Internal Funding

Individuals with a full-time academic appointment as professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor, and librarian I-IV are eligible to apply. Non-tenure track faculty are not eligible.

Applicants are limited to one competitive award per fiscal year. The three competitive programs are the Research/Creative Activity (RCA), Research Grant Development (RGD), and Research Project Support (RPS). Other limitations include:

• Individuals cannot receive a competitive award (RCA, RGD or RPS) during the same semester(s) that they are on faculty development leave or sabbatical.
• Individuals cannot receive a Project Support award at the same time as an RGD or RPS award.
• Individuals who receive an RCA cannot receive a Travel Support or Project Support minigrant award during the summer.

Requests submitted without all required items will not be considered for funding.

The University Research Council (URC) develops guidelines for the Research Enhancement Program and makes all award recommendations.  The council also advises ORGS on policies and procedures to encourage research activities and to improve the research environment of the university; developing and recommending university research policies based upon state and federal laws and regulations; and recommending adjudication to variances to policies and procedure.

The council meets approximately six times a year to evaluate and award grants.

URC Information

Research proposing the use of human subjects, laboratory animals, or hazardous materials must be approved by the appropriate university committee prior to the initiation of the research project. In addition, projects awarded through the Research Enhancement Program must conform to all other applicable SFA policies and guidelines, and local, state, and federal regulation.

• Research Compliance Committees website
• sample report format

Minigrants provide assistance to help meet a variety of project, publication and travel needs. These grants are ideal for projects needing support for conference presentations, exhibition/performance costs, publishing, supplies, student assistant wages, and other smaller project needs.

Minigrant applications are accepted year-round with the final submission deadline of July 31st or until funds are depleted.

Proposal Submission

Prepare and submit all internal grants in InfoReady using your mySFA credentials. For step-by-step guidance, watch the video tutorial on proposal submission.

• Project Support grants provide faculty support up to $1,500 for a specific research project, exhibit or creative activity
• Publication Support grants provide up to $750 per article to assist faculty with publication expenses including page charges and indexing fees.
• Travel Support is available in three separate categories. For domestic travel, you may receive up to two travel awards per year with a maximum of $1,000 per award for a total annual maximum of $2,000. Or for international travel, you can apply for a maximum of 1 travel support minigrant with a maximum $2,000 award. The justification should include why this foreign trip should warrant $2,000.
  • Collect research data
  • Collaborative grant writing or meet with grant program officer
  • Present, exhibit, or perform

Minigrant guidelines

Competitive awards are offered through the Faculty Research Grant program, with larger assistance awards for research, creative activity, grant development, and the establishment of pilot projects.

Research/Creative Activity (RCA) grants

All applicants should review the instructions, guidelines, and policies/procedures.  Contact ORGS or your college’s URC representative with any questions.

Overview

Research/Creative Activity (RCA) Grants provide funds for substantive support of research and creative activities and are intended to advance a faculty member’s scholarly activities. They are intended for larger faculty research and creative projects that require more support and time than pilot studies or minigrants.

For purposes of this competition, we use the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rules which define research as “a systematic study directed toward fuller scientific knowledge or understanding of the subject studied.” Creative activity is defined as the preparation and execution of original works and creative contributions designed to advance artistic accomplishment, principally in art, music, theater, dance, and similar areas within the performing and visual arts.

Proposal Submission

Prepare and submit all internal grants in InfoReady using your mySFA log in credentials. For step-by-step guidance, watch the video tutorial on proposal submission.

Award Limit

$10,000 + faculty 6-week salary during the summer

Deadline

First Monday in November

Guidelines and Instructions

• RCA guidelines
• RCA application instructions

Research Grant Development (RGD)

RGD grants provide up to $5,000 to assist faculty in developing a fundable research proposal. The RGD grant focuses on faculty with little or no grant experience and who have the potential for obtaining significant funding from an external sponsor.

Overview

Faculty applying for an RGD grant must target a specific grant solicitation and deliver a complete, submission-ready proposal by the end of the award period.

Eligible faculty may apply for a RGD grant in the fall, spring or summer semesters.

Faculty members are expected to work with ORGS throughout the award period to ensure the end product meets both university requirements and sponsor guidelines. Funds are not intended to support the conduct of research.

Faculty may request one of the below two options:

1. reassigned time (one course release). The grant will reimburse the department for the actual cost of the faculty replacement, or

2. a faculty summer salary payment of $5,000 for the equivalent of one summer session on campus at 50% effort.

Proposal Submission

Prepare and submit all internal grants in InfoReady using your mySFA log in credentials. For step-by-step guidance, watch the video tutorial on proposal submission.

Award Limit

Adjunct salary to cover course release (spring/fall); or faculty stipend of $5,000 (summer semester)

Deadline

• Spring projects: second Monday in October
• Fall and summer projects: first Monday in March

RGD guidelines

Research Pilot Studies (RPS)

RPS grants provide support of up to $3,000 plus a maximum of $1,000 for faculty support to assist faculty in initiating pilot projects to generate data for a specific project for extramural funding. Successful RPS awards must be tied to a specific research objective.

Overview

Eligible faculty may apply for the RPS grant in the fall, spring or summer semesters. Allowable costs include travel to collect data (non-student), supplies and materials, minor equipment, and hourly student assistant wages.

Application Submission

Prepare and submit all internal grants in InfoReady using your mySFA log in credentials.

Award Limit

$3,000 plus maximum $1,000 faculty support

Deadline

• Spring projects: second Monday in October
• Fall and summer projects: first Monday in March

RPS guidelines