Research Resources

Supporting the Strategic Plan for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

This page will list the sources of research support initiated by the Strategic Plan for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity as more details become available to the A&S community.

A&S Seed & Planning Grants Program – 2025

Proposals DUE: January 15, 2025 at 5:00 pm

The A&S Seed & Planning Grants program is designed to enable new research projects, plan for externally supported centers, promote collaboration and increase sponsored research. There are two grant types, seed and planning. The program aims to enable faculty to undertake preliminary research needed for external proposals or plan for pursuit of major external funding opportunities such as center grants. Seed and Planning Grants will be awarded in the Sciences as well as in the Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences (A&H/SS). Awards will annually total approximately $750K for the Sciences and $80K for A&H/SS; the difference reflects the centrality of Annual Research Funds in supporting research activities in A&H/SS, while still encouraging the development of larger-scale, sponsored research activities in these areas.

Seed Grants - Designed to enable faculty to undertake fundamental research, obtain pilot data, and leverage findings to secure external funding for research or creative activities. Successful proposals will have high potential for impact and concrete plans for pursuing subsequent extramural funding. Collaborative proposals are welcomed, particularly those involving new collaborations.
- Tenured/tenure track faculty with a primary appointment in A&S should serve as lead researcher or Project Investigator (PI); AGFM eligible as co-PIs.
- Funding requests may be up to $50K/project (Sciences) and $20K/project (A&H/SS).
- Project duration is 1 year with an interim report due in 6 months and a final report at year’s end.
Planning Grants – Designed to allow time and resources for planning of institutional-scale projects, such as major center submissions. Projects should enable faculty to plan, assemble teams for, and write major center proposals. Planning grants should enable significant planning and preparation over the funded period. Example activities could include dedicated faculty time for planning meetings and proposal preparation, visiting and building relationships with collaborating institutions, and/or conducting research to obtain critical preliminary information.
- Planning grant proposals would typically include three or more faculty, and require the lead PI to have a primary appointment in A&S.
- Funding requests may be up to $75K/project.
- Project duration is 1 to 2 years with an interim report due mid-way through and a final report at the end of the grant.

How to Apply

Annual research funding

All Tenure/Tenure-Track (T/TT) faculty in the Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences have access to $4,000 in annual research funding.

Funds will be placed in individual accounts for each T/TT faculty member in these divisions annually and can be used for any activity related to research, scholarship, and creative activity. Accounts for jointly appointed faculty will be housed in their Primary Department. Address question about access and use of funds to Department Managers.
Annual research funds can be rolled over for one year, with a total allowable balance of $8,000 at year end. However, a balance of $8,000 cannot be maintained for multiple consecutive years.

Dean's Research Fellows Program

The Dean’s Research Fellows program will recognize an annual cohort of exceptional mid-career scholars who are performing transformational research in their fields.

Research Fellows will be recognized by receiving a salary supplement and additional research support. This is a limited-term program, with three cohorts of approximately six fellows each.
Selection criteria include innovative and field-transforming research, scholarship or creative work, superb records of teaching, and strong records of service to departments, the university, and/or the broader field.
The initial cohort is derived from the information collected in the A&S Promotion & Tenure process over the past several years. Future nominees will be identified by Divisional Associate Deans in consultation with departmental leadership and Promotion & Tenure and Peer Review information.

Research Top-offs

T/TT faculty who receive significant and prestigious external research fellowships that cover some but not all of their salary are eligible for salary supplements, i.e. Top-offs. Top-off funds will be available following a review process.

The updated top-off policy will apply to awards beginning in Fall 2025. More information about the updated policy on faculty top-offs can be found here.
(Professional Development Top-offs will be available to General Faculty who receive significant and prestigious external fellowships that support their professional development; again, these top-offs will be contingent on review. See policy)

Research Resources

This page will list the sources of research support initiated by the Strategic Plan for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity as more details become available to the A&S community.

See also: Strategic Planning - Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity in A&S and FAQ

A&S Seed & Planning Grants Program – 2025

Proposals DUE: January 15, 2025 at 5:00 pm

Tenured/tenure track faculty with a primary appointment in A&S should serve as lead researcher or Project Investigator (PI); AGFM eligible as co-PIs.

Funding requests may be up to $50K/project (Sciences) and $20K/project (A&H/SS).

Project duration is 1 year with an interim report due in 6 months and a final report at year’s end.

Planning grant proposals would typically include three or more faculty, and require the lead PI to have a primary appointment in A&S.

Funding requests may be up to $75K/project.

Project duration is 1 to 2 years with an interim report due mid-way through and a final report at the end of the grant.

How to Apply

Annual research funding

All Tenure/Tenure-Track (T/TT) faculty in the Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences have access to $4,000 in annual research funding.

Annual research funds can be rolled over for one year, with a total allowable balance of $8,000 at year end. However, a balance of $8,000 cannot be maintained for multiple consecutive years.

Dean's Research Fellows Program

The Dean’s Research Fellows program will recognize an annual cohort of exceptional mid-career scholars who are performing transformational research in their fields.

Research Fellows will be recognized by receiving a salary supplement and additional research support. This is a limited-term program, with three cohorts of approximately six fellows each.

Selection criteria include innovative and field-transforming research, scholarship or creative work, superb records of teaching, and strong records of service to departments, the university, and/or the broader field.

The initial cohort is derived from the information collected in the A&S Promotion & Tenure process over the past several years. Future nominees will be identified by Divisional Associate Deans in consultation with departmental leadership and Promotion & Tenure and Peer Review information.

Research Top-offs

T/TT faculty who receive significant and prestigious external research fellowships that cover some but not all of their salary are eligible for salary supplements, i.e. Top-offs. Top-off funds will be available following a review process.

The updated top-off policy will apply to awards beginning in Fall 2025. More information about the updated policy on faculty top-offs can be found here.

(Professional Development Top-offs will be available to General Faculty who receive significant and prestigious external fellowships that support their professional development; again, these top-offs will be contingent on review. See policy)