Faculty Funding Opportunities
Funding for Humanities Research
The University and College offer several intermural funding mechanisms to support faculty research, teaching, creative work, and other scholarly activities. In addition, there are numerous extramural grants and fellowships outside of the University of Utah that researchers and scholars can pursue, including for projects that may require extended periods of uninterrupted time, travel to other locations, and/or hard to obtain materials. Some external awards are also viewed as career milestones; for instance, winning a Guggenheim is one of the highest achievements in academia. Moreover, all proposals – whether successful at obtaining funding or not – are of merit and are evidence of research activity for your professional record with the University.
To find funding opportunities specific to your research interests and need, conduct a custom funding search in Pivot-RP (it’s quick and easy to do; click here for how-to.)
Faculty, please notify us as soon as you decide to apply for any grants or fellowships, so we can connect you with the best resources and ensure your submissions are recorded in the University's system.
Types of Funding Available
There are two primary types of funding that faculty generally pursue: fellowships
and grants. Both can be unrestricted in what they will fund or may allow for only
certain expenses – it all depends on the specific funding mechanism. Other types of
funding include prizes/awards as well as funds specifically for travel, conferences,
and publication.
Grants
Grants generally provide faculty with funds to pay for direct costs (such as travel, equipment, or data collection) of research, project planning, and/or implementation. Some grants can be used to buy out time for the faculty researcher and/or for student assistants.
Fellowships
Fellowships provide researchers and scholars with dedicated time, funds, access, and space they need to undertake projects (including conducting research, writing, and/or engaging in other scholarly pursuits) often by offsetting or replacing salary.
Residential Fellowships
Residential fellowships – often referred to as “in-residence” – provide scholars with a change of location to focus on their work, access to certain special collections, and/or the opportunity to live and work at a particular institution as part of a scholarly community.