The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation (OVCRI) is providing funding for faculty to establish/grow strategic research programs, increase the amount of competitive research funding, and elevate the scholarly works of faculty members. The program seeks to enhance research activities in strategic areas that will lead to the submission of collaborative grant proposals in core and emerging research areas that are elaborated in the 2020 Roadmap to R1 report. These areas include Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Materials, Intelligent Systems, Bio-X, Data Science, Resources: Natural, Energy, Water, for Society (ReNEWS), and Training, STEM Education, and Workforce Development.