The University has limited funds available to support faculty research projects. These funds are allocated to applicants by the University Institutional Grants Committee. Because of limited funding, applications above $5,000 will be given lower priority. Applications are accepted throughout the University's regular academic year (September 1 through April 30). The forms are available online.

Grant-in-Aid funding is available to support any appropriate and necessary expenses related to a faculty member's research. Grant-in-Aid requests cannot be used to supplement or provide salary considerations for the application. The most common uses of Grant-in-Aid funds include:
  • Compensating student research assistants connected to a faculty project;
  • Subsidizing printing, copying, and lithographing costs connected to the project;
  • Purchasing required instruments or equipment. For more details on this policy and the use of University equipment, please visit the University's Property Administration Policy.
  • Reimbursing travel expenses that are essential for a definite research project. Travel expenses related to professional conferences are generally not considered for these grants. For more details on this policy, please visit the University's Travel Policy.

Please itemize your request as much as possible. If your grant request includes travel, please itemize justify the travel expenses expected, and specifically describe what research connected to the proposed project will be done during the travel.

The proposed research, or that portion funded by the grant, must be completed within six months of the awarding of the grant, and a final report must be filed with the Office of the Vice Provost for Research Support and Dean of Assessment.

University policy requires that all reports must be submitted before new applications for Grant-in-Aid funding from the same faculty member(s) are considered, and new applications may be submitted no sooner than six (6) months after receipt of the above-mentioned report.

Also, due to the limited financial resources of the Grant-in-Aid program, all faculty members are limited to one (1) grant award every twenty-four (24) months and no more than three (3) grant awards in an eight (8) year period.

Any faculty member with tenure or appointed as tenure-track is qualified to apply for Grant-in-Aid. Therefore, it is not necessary to include a curriculum vitae with the application. However, to assist the process, please attach one to three pages that show your most recent scholarly activity. This is to get a sense of your area of current research interests, productivity, and the results of any previous grants or Grant-in-Aid awards received in the past.

Special consideration will be given to applications that will support research likely to generate ongoing research funded by the government or private donors. Grant-in-Aid funding should also reasonably support research across disciplines. At this time, Grant-in-Aid funding is not available for the following situations:

  • Clinical professorial, adjunct faculty, or other teaching staff positions outside the tenure track (non-tenure-track professors and lecturers must apply for a Lecturer Development Grant only);
  • Supporting faculty development activities such as attendance at professional workshops or taking private courses, seminars, or training sessions;
  • Any curricular or course development activities;
  • Supplementing or providing salary considerations for the applicant;
  • Supporting the work of graduate students under a professor's direction, or applying on behalf of graduate students.

Please note that faculty must follow the spending guidelines that accompany an award or they risk not having the costs covered by the Grant-in-Aid program.

When resources are inadequate to satisfy all legitimate applications, the following factors will be considered in awarding the Grant-in-Aid:

  • The number of prior grants the applicant has received and the outcomes of those projects.
  • The probability that other sources of funding may be available for the specific research project.
  • The stage of the applicant's academic career. Grant-in-Aid funding is prioritized to encourage new faculty members to pursue their research agendas and/or to assist new faculty nearing promotion in rank and application for continuous tenure.

Please Note: Grant-in-Aid funding cannot be used to supplement or provide salary for the applicant, but can be used to hire graduate students as research assistants specifically for the professor's project.

Important Grant-in-Aid Policy Considerations

  • Faculty members are eligible for one (1) grant award every twenty-four (24) months, and three (3) grant awards during an eight (8) year period.
  • All Grant-in-Aid projects must be completed within six (6) months of the award date.
  • All Grant-in-Aid final reports must be submitted to the Office of the Vice Provost for Research Support and Dean of Assessment at the end of the project.
  • Faculty members become eligible for a new Grant-in-Aid award six (6) months after receipt of the final report.
  • Any outstanding Grant-in-Aid reports must be submitted to the Office of the Vice Provost for Research Support and Dean of Assessment before the University Institutional Grants Committee considers a new application from the same faculty member.
  • Grant-in-Aid awards and subsequent spending must comply with all applicable University policies, especially those found on the University Finance policies website.
  • Because of the funding mechanisms involved in the Grant-in-Aid program, some research costs cannot be paid through a Grant-in-Aid.

If you have any questions about this University Grant-in-Aid policy, please contact the Office of the Vice Provost for Global Strategies at 202-319-5325 or by e-mail at demello@cua.edu.