Internal Funding Opportunities

Community-Based Research (CBR) Grantssupport research partnerships between academia and the local community that inquire into and address real-world issues through an approach rooted in equity and inclusion. Funds are awarded by the VPR and may be used for research assistants, related travel, and required supplies. Planning and Partnership Formation Grants fund up to $10,000 for one year.Implementation Grants fund up to $30,000 for one year. Applications are usually due in early September and in early July, respectively.

Conference Event Funding Support (COH) is available from the College of Humanities to support innovative or high-profile conferences, gatherings, or events on or near campus. Humanities departments, centers, and programs can apply for up to $15,000 per event to help offset costs. Applications are usually due the 3rd Friday in October. For more information, contact Kristina Bailey

Faculty Fellow Awards (FFA)provide faculty members one semester of full release time (from teaching and administrative tasks) at full salary for scholarly and creative projects. Departments of awarded faculty will receive up to $15,000 to defer the cost of the awardee’s release time. The College runs an internal competition then submits selected nominees to the VPR to be reviewed for awards. Applications for the college’s internal competition are usually due in late September. 

Faculty Small Grant Program (FSGP) support scholarly publications and creative research. Grants fund up to $10,000 for up to one year. Funds are awarded by the VPR and may be used for research assistants, related travel, required supplies, and other justifiable expenses. There are two funding cycles per year. Applications are usually due in early October and in early January. If you need a higher amount of funding, consider applying for the Research Incentive Seed Grant Program.

International Travel Grants (COH) provide Humanities faculty with up to $2,000 per trip to attend international conferences or conduct research abroad. Eligible travel must occur within 24 months after the application. There are two funding cycles. Applications are due on the second Friday in September and in February. Applications can be submitted at any time, and faculty are encouraged to apply for funding as soon as they identify a trip. For example, if you plan to travel in the summer, you can (and should) apply for the preceding fall deadline and – if not funded – apply again for the spring deadline. 

John R. Park Teaching Fellowships provides U faculty release time for one semester during the academic year to study outside the state of Utah with the purpose of enlarging and enriching their teaching role. Recipients are awarded $5,000, and an additional $5,000 in teaching replacement funds may be available to their home department. Awarded by the University Teaching Committee, Academic Affairs. Applications are usually due in mid November.

Kickstart Funding (COH) provides Humanities faculty with an opportunity to fund a fellowship/grant proposal that was unsuccessful in an extramural funding competition. Recognizing the highly competitive nature of external funding for humanities research, this fund is intended to incentivize submission of external applications and to encourage faculty to continue working on previously unsuccessful funding efforts. For example, if a faculty member applied for an NEH Fellowship but was not selected, they can submit that application – plus a cover letter and budget page – for Kickstart Funding. Awards range from $2,500 to $10,000 for one year. Applications are due on the fourth Friday in March. 

National Humanities Center Summer Residency Program Faculty Stipend (COH)provides scholars a concentrated period of supported research and intellectual exchange at the NHC in North Carolina. As a sponsoring institution of the National Humanities Center, University of Utah College of Humanities faculty have exclusive access to participate in the four-week program in June to help jump-start or make substantial progress on a project. The College offers a stipend to cover the cost of the program fee ($7,500) for up to 3 faculty members, which includes lodging, shuttle service, some meals, a private study, and library and administrative support. Applications are usually due in early February.

One Utah Data Science Hub Seed Grant supports new collaborations and innovative research in data science and data-enabled science that will lead to federal extramural grant applications. Applications invited that build upon the missions of the One Utah Data Science Hub and support innovative research that cuts across traditional research areas. Applications are usually due in December.

Post-Tenure Research Assignment (COH) provides a leave option for those who don’t qualify for sabbatical because of the timing of previous leaves. It is granted for tenure-line faculty members who do not qualify for sabbatical to engage in scholarly research or other activities that improve their teaching, research, or service obligations to the university. Applications are usually due in late October. For more information, contact Kristina Bailey.

Presidential Leadership Fellowsprogram aims to increase the number of academic leaders from the arts and humanities, specifically those historically excluded and underrepresented from administrative ranks. Fellows participate at the top levels of campus leadership; professional and development activities; and mentoring sessions from the university president, cabinet members, and other leaders in higher education. The fellowship is a 9-month (September-May) comprehensive and immersive experience with cohort members from four Utah institutions. Cohort recruitment begins in June with nominations and applications due by then end of July. To be considered, faculty must be nominated by the Dean. If you are interested in being nominated, please contact Kristina Bailey.

Public Service Professorship, awarded by the Bennion Center, helps U of U faculty strengthen community-engaged learning experiences and opportunities tied to civic engagement. The recipient is awarded up to $7,500, which may be used in any way that enables them to carry out their proposed project, e.g., release time, research assistant pay, conference travel, and supplies. Applications are usually due in late January.

