Faculty Research Funding

The following guidelines have been established in consultation with the Committee.
Changes in the guidelines may be made as experience in making the awards suggests modifications.

Application Schedule:

The Faculty Research Advisory Committee welcomes applications twice a year: October 1 and March 1.  Awards made in the Fall will be for the current fiscal year only, meaning that allocated funds will need to be spent before June 15 of the current year. Proposals for awards reviewed in the Spring term should specify whether the request is for funds in the current year or funds that will be spent after July 1.

Application Requirements:

All tenure line faculty and clinical faculty are eligible for Faculty Research Awards. Applications may be made by submitting a cover sheet including a description of the proposed work in narrative form that can be understood by colleagues in different departments (avoid discipline-specific jargon). The description may not exceed 750 words. The description should have a clear research question, include relevant literature, and articulate research and analysis methods clearly. Furthermore, if the project involves human subjects research, a copy of the IRB application should be attached to the proposal. A budget showing the specific expenditures for which the award is requested should also be included and will not count as part of the 750-word description. 

Applications should be submitted to the Office of the Dean via DocuSign. The application form must be fully signed by the applicant and department chair.  The application deadlines will be in October and February (specific deadlines will be announced at the start of fall and spring semesters).

Guidelines for Funding:

1. The Committee will strive to recognize fairly the different needs of different disciplines.
2. Chairs must sign off on proposals affirming the project involves substantive research in the field, appropriate to recognition as scholarship during the colleague evaluation process.
3. College of Liberal Arts research funds will not pay for faculty time.
4. The amount approved for a single grant will be between $500 and $2,500. The
   Committee may recommend grants of less than the amount requested based on its judgment of appropriate expenditures or the limitations of available funds.
5. In reimbursing travel, the Committee will seek first to address the basic costs of allowing the faculty member to reach the location required for the research proposed, which may involve airfare, train travel, mileage by car, or another form of transportation. Research funds may be requested for housing or other expenses in another location provided that the total request does not exceed $2,500. University rules on the process of reimbursement for travel will apply.
6. The Committee will welcome both requests related to the exploratory phase of a potential new research project and applications related to projects at a more advanced stage of work.
7. CLA Faculty Research Funds are not intended to supplement start-up funding.

Expectations for Subsequent Funding:

1. A report on the use of all awards must be submitted to the Dean’s Office upon completion of the project. Faculty who have not submitted a report on a prior award will not be eligible for additional awards. Reports should not exceed 750 words.
2. The Committee expects that the research involved will lead at least to a presentation at a recognized professional conference or the project to result in published scholarly work. The faculty member involved will not be eligible for additional awards until there is evidence that such a paper has been delivered or proof of publication or acceptance of a manuscript.
3. The Committee recognizes that conditions beyond the faculty member’s control may block the completion of prior work and may waive the expectations for subsequent funding. The Committee may also determine in the future to allow eligibility when a period of three years has passed since the end of the prior award.
4. The Committee recognizes the importance of equitable access to fundings for all tenure-track and tenured faculty. As such, back-to-back proposals will be considered only after first timers’ applications have been reviewed.

Established September 2015
Revised April 2024

Committee Members

• Marcio Siwi, HIST
• Makmiller Pedroso, PHIL/RLST
• Paul Munroe, SOAN/CRMJ
• Carter Wang, GEOG
• Pooja Brar, FMST
• Frances Botkin, ENGL
• Cecilia Rio, Women’s and Gender Studies
• Alisha Reaves, LLC
• Amina Sillah, POSC
• Candice Aston, PSYC