Grand Challenge Initiative
Bold Solutions for a Changing World
Our world is at a crossroads, facing a future we would not choose for ourselves or future generations. Meeting the Grand Challenge Initiative requires bold, collective action. George Mason is committed to developing transformative solutions, advancing strategic investments, and preparing future leaders to build a sustainable world.
Grand Challenge Initiative Year 2 RFP
George Mason University has released the Grand Challenge Initiative Year 2 (GCI Y2) Request for Proposals. The College of Science encourages all faculty interested in leading or participating in a proposal to begin connecting with collaborators and planning early.
The college briefly introduced the GCI process, including our college timeline during the October 5 faculty meeting. Members of the Senior Leadership Team remained after the meeting for approximately 20 to 30 minutes to answer faculty questions.
We look forward to supporting College of Science teams as they develop bold, collaborative proposals addressing George Mason’s six Grand Challenge solution areas.
College of Science Grand Challenge Initiative Year 2 Timeline
- Monday, October 5, 2026: GCI overview during the College of Science faculty meeting, followed by a question-and-answer session
- Wednesday, October 15, 2026: Target date for the optional College of Science Notice of Intent (*)
- November 2 to 24, 2026: Target date to consult with the College of Science Pre-Award Team about draft budgets
- Friday, December 4, 2026: Required Letter of Intent due to the College of Science and gci@gmu.edu (#)
- Friday, January 15, 2027: Final budgets due for internal college review
- Monday, February 1, 2027: Letters of commitment finalized
- Monday, February 15, 2027, by 11:59 p.m.: Full proposals due to the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact
- Friday, April 30, 2027: Award decisions anticipated
- No later than Thursday, July 1, 2027: Funding begins
Please review the Year 2 RFP and the College of Science GCI webpage for complete requirements, updates, and resources: Year 2 RFP.
College of Science GCI information
*Optional College of Science Notice of Intent
The college has streamlined its internal Notice of Intent to request only a brief description of the anticipated proposal, team, and likely resource needs. This notice is suggested, not required. Its purpose is to help the college prepare to support proposal development, coordinate with other participating units, and identify resource needs early. It is especially encouraged for proposals led by College of Science faculty or requiring college resources.
# Required university Letter of Intent
The university’s Letter of Intent is a separate, required step. Each team must submit its Letter of Intent to the lead college or school dean’s office and to gci@gmu.edu by December 4. Teams that do not submit the required Letter of Intent will not be eligible to submit a full proposal.
Five of Seven Selected GCI Projects Focus on Science
The GCI is a comprehensive research framework driving bold solutions for a prosperous future. Backed by an initial five-year, $15 million investment, GCI aligns university resources, faculty expertise, and educational programs around six interconnected solution areas addressing humanity’s most pressing challenges. See the first wave of selected projects, including five of the seven led by Mason Science researchers and involving more than two dozen College of Science faculty.
One Grand Challenge, Six Grand Solutions
“It is time either to brace ourselves for an era of global decline and a future that none of us would choose for ourselves, or seize back control of our destiny and work together to reverse course. It will take all of us working together to alter the course of our future.”
— Gregory Washington, President, George Mason University
A Future We Want: One Grand Challenge. Six Grand Solutions
Dive deep into George Mason's bold new research strategy with President Gregory Washington and Andre Marshall, vice president for research, innovation, and economic impact. In this episode of Access to Excellence, discover how the Grand Challenge Initiative is positioning George Mason at the forefront of humanity's most pressing issues while maximizing competitiveness for research funding.
