IEEE New Initiative Process

The IEEE New Initiative Process (NIP) allows for new initiative evaluation at any time during the year via a two-phased proposal submission process. This process aims to:

reduce the time from submission to response and implementation;
more proactively seek new initiative proposals;
encourage regular and rigorous reviews of ongoing and completed initiatives.

Minimum funding for NIP proposals is US$100,000 for the first year. For smaller-scale or high-risk proposals where relatively small (up to or less than US$25,000) amounts of funding are required, the Seed Grant Process should be used.

Restatement of the Purpose of the New Initiative Program

The new initiative program is designed to identify potential new products, programs, and services that will provide significant benefit to IEEE members, customers, the technical community, or the public, and which promises to have a lasting impact on the IEEE. Initiatives are of strategic importance and must demonstrate a clear benefit to IEEE.

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Who Can Submit a New Initiative Proposal?

A request for new initiative funding may be submitted by any IEEE member, volunteer, or IEEE unit, either individually or in cooperation with an IEEE staff group.

While IEEE staff proposals generally are considered to be operational, they may be submitted for consideration if they meet both of the following criteria:

they are innovative (e.g., involve something new to a discipline, a new product, a new process with significant benefits, or an integration of multifunctional operations);
they have a volunteer or operational unit co-sponsor.

All proposals must be accompanied by a letter of endorsement from a volunteer champion. Learn more about the volunteer champion requirements in the explanation of the Two-Phased NIP Proposal Submission Process

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The Two-Phased New Initiative Proposal Submission Process

Phase 1

Phase 1 involves the submission of a preliminary proposal for New Initiatives Committee (NIC) review. The steps in phase 1 are as follows.

Initiative leaders must find a volunteer champion to endorse the proposed project. The champion writes a short endorsement (in electronic form) and may offer suggestions that could facilitate approval of the project.
Phase 1 preliminary proposals can be submitted at any time using the IEEE New Initiatives Proposal Form (DOC, 229 KB). Completed forms should be sent to the NIC e-mail alias at newinitiatives@ieee.org. The form requires basic information such as initiative leader, champion endorsement, costs, and timetable.
Proposals will be screened by IEEE staff to determine that all required information is included, and then forwarded to the NIC within five working days of submission. Staff will not evaluate proposals for content.
The NIC will evaluate phase 1 proposals and provide a decision to the initiative leader and champion at the next scheduled NIC meeting..
If the phase 1 proposal is accepted, the initiative leader will be asked to submit a phase 2 proposal. If the proposal is not accepted, the initiative leader and champion will be notified with an explanation and possible suggestions for further action.

Phase 2

Phase 2 requires the submission of the complete proposal after acceptance in phase 1. The steps in phase 2 are as follows.

The initiative leader will be required to submit a phase 2 proposal within the timeline negotiated between the NIC and the initiative leader.
Phase 2 proposals will be screened by staff to determine that all conditions for submission have been met, and will be forwarded to the NIC within five working days.
NIC members will review the phase 2 proposal and ask for any additional information needed within ten working days. The NIC may designate an NIC member as a contact for the initiative leader.
If the proposal is approved, the NIC will negotiate the start date (which includes release of funding) and an expected progress report and review (either written or verbal) schedule with the initiative leader. On multiyear projects, the NIC will appoint an NIC member to be the project monitor.

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Last updated: 17 March 2008