FY22 IRIM/IPaT Aware Home Seed Grant

The primary objective of the IRIM/IPaT Aware Home seed grant program is to spark a revitalization of healthcare robotics research in IPaT’s Aware Home -- a 3-story, 5040 square foot facility designed to facilitate interdisciplinary research, while providing an authentic home environment. Proposals to develop infrastructure (including software) that will support interdisciplinary healthcare robotics research are encouraged, as are proposals that will develop research areas that are not well represented at Georgia Tech. Proposals should anticipate and explore use cases that include interaction and collaboration with individuals including informal and formal healthcare providers.

Facilities in the Aware Home include a mobile manipulator with a bimanual torso (Clearpath mobile platform, with a pair of Kinova robot arms, and computer vision system) as well as a network of “smart home” sensing technologies. These platforms will be available for use by projects funded under this program.

One goal for these seed grants is to strengthen collaborative and interdisciplinary efforts between IPaT and IRIM. Therefore, preference will be given to proposals that demonstrate strong collaborations between IRIM and IPaT researchers.

Eligibility and Limitations:

  • Limit on number of proposals per PI/Co-PI: 2.
  • PIs must certify this proposal has not been submitted to any other seed grant program.

Proposals should include 1-2 pages of Technical Content and References along with a Project Plan (approx. one page). The Technical Content should clearly articulate the high-impact (as opposed to incremental) nature of the proposed research effort and the expected outcomes, along with a short description of why a seed grant is necessary to pursue the proposed research activities. The Project Plan should include:

  1. a detailed project budget,
  2. a description of any infrastructure that will be developed to support healthcare robotics research in the Aware Home,
  3. a description of the project's potential to lead to larger opportunities in the area of healthcare robotics (including potential future collaborators),
  4. a list of current solicitations that are targeted, if available.

The total length of the proposal (including References and Project Plan) must be no more than 3 pages, with minimum font size of 10 pt, and minimum margins of one inch on all sides. Proposals in excess of 3 pages will not be considered for funding.

Funding for each seed grant will be limited to a maximum of $25K of state funds per project, and all spending must be completed by the end of the 2022 Fiscal Year (May 2022).

Proposals are due November 16, 2021, and will be evaluated by a review panel. Proposals should be submitted via GT InfoReady website.