Research Incentive Seed Grants (Seed)supports new research projects that are likely to generate extramural funding. For the College of Humanities, it supports investigators in pursuing a new question or embarking on a new program of study. Priority is given to applications that: (1) Support preliminary work likely to lead to competitive external grant applications; (3) promote faculty moving into new areas of research or new collaborative efforts; and (3) foster interdisciplinary work and catalyze new research collaborations between COH faculty and researchers across the U. Grants range from $10,000 to $50,000 for one year. Funds may be used for research assistants, related travel, required supplies, and other justifiable expenses. The College runs an internal competition then submits selected applications to the VPR to be reviewed for awards. Applications for the college’s internal competition are usually due in early December. (Tip: Format your narrative in line with the style and requirements of the target extramural funding mechanism.) If you need a lower amount of funding, consider applying for the Faculty Small Grant Program.

Research Instrumentation Fund (RIF)is a competitive program through the VPR that provides up to $250,000 to faculty and core facilities necessary research instrumentation purchases and upgrades/replacements. A minimum of 30% in matching funds is required. Funds cannot be used for teaching/training purposes or for general computers/hardware. Applications are usually due in early January. (Note: A second funding cycle may be held late in the year if funds are still available after the initial rounds of awards are made.)

Sabbatical Leave (COH) is grantedfor faculty members to engage in scholarly research or other activities that improve their teaching, research, or service obligations to the university. Instructions are usually emailed to faculty in early October, and applications are usually due in late October. For more information, contact Kristina Bailey.

Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) Faculty Mentorship provides faculty members with the opportunity to mentor the next generation of researchers and support their own research teams/projects while the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) provides additional resources to the students selected to work on the mentor's project over the summer. Awarded by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR). Faculty mentor applications are usually due in early October and student applications are usually due in late January.

Taft-Nicholson Summer Fellow Residency provides intensive, dedicated time in the summer for U of U faculty in all disciplines to work on writing, research, creative projects, or other scholarly pursuits during a 1- to 3-week residency at the Taft-Nicholson Environmental Humanities Education Center in Montana. Participants receive up to $2,000 to cover the cost of travel, food, and supplies. Applications are usually due in late March.

Tanner Humanities Center Supplemental Funding is available on a limited basis to advance research and knowledge in the humanities. Faculty Supplemental Support is available in the form of micro-grants from $250 to $2,000. Requests are due at least three weeks prior to the proposed event or program. Research Interest Group Funding is available for projects that build interdisciplinary communities of inquiry. Co-Sponsorship Micro-Grants are available for and community co-sponsored projects. Requests are due at least four to six weeks prior to the proposed event or program

Tanner Humanities Center Faculty Fellowships – available for tenure-track and career-line faculty –supports high-quality humanistic research and interdisciplinary projects likely to contribute to substantive intellectual exchange among a diverse group of scholars. The Center encourages projects that are interdisciplinary and that are likely to contribute to substantive intellectual exchange among a diverse group of scholars. Internal fellows are awarded a one-semester full-time residency at the Center and reimbursement for their home departments. The Center also offers external/visiting faculty and graduate student fellowships.

Thomas Dee III Teaching Excellence Grants supports projects with broad impact on teaching and/or curriculum at either the undergraduate or the graduate level, especially innovative projects Funds may be used for training in new teaching techniques, development of interdisciplinary curricula, visits and workshops conducted by scholars and master teachers, and related travel. Accepts applications from tenure-line, career-line, and visiting faculty members for projects. Applicants may be individual faculty or small groups of faculty. Proposals funded in recent years have ranged from $1,000 to $12,000.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty Mentorshipprovides a stipend and educational programming for students who assist with a faculty member’s research or creative project or who carry out a project of their own under the supervision of a faculty member. The faculty research mentor must have an established relationship with the student at the time of application. Awarded by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR). There are three funding cycles: applications are usually due in June/July for fall semester, applications are usually due in early November for spring semester, and applications are usually due in early March for summer semester.

University Professorshipoffers U of U faculty the opportunity to launch new projects in General Education that will make significant differences in student educational experiences. The two-year appointment includes a $5,000 award, $15,000 to support their research goal, and $10,000 to their home department in teaching replacement funds. Awarded by the Center for Teaching Excellence, Academic Affairs. Applications are usually due in late November.

University Teaching Grantsfund new, creative ideas for teaching that enhance student learning experiences and that have broad, long-term impact on undergraduate education. Grants can be used for the creation of new courses or the substantial improvement of existing courses. Grants award up to $7,000. Funds may be used for student assistants and other justifiable expenses (e.g., consultant fees, workshop fees, materials, and travel). Awarded by the University Teaching Committee, Academic Affairs. There are three funding cycles each year. Applications are usually due in early October, late January, and mid March.

Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy Faculty Seed Grantsprovide initial support for impactful research exploring the fundamental processes surrounding climate change, as well as the policy impacts and opportunities. Proposals must exhibit high potential for leveraging extramural funding and PIs must commit to submitting at least one external proposal based on the pilot project. Grants award up to $20,000 for single PI projects or up to $50,000 for multi-PI project for one year only. Applications are usually due in mid November and mid January.