Research, Innovation & Impact

In 2022, we partnered with the Office of the Provost to institute a new two-year Arts and Humanities Research and Creative Works Fellows Program for early and mid-career faculty.

Applying for the 2024 - 2026 Cohort

Application: Apply Now 

Submission Deadline: January 20, 2024. 

Maximum Funding Amount: $12,500.

Funding Duration: Two years, beginning Aug. 1, 2024.

Announcement: Accepted applicants will be notified by March 15, 2024

Eligibility: Tenured, tenure-track, and ranked non-tenure track faculty in the arts and humanities, with an earned doctorate (or the discipline’s highest earned terminal degree; e.g., MFA) at the level of assistant professor and above. 

Commitment: By accepting an award, faculty commit to participating in a cohort-based support program consisting of three meetings per semester for the two-year program duration. Faculty members will propose a scholarly project(s) they aim to focus on during the two-year cohort (e.g., art exhibition, manuscript submission, etc.) and connect this project to the budget rationale for the cohort funding. In addition, upon completion of their projects, awarded faculty are expected to 1) submit a proposal for Research Council funding (early career scholars) or external funding (mid-career scholars) by the end of the two-year program and 2) serve as peer reviewer on behalf of the Division of RII for one proposal, paper, or creative work.

Selected participants are expected to participate in at least 85% of the cohort activities & meetings. 

Faculty are limited to one submission per cycle, one investigator per submission

Application Requirements

The following information is required. You will need to upload this as a single PDF.

1. Statement of Interest - why would you like to participate in the Arts and Humanities Research and Creative Works Fellows Program (250 word max)
2.  Curriculum Vitae
3. A Letter of support from your department chair or center director. The letter should articulate specific support provided for the applicant and knowledge of their program goals and budgetary plans
4. A summary of your research and/or creative works project detailing your 2-year project and what funding sources you are exploring to submit an application to before the cohort program ends (2 pages max)
5. A budget outline and narrative for the 2-year project (not to exceed $12,500).  Funding can be used for research travel, hourly pay of students, course release, summer funding, and/or equipment.  Funding needs to be discussed with your department chair/supervisor prior to submitting the application. (2 pages max)
6. A statement on other related support, both internal and external, related to the proposed project (1 page max)

For questions about the program, please contact Candace Kuby (kubyc@missouri.edu) in the Provost’s Office or Christie Terry (terryce@missouri.edu) in the Office of Research, Innovation, & Impact.

Short Narrative, Budget, and Budget Description Guidelines 

Short Narrative

Provide a summary of the research and/or creative works project including description of the project goals, activities, and how the requested funds will help you accomplish your goals. In addition, as noted above, articulate initial plans for submitting a proposal for a research council grant (early career fellows) or externally funded grant (mid-career fellows) [the two-year program will help you to refine your grant idea and proposal]. Provide a timeline of project activities including anticipated course release if applicable.

Short narrative format:

• 3 pages, double-spaced (750 words) maximum 
• 12-point font, Times New Roman or Arial
• 1-inch margins
• PDF file format

Budget

Applicants can request up to $12,500 total for the two-year period. All expenditures must comply with University of Missouri policy such as travel per diem and mileage rates. Course release can be requested at a cost of no more than $7,500/course (faculty member are responsible to talk with their department chairs on what a minimum cost is for a teaching replacement for one course in their department as they work on the budget; if you are proposing less than $7,500 for a course release the department chair needs to approve the amount in their letter as part of this application). Applicants requesting course release funds must:

• Schedule the course release in cooperation with their department chair (due to teaching replacement needs & availability, the course buyout might not be possible until year two of the cohort, please consult with your department in planning this out). Anticipated course release dates should be included in the narrative and budget.
• A second course release may be requested with remaining funds when evidence of departmental supplemental support to cover the total course release expense is submitted with the application. 

Other appropriate use of funds may include but are not limited to:

• Summer stipend
• Hourly student support
• Supplies/materials used in the development of a creative work
• Travel funds
• Shipping fees to exhibit creative works 

Applicants must provide a detailed budget including:

• Total amount requested (not to exceed $12,500 for the two years).
• Detailed breakdown of expenses and which semesters for anticipated use during the 2023-2025 school years
• Budget Format: 
  • 1 page
  • 12-point font, Times New Roman or Arial

Applications are paused for the Early Career Research Development Fellows Cohort. Applicants will be referred to the Provost Office's new LEAP Program for junior faculty.  We will share more details about the new program and eligibility criteria for the 2024-25 cohort as soon as the information is ready.

