Internal Funding

The Faculty Advancement Fund Grant (FAFG) supports the scholarly and creative activities of the full‐time tenured and tenure-track faculty members. The Fund was established to enable the professional work of Emerson’s faculty in its efforts to sustain academic excellence in teaching, research/creative activity, and service. The Faculty Advancement Fund Grant supports proposals deemed likely to substantially improve the quality of research, publication, creative activities, teaching, and service that advance the mission of the College and the careers of its faculty.

The AFDF supports the scholarly and creative activities of the part-time faculty members of Emerson College. The Office of Academic Affairs administers the fund to enable the professional work of part-time faculty in its efforts to sustain academic excellence in teaching, research and creative activity, and service. Applicants must have taught one course in each of the prior three years to be eligible.

In partnership with the Graduate Student Association and the Office of Graduate Studies, the Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) grant supports the scholarly work of full-time term, tenured, and tenure-track faculty by funding a graduate student research assistant to work with and be mentored by a faculty member. The intent is to extend the student’s classroom learning, and provide a meaningful work experience that will also benefit faculty in the development of their research and scholarship agenda. Through this program, we also hope to encourage external grant applications that include graduate research assistants.

Robert Edward Engel was a faculty member in Biology at Marlboro College for 36 years, from 1975 until his retirement in 2011. In a remembrance, Marlboro College stated: “In an age of specialization, Bob acquired an unusually broad-based understanding of the life sciences, teaching courses on topics ranging from general biology to tropical, marine, and desert ecology, and from ornithology to comparative physiology and plant taxonomy.” Consistent with the wishes of Professor Engel, The Robert Engel Research Grants Fund will be used to fund student research in biology, ecology, and closely-allied fields.

Internationalization, diversity, and Inclusion are major priorities for Emerson. Emerson’s Strategic Plan defines Internationalization as the commitment to "mutually beneficial engagement with the global society in which we participate, and to ensuring that all members of our community are prepared to thrive in that society.” Similarly, Emerson's dedication to Diversity and Inclusion is rooted in the belief that "institutional and academic  excellence are not possible without full engagement with diversity across all areas of the College."

Dr. Norman Stearns and Irma Mann Stearns established a distinguished faculty award in their name to honor a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member in recognition of outstanding scholarly or creative achievement. A $3,000 award is presented annually to one applicant. This funding may be used to enhance an ongoing project or for the development of a new scholarly or creative endeavor. Travel is strongly encouraged to be a part of the project activity.

The Diversity Fellows Program (formerly known as the Inclusive Excellence Fellows Program) is an annual, cohort-based program. This program invites participants to critically reflect upon the relationship between social realities, social futures, and their pedagogical practices. The practices and business of education have been, and continue to be, intertwined with social norms, political movements, and forces that work to impede or amplify calls for justice and liberation.