborations with local, regional, national, and international impact, while reflecting institutional priorities and strengths. This process is designed to elicit broad representation and participation from the campus community (including faculty and research scientists/scholars) and across all mission areas of our land-grant foundation, with emphasis on research and scholarship activities. The basis for TUNEs is an established track record of nationally and internationally recognized excellence. TUNE applications may include both emerging and existing themes that are poised for significant impacts.

Designated TUNEs should demonstrate significant engagement across campus, impacts already made that demonstrate engagement and enthusiasm from internal and external communities (including industry, government, or philanthropic sponsors), and well-developed plans for how the investments and impacts made with the institutional support will be realized and leveraged. As such, each designated TUNE is expected to host a national or international conference or workshop on campus during the duration of the designation to communicate success and promote awareness of activities broadly both internally and externally.

The TUNE program selection and designation at Colorado State University will set a high standard for qualification, therefore, only a limited number of programs will be selected. To ensure there are sufficient resources to support new TUNEs that emerge, the OVPR will limit the number of newly designated TUNEs to a maximum of 3 per cycle, with a new call for TUNE applications issued every 2-4 years, depending on the progress of existing TUNES. Each TUNE designation is limited to a maximum 4-year funding duration.

This program will provide funding support to each designated TUNE at a maximum of $400K – $800K total from the OVPR over the duration of the program. Additional non-OVPR support, including leveraged or cost-shared support (cash or in-kind) from relevant departments, colleges, and other internal or external sources is strongly encouraged.