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Update:

All CHS websites are under review after the issuance of the "Dear Colleague" letter from the U.S. Department of Education and the Notice of Civil Rights Term and Condition of Award from the National Institutes of Health.

College of Humanities and Sciences

Faculty and Staff Resources

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Dean's Research Grant

Rationale

The Dean's Research Grant supports faculty-driven research, scholarship and creative work. The grant is designed to help faculty initiate a new direction within their scholarly work, broaden the scope of their scholarly endeavors, advance scholarship within their field through innovative projects, bring current projects to completion, and contribute to the university’s R1 mission.

Grant Information

The Dean’s Research Grant enables faculty to produce tangible outcomes from their scholarly effort, advance to another stage of career development and meaningfully contribute to their field as well as the strategic priorities of the college and university as an R1 institution.

Examples of eligible projects include: travel to archives or field sites, collection of pilot data for an external funding proposal, or preparation of a book or manuscripts for publication. Eligible projects must also contribute to the university’s R1 mission.

Previously funded proposals are available upon request. If you would like access to these, please email Angela Reynolds at areynolds2@vcu.edu.

The dean’s office will allocate up to $65,000 to fund individual grants of up to $5,000. 

All full-time CHS faculty regardless of rank or tenure status are eligible to apply, if part of their effort allocation is dedicated to research in their work plan.

Particular consideration will be given to those who have not recently received internal funding or those who intend to use this award to take previously internally funded work in a new direction.

Applications must include a detailed budget or a description of the intended use of funds. Funds must be used in accordance with university guidelines for direct costs associated with the proposal, which can include the following: 1) Student researchers, 2) publishing, 3) supplies/equipment, 4) travel, 5) summer salary, and 6) participant payments.

Funding must be spent by June 30, 2026. Therefore, these funds must be spent (not just encumbered) by June 7, 2026, for non-personnel costs. All personnel costs must occur before or during the pay period ending on June 9, 2026. This timeline ensures that all funds are properly used before the end of the fiscal year.

Cost extensions are not allowed and all funds must be expended by June 30, 2026. Awardees will need to complete the requested final report and be willing to share their experiences and results at a public CHS event among colleagues.

Proposal

Please keep in mind that not all reviewers will be experts in every proposed field of study, and thus project descriptions should be written for a broad audience.

Three pages maximum, including title, abstract and project description

The project description must address how the proposed activities are consistent with the goals of the program involving tangible outcomes, career development, and meaningful contributions to the field and CHS/university priorities as an R1 institution. The description should include sufficient detail that allows reviewers to evaluate the appropriateness, merits, requirements and feasibility of the proposal. Applicants should likewise discuss their preparedness for the project alongside the composition of their research team, where applicable. Inclusive research teams encompassing meaningful participation of all members are strongly encouraged.

The narrative should be concise, understandable by a broad audience, and organized into the following sections:

  • Abstract (concisely convey, in lay terms, the nature of the project and its significance; 250 words maximum)
  • Introduction/background
  • Specific aims for the project
  • Research plan to achieve aims
  • Significance and impact of project

Use the citation format that is appropriate to your field. No page maximum, but limit to only highly relevant citations.

Please submit a detailed budget via the CHS Internal Budget Form.

  • Personnel: For each person included in the proposal, describe the activities they will perform and the estimated time and cost with these activities.
  • Travel: List estimated airfare, lodging, meals and incidental expenses as well as the approximate dates of travel and number of days of research. Economy class flights only are allowed. Travel funding requests must otherwise comply with VCU Office of Procurement Services guidelines. International travel must comply with current university policies.
  • Supplies/equipment: Please itemize supplies and/or equipment in separate subcategories, such as software, subscriptions, books, materials, recordings, tools, chemicals, reagents, etc.
  • Other: Please describe and estimate the cost of any additional activities to be supported by the grant (e.g., conference fees, registration fees or tuition). Please indicate how you arrived at the estimate.
  • Biosketch/CV
  • Recent (last 5 years), current or pending funding information; include a detailed description of any potential overlap with the proposed Dean's Research Grant award and these funding mechanisms

Submission Instructions

Font should be Arial, at a size of 11 or larger. Margins, in all directions, must be at least 1”. The entire package (project narrative, CHS internal budget form, CV, recent current, pending and intended support) should be uploaded via the form.

The priority deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m. on Oct. 15. Applications submitted after this deadline will be considered on a rolling basis conditional upon the availability of funds.

Submit proposal

Review Criteria

  1. Deliverable: Will the proposed activity yield a tangible project or result? What is the plan to achieve outcomes, and is it feasible?
  2. Preparedness: How well the applicant establishes readiness and/or competence relative to proposed research
  3. Contribution to research and scholarship: What is the extent to which the project will broaden the scope of the applicant’s scholarly endeavors and advance scholarship within their field? How does the project contribute to the university’s R1 mission?
  4. Quality and long-term potential: What is the overall strength of the proposal touching upon each of the required elements (e.g., proposal narrative, budget, CV and other submitted materials)? How does it align with the strategic priorities of the College and university? What is the potential for long-term scholarly impact? (For example, does the project demonstrate the potential for subsequent external funding or lay the groundwork for other related projects?)