ETF II Research Matching Grants
FAQs
The ETF legislation doesn’t seem to clearly state that the RGM program is for conducting research, except by the program title. Priority for funding is stated to be 'to accelerate commercialization into production' - which is it - research or commercialization?
The RMG segment of the ETF is for accelerating applied (i.e., not 'basic') research that readies an innovation for commercialization but it is not directly funding a resulting commercial venture. That funding is provided by the ‘Commercialization’ component of the ETF.
Who is eligible to apply for RGM?
Only a “consortium” composed of at least three entities, of which at least one is a Texas Institution of Higher Education, and one a for-profit company, may apply for an ETF RMG award. The submitting applicant will be the ‘fiscal agent’ for the consortium, receiving the contract from the state and dispersing subcontract funding to the other members of the consortium. Very substantial preference is given to larger requests that involve matching multimillion dollar external research awards that hold promise to establish a national-level Texas ‘center of excellence’ in the emerging technology area that is the focus of the consortium.
For the RGM, must all 'collaborators' be from the state of Texas?
No, bringing in technology and/or expertise from outside the state is OK; however, the proposal will be considered more favorably if the key participants are (or commit to locate) in Texas.
What if we are planning to propose for external funding where an ETF 'match' would greatly increase our probability of winning?
The initial subject proposal must have already been submitted and be in evaluation before making application for the RMG; however, future ‘increments’ of funding from the external source may be considered and ‘provisionally’ matched if they are in the sponsor’s long-range plan. If an application based on a proposal in evaluation is approved, the ETF will make a 'provisional' RMG award to commit the matching funds only if the external funding proposal is awarded funding.
What is meant by 'interdisciplinary' as used in the ETF legislation?
In general it means combining technology elements across the boundaries between traditionally defined academic disciplines, e.g., mechanical with electronic, medical with computers or semiconductors, etc.
If internal research funding is provided by an education institution or a corporation for one of its units does it still qualify for ETF RMG matching?
No, the matched funding must be ‘external’ and not from a Texas state fund; but substantial internal self-funding by consortium members makes any ETF application more attractive.
How much can we apply for? Is there a minimum amount for a 'match' funding?
There is no absolute upper limit; however, the largest RMG award to date has been $5M. A larger award might, however, be possible for the right opportunity. On the other end, awards of less than $1M are considered much less desirable unless they are effectively just the ‘leading edge’ of a much larger opportunity for the consortium and Texas.
Does the ETF match have to be 'dollar-for-dollar' with the external funding?
No, but the external funding must be larger or equal to the requested RMG. Preference is given to more ‘leveraged’ matches, e.g., 'one-for-two' would be more attractive than ‘one-for one’, etc.
Doe a future award(s) of funds from external sources count toward an RMG match?
Yes, but any such RMG award will not be funded by the ETF until the external funds are 'in-hand’. Typically, such increments of RGM funding are provided for in the resulting ETF contract to the consortium and are tied to specific milestone achievements which include the receipt of specified increments of external research grants.
Does 'in-kind' (i.e., non-cash) support by the external entity(s) qualify for RGM matching by the ETF?
There is a very strong preference for cash funding, a major part of the external support must be in cash and the RMG match will only be compared to that cash component. That said, in-kind support may be considered in evaluating the overall strength and attractiveness of the proposed RMG program.
Is the RGM application form the same as the Commercialization form? Where can we obtain an RGM proposal application packet?
The RMG form is not the same as the Commercialization form. The RMG application form may be downloaded from the ntxrcic.org website.
Can we obtain the scoring criteria to be used to evaluate the proposals?
There is no formal, numerical scoring process for RMG applications; but the NTXRCIC will be glad to explain the current RMG criteria established by the state ETF Advisory Committee and to help you develop the strongest proposal possible for your consortium.
What is the deadline for applying?
There are no specific ‘deadline’ dates for RMG’s as there are for ETF Commercialization applications; but RMG’s are evaluated for funding recommendation by the ETF Advisory Committee at their quarterly meetings, so there is a quarterly ‘periodicity’. Contact the NTXRCIC for specific recommendation on submittal dates.
Will the content or titles of the proposal we submit be made public?
Only resulting contracts with the state are subject to the “Open Records Act”; and all other documents submitted in conjunction with ETF applications are protected as the applicant’s proprietary information. In particular the NTXRCIC never discloses the names of its clients or applicants without their prior approval unless they have first received a publicly-announced ETF award.
May we resubmit a proposal if it did not receive an award? May the same entity receive funding for multiple projects?
Yes, non-awarded proposals may be re-submitted on a subsequent quarterly cycle(s). This has happened several times in the past, and some applicants have been successful on ‘second passes’. The ETF principles state that an entity may receive up to a total of three awards from the fund; but allows no more than two funding events for the same project (with the exception of pre-approved, multiple increments of ETF funding available under an ETF contract based on specific milestone achievements).
May we apply at an RCIC other than the N. TX RCIC?
Specifically, all RMG applications go directly to the Governor’s Office ETF staff to initiate state-level evaluation; and an RCIC serves only to assist the consortium in preparing their best application. That said, the selection of supporting RCIC is an option left to the consortium, but proximity is obviously advantageous for logistical reasons. If an application is not successful, changing to a different RCIC on a later cycle is permitted.
May an application be changed after it has been submitted?
Yes, in response to questions from the evaluation process, direction from the ETF Advisory Committee or to correct ambiguities.