Summer Academic Grant

The Summer Academic Grant Program provides support for two consecutive months of work on a research or creative arts project.

Effective AY2014-15, faculty have four options from which to choose and apply this support: (1) a stipend of up to $10,000 which would be processed as summer salary (taxable income) through the monthly Payroll process; (2) a research award of up to $10,000 deposited into a discretionary research account; (3) up to $5,000 delineated as summer salary (taxable) and $5,000 deposited into a research account; and (4) up to $7,500 in summer salary (taxable) and $2,500 deposited into a research account. Faculty are encouraged to request less if project costs do not necessitate the full amount.

The award will be processed at the end of May 2020. Conference travel support is permitted if in combination with research travel. If the faculty member is requesting primarily research funds, the budget justification should explain why the faculty member cannot cover the costs using discretionary research funds. Should faculty receive other funding for the same project and elect options 1, 3 or 4, the faculty member may combine this support up to two months (2/9ths) of their current academic year salary. Following notification of an award, a faculty member can opt to convert summer salary to research costs but not the inverse due to the mandatory application of fringe benefits on salary. A new budget and justification will be required before funds can be transferred.

Approximately 30-40 grants are available in the areas of research and the creative arts; curriculum development projects are not eligible. Grants are competitively awarded by a peer-review committee comprised of faculty from various disciplines, with reviewers from an applicant’s home department recusing themselves from the discussion. Given the variety of disciplines represented, faculty are required to make their proposals accessible to non-specialists by avoiding the use of technical language and clearly articulating the importance of their work.

ELIGIBILITY: All full-time teaching members of the Main Campus faculty, with the exception of those in the MSB, are eligible for grants; faculty members at the Assistant Professor level are especially encouraged to apply. Recipients of grants awarded in the previous year may reapply for competition in the subsequent year. In instances of equally merited applications, the Committee bias’ will be toward those who have not received recent support.

CRITERIA: Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

  • Importance of the proposed project: Does the project address an important problem or critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will knowledge be improved? In other words, does the project address a significant gap in existing knowledge? Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense?
  • Clarity and coherence of the project description: Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stage of development, will the strategy establish feasibility and will risky aspects of the project be managed?
  • Scholar/Investigator: What are the applicant’s qualifications for the proposed research and what is the potential contribution of the project toward the applicant’s scholarly and professional development? Does the faculty member have an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced the field? If the faculty member is in the early stages of his/her career does he/she show promise of accomplishment that will move the field of study forward? Has the faculty member received prior institutional support from Georgetown? If so, does the faculty member explain the accomplishments that were supported with the prior funding?

Proposals in the creative arts will be judged on the basis of the contributions which the proposed work is likely to make to the appropriate artistic community and to the development and standing of the artist.

APPLICATION: The following will comprise the proposal application with each component uploaded in PDF format. Any other materials submitted will not be accepted. Use of a 12-point legible font, 1-inch margins all around, and page numbers required. Any deviation from required formatting and word limits will render the application ineligible for review.

  • Abstract: summary describing the proposed study (150-word maximum)
  • Detailed Description of Proposed Study: when writing your project description bear in mind that final decisions will be made by a group of 18-22 faculty members whose scholarly expertise extends across the humanities, social sciences, and biophysical sciences. Therefore, it is wise to explain, in non-technical terms: a) What you propose to do over the summer period and how; b) How your project relates to work in your field; and c) Why it is important. See below for specific guidelines. There is a 1,500 word maximum on the proposal description excluding the works cited or bibliography. Figures are welcome but will reduce the space available for text. (3-page maximum)
  • Budget indicating the level of non-salary support requested: if support for more than one activity is desired, indicate how much money would be spent on each; if the grant will cover only a portion of the research expenses, the applicant should indicate how the remaining portion would be covered. Applicants also should identify in GU-PASS the GMS work tags for the research cost center into which a successful award may be transferred. (1-page maximum)
  • Curriculum Vitae in outline form and ordered as follows: (1) education; (2) history of employment; (3) academic honors received; (4) bibliography of applicant’s publications or exhibitions; and (5) the source, time, and nature of any fellowships or grants received during the past five years. (3-page maximum)
  • Budget Justification: total amount requested with costs delineated according to the option selected. Justification for research expenses should be on the same page and provide the rationale for why the faculty member cannot support this research on discretionary research funds. (1-page maximum)

SUGGESTIONS: In preparing your “detailed description of the proposed study,” it is strongly advised that you consider the following guidelines:

  • If it is necessary to use technical terms, define them;
  • Describe the methods or approaches and data or materials you will use;
  • Wherever possible, provide an example of the type of analysis or work you will do;
  • If what you propose for the summer is part of a larger research or creative arts project, state clearly which part of the project will be completed during the summer and how it fits into the larger project;
  • Be as specific as possible, e.g. rather than stating “I will revise my book” or “I will write an introduction to my book,” explain what revisions will be made or what material the introduction will cover.

Questions regarding the Summer Academic Grant Program should be directed to internalgrants@georgetown.edu.

DEADLINE: The full proposal package is due by November 15, 2019.

SUBMISSION: Electronic submission via GU-PASS. 

Enter your Georgetown University Net ID and password to log-in GU-PASS and then select the “New Internal Grant Request” button.  You will be required to complete the application and upload all materials required as per the program guidelines.  Chairs and other reviewers will be notified by e-mail to review internal grants for approval. 

Read our detailed instructions for creating an internal grant request in GU-PASS.

If you have any problems accessing or using GU-PASS please request help by sending an email message to help@georgetown.edu, calling ext. 7-4949 on campus, or calling (202) 687-4949 if off campus.  For additional information or to provide feedback, please e-mail uis-rt@georgetown.edu.