The Division of Research will continue to provide research related programming and support for the new program.

About the program

The Early Career Research Development Fellows Program is aimed at full-time, assistant professors who are seeking opportunities for strategic career planning and skill development in the area of academic research.

During the two-year program, participants are expected to attend monthly 1.5-hour sessions on a range of topics, engage in discussions with peer researchers and participate in individual consultations with staff in the Division of Research, Innovation & Impact.

Eligibility: This opportunity is open to tenured faculty who have not yet been promoted to full professor and are seeking research and career development support.

Program Timeline: The two-year program will span the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years.

The following information and documentation are required (submitted as 1 PDF file):

1. Statement of Interest: Why would you like to participate in the Mid-Career Research Development Fellows Program? Please include your professional goals during the 2 years of the cohort (3 page max).
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Letter of support from your department chair or center director

Selected participants are expected to participate in at least 85% of the cohort activities & meetings.

About the program

The Mid-Career Research Development Fellows Program is aimed at tenured faculty who have not yet been promoted to full professor and are seeking research and career development support.

During the two-year program, participants are expected to attend monthly 1.5-hour sessions on a range of topics, engage in discussions with peer researchers and participate in individual consultations with staff in the Division of Research, Innovation & Impact.  

Research development topics are adapted to meet the needs of the cohort. Topics may include:

• Refocusing your research agenda
• Identifying potential funding opportunities and collaborators
• The path to promotion
• The role of public engagement in your research
• Developing an effective research team
• Balancing mid-career service obligations

Other benefits of program participation include: 

• Optional writing retreats
• Priority registration for research development events
• Additional one-on-one consultations for proposal review, strategy development and career support
• Annual stipend for participation
• Funding for professional development or external mentor

Registration: Currently closed. Sign up to be notified when we open applications for the next cohort.

Meeting times: All sessions are via Zoom.

Dates: Meeting times include four 1.5-hour sessions per week for four weeks.

About the program

The program uses Entering Mentoring curricula developed by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research. This professional development uses an evidence-based, interactive approach to help mentors develop skills for engaging in productive, culturally responsive research mentoring relationships. This series is a collaboration between MU's Graduate School and the Division of Research, Innovation & Impact.

MU CAREER Club is designed to help eligible researchers submit or resubmit a competitive application to the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Program. Club participants receive training, support and consultation throughout the process — from first draft to submission.

Applications for the January-July 2024 cohort are now closed. 

Tentative Program timeline

Proposal Review: Participants can submit a proposal draft to our panel of reviewers by April 10, 2024. We will email proposal out to reviewers and share feedback by April 22. The review team will include experience CAREER winners and reviewers, staff from The Connector, and SPDS.

Application requirements

Participants must have a content area mentor identified who will help support their proposal development and must commit to participating in program activities with the goal of submitting a proposal in July of 2024. 

Your online application must include:

1. A one paragraph summary of your research interest and the anticipated NSF Directorate for your proposal
2. A statement of your commitment to participate in program activities.
3. Your curriculum vitae
4. A letter of support from your content area mentor (Download a letter of support template.)

Meeting Dates & Times: November 16, 10 am - 4 pm

Location: North side of the Memorial Union, room N201 B&C on the University of Missouri Columbia Campus

Lunch will be provided

This program is intended to help PIs learn best practices and avoid common pitfalls in project management, meeting grant deliverables, and team effectiveness. The program actively engages participants through case studies, peer discussions and shared planning tools. In addition, participants will learn about campus resources that can help them work through the challenges of managing a complex project.

Topics include:

• PI roles and responsibilities.
• Project planning and management.
• Building successful teams.
• Creating productive partnerships.
• Resources and support across campus. 

The program complements IRB, Compliance and SPA training regarding PI responsibilities and procedures.

Register to participate.

Can't make it to our November 16th event? You can still Sign up to be notified when we open registration for the next cohort