Stanford Agility Project Program: Call for Proposals

The Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance is an interdisciplinary research initiative at Stanford whose mission is to transform human health on a global scale through the discovery and translation of the principles underlying human performance. We aim to leverage an untapped reservoir of knowledge through the application of science, technology, and analytical rigor to the study of human performance, injury prevention, and injury recovery throughout life. By comprehensively studying athletes of various ages, genders, ethnicities, abilities, and disciplines, we aim to discover the principles that govern peak performance, from the molecular level to the whole body, and including both physical and cognitive performance. The goal is to leverage these principles to optimize and sustain health throughout an individual’s lifespan.

The Agility Projects are seed grants to fund early-stage projects from cross-disciplinary teams to advance the mission of the Alliance. Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent and then invited applicants will prepare a full proposal for review.

Program Priorities

This funding opportunity will support early stage research projects that study human performance, broadly defined. The program supports research to further our knowledge of the science of human performance, including both physical and cognitive performance. 

• Proposals for fundamental scientific exploration and translational work are welcome. 
• Teams should be composed of members who use different methodologies/approaches and/or work in different disciplines. 
• Proposals that advance our understanding of female athletes’ health and performance are encouraged.
• We also welcome proposals focused on teaching and other outreach activities designed to strengthen and educate the human performance community on campus and beyond.

Teams should be composed of members who use different methodologies/approaches and/or work in different disciplines. Faculty from all departments across the university are welcome to apply. 

Prior Awardees

Letter of Intent

We are seeking letters of intent (LOI) from members of the Stanford community. The submitted LOIs will be reviewed by a committee consisting of faculty with a broad range of expertise. Approximately 10-15 LOIs will be selected, and those teams will be asked to submit a full proposal. We plan to select 4-6 projects for funding. 

Timeline/Key Dates

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be affiliates of the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance. Any interested member of the Stanford faculty is invited to join the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance.

Each proposal must have a Stanford faculty member who qualifies as a Principal Investigator (PI) according to Stanford University Policy. 

Faculty may participate in more than one letter of intent if each proposed project includes a different set of team members. A faculty member may only serve as PI on one proposal.

Cross-disciplinary teams are highly encouraged.

Selection Criteria

The Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance Agility Project Committee will review proposals based on:

• Merit of the proposal, with quality, innovation and creativity balanced by the project’s likelihood of success.
• Potential to advance the understanding of human performance, broadly defined.
• Strength of the interdisciplinary and collaborative team
• The potential scientific breakthroughs and follow-on funding.

Letter of Intent Submission

LOIs are submitted via SlideRoom.

The Seed Grant LOI must be submitted online by the deadline: July 7, 2026, 11:59 pm Pacific Time.

Each LOI should have one Communicating Principal Investigator. The Communicating Principal Investigator serves as the point of contact for the project and is responsible for submitting the online application. 

A complete online application consists of:

1. Completed form for general information about the Communicating Principal Investigator and the collaborating investigator(s).
2. A short (up to one page) description of the project. Include a description of the project goals and the impact of the project on human performance research.

Submit Letter of Intent

Preview of Full Proposal Requirements

If your team’s LOI is selected, you will be notified to submit a full five-page proposal. Full proposals must include background leading to the proposal, specific aims, a description of proposed methods, a budget, and expected outcomes. The proposal should also detail the role of each team member and the CVs of all the faculty members involved in the proposal.

Duration

Grants will be for a one-year period, with the option to extend for an additional year based on progress made on the project. 

Budget 

Proposals may request up to $100,000 in total costs per year for up to two years. Funds may be used for personnel (faculty, undergraduate or graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, or staff), supplies, small equipment, travel, or seminar and symposia needs. PI salary support is subject to the 2026 NIH salary cap ($228,000). Budgets must also factor in Stanford’s 8% infrastructure charge, assessed to all direct costs in the proposal. 

Complete details for full proposal submission will be provided after LOI selection.