What the Fund Supports

The Faculty Research Fund (FRF) provides support for faculty in their work as scholars and creative practitioners. It awards grants for developing or implementing a research project, a professional practice, or a creative project that requires travel, training, or other research-related expenses. Grants are awarded on the basis of available resources each year. Selections are made at the recommendation of a faculty committee representing a range of fields and expertise.

Program Priorities

Highest consideration is given to

• Projects developed by junior members of the faculty that provide opportunities for research careers. Probationary, tenure-track, and EE-track faculty and RTAs in their first or second term at The New School are defined as junior faculty.
• Projects for which external funding is expected and for which FRF funds can serve as seed money and/or a matching grant.

• Collaborative projects, involving at least two faculty members from different fields, departments, or divisions at The New School

• Projects that relate to themes or topics identified as university-wide commitments, which include media, the environment, globalization, the urban, and the intersection of design fields with the social sciences

Projects can begin no earlier than July 1 of the grant year and must be completed by the following June 30.

Award Amounts

Award amounts are determined on the basis of the project budget, the number of awards made, and the availability of funds. The maximum award is $10,000.

Funded projects must have clear outcomes, and awardees must submit a final outcomes report. Awardees may be asked to present their work at the end of the grant period.

Eligibility

This funding program is open to members of the full-time faculty (tenure, tenure track, extended employment track, and renewable term) as well as part-time faculty members with post-probationary, annual, multi-year, or grandparented status as defined by the ACT-UAW contract. Visiting faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and university administrators are ineligible to apply for funding.

What kinds of projects are eligible?

Applications to develop or implement a research project, a professional practice, or a creative project that requires travel, training, or other forms of support are eligible for FRF grants. See the full list of previously funded projects to get a better sense of those that have received funding.

What kinds of projects are ineligible?

• Course development, public programs or events, conference attendance, or subventions
• University center and institute projects that already receive core funding from internal sources
• Projects that have already received support from this program

In addition, applicants can submit only one application to the FRF annually. For example, applicants cannot submit one application as the primary applicant and another application as a co-applicant.

How does the FRF grant program differ from the Research Clusters grant program?

FRF grants can be awarded to individual faculty members for individual research projects. The Research Clusters grant program is strictly for projects involving collaboration of faculty from at least two divisions of The New School. More information about Research Clusters funding can be found here.

Application Process

An application form is available here. An initial review of applications establishes a group of finalists, who may be asked for more detailed information about their projects. For applications submitted by teams of faculty, one person must be identified as the principal contact person.

Timeline

• Application deadline: January 22, 2013  
• Finalists notified: early April
• Awards announced: early May
• Earliest start date for funded projects: July 1, 2013
• Completion date for funded projects: June 30, 2014

Previously Funded FRF Projects

Questions?

Contact Amy Minter at mintera@newschool.edu or 212.229.8947 x2382.