Provost's Fund for Collaborative Research

Funding

The Provost’s Fund for Collaborative Research is funded through the Office of the Provost, and provides support for approved projects up to $15,000 each. The exact amount of each award will be determined by the project budget request, availability of funds, and recommendations made by the FDRC, the Research Hub Advisory Committee, Chairs, and Deans to the Provost.

Note: For smaller projects, faculty members should utilize their Faculty Development Funds.

Eligibility

Applicants must be a collaboration of at least faculty members meeting the following criteria:

• Must consist of at least two full-time faculty members.
• The lead applicant must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member. Full-time term faculty may serve as co-applicants.
• Co-applicants should be from different disciplines or fields of study.

Applicants may not apply to this opportunity and one of the other Faculty Grants Programs in the same academic year. A faculty member may not be named as a lead applicant or co-applicant on more than one application. Awardees may not receive more than two grants from the Faculty Grants Programs in a three-year period.

All applicants are expected to consult with their respective Department Chairs and/or Deans about their proposed collaboration prior to applying.

Eligible Projects

Funds can be used to supplement existing external grants, or for initial project development. Project teams receiving awards that have no existing external funding will be encouraged to work with ORCS to locate and submit external proposals to sustain and expand their projects.

Ineligible Projects

• Proposals that include a non-Emerson faculty member as a co-applicant.
• Activities already defined as part of a faculty member's expected duties and responsibilities (i.e. teaching of established courses, service and committee work, etc).
• Activities for which the faculty member is already receiving additional compensation (Activity Pay) or some other form of support from the College.
• Proposals from faculty members who have received two grants from the Faculty Grants Programs in a three-year period.

Ineligible Expenses

• Retroactive reimbursement of expenses (i.e. expenses incurred prior to the beginning of the FGP project period)
• Additional faculty compensation during the academic year; honoraria and stipends to Emerson faculty.
• Additional compensation for Emerson staff.
• Travel that does not include an explanation for why Faculty Development Funds cannot be used for this purpose.
• Reimbursement for out-of-pocket payments to students, consultants, or human subject participants. These costs must be paid for directly by the College.
• Other expenses as stipulated in the College's Travel and Business Policy.

Criteria & Considerations

When making their selections, the selection committee will consider the following criteria:

• Is the proposed project interdisciplinary in nature?
• Does the proposal present a clear scope of work and feasibility for completion within the FGP award period?
• Does the application outline specific activities, benchmarks, and/or milestones (either as part of the Project Description, or as an attached timeline)?
• Does the application clearly detail the respective roles and responsibilities of each team member on the project?
• Is the requested budget amount reasonable and realistic?
• Do the applicants provide sufficient information on their scholarly/professional backgrounds, their qualifications to pursue the proposed project, and how their respective areas of expertise will collectively support and advance the work proposed? 

Additional Considerations

• Does the applicant detail how the proposed project aligns with, and/or advances, the mission of Emerson College and/or the College's Strategic Priorities?
• Is the project well-positioned to support future applications for external funding?
• Does the project involve Emerson students in a collaborative or participatory capacity? 

Application Form and Instructions

Applications can be submitted via InfoReady. InfoReady is a web-based workflow platform designed to streamline and simplify workflow tasks for academic institutions, including internal funding competitions.

All faculty can log into InfoReady using their Emerson SSO credentials. After logging in, select the “Faculty Grants Program (FGP): Provost’s Fund for Collaborative Research” at the bottom of the screen and click the “Apply” button. You can save your application as a draft and return to it later, prior to submitting.

IMPORTANT: One member of the application team must serve as the primary applicant and point of contact on the InfoReady form. It is recommended that application teams complete their responses to the form questions in advance, prior to entering this information in Workday. The full list of application questions can be previewed here.

It is strongly recommended that applicants consult with their respective Department Chairs (or equivalent) about their proposed collaboration prior to applying. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their proposed projects align with the priorities and goals of their respective schools and departments, and will have the support of departmental and school leadership.

Applications must consist of:

• Completed application form
• An itemized budget, either as text in the application form or as an attachment

While not required, applicants may also include:

• A current CV (please limit to three pages per applicant)
  Materials that provide context or additional information for your proposed project (PDFs, images, mock-ups, external grant opportunity information, etc.).

Review and Selection of Applications

Applications will receive initial review and approval from their Department Chairs and School Deans. Submissions approved by an applicants’ Chairs and Deans will then advance to committee review.

Select members of the Research Hub Advisory Committee and the FDRC will evaluate all proposals and make recommendations to the Provost, within the funding amount available, regarding proposal support and level of funding. The Provost, in consideration of the recommendations provided by the reviewers, will make final selections and award determinations.

FY2027 Calendar

Note: Due dates that fall on a weekend or holiday will be deferred to the following business day.

October 1, 2025

Application form opens via InfoReady. 

Before December 1, 2025

Applicants should consult with their Department Chairs and School Deans to determine eligibility and appropriateness of their FGP proposal idea to their research/scholarly/creative goals, and to the priorities of their respective departments and schools.

December 1, 2025

Completed applications are due via InfoReady.

December 15, 2025

Department Chair and School Dean review and approval of applications is due. 

By February 16, 2026

Select members of the FDRC and Research Hub Advisory Committee will evaluate each proposal and make recommendations to the Provost, within the funding amount available, regarding proposal support and level of funding.

By March 20, 2026

The Provost, in consideration of the recommendations provided by the reviewers, will make final selections and award determinations.

By March 31, 2026

The Executive Director for Research and Creative Scholarship will notify all of the applicants in writing about their applications.

July 1, 2026 through June 15, 2027

Awarded FGP funds may be utilized.

June 15, 2027

All receipts for project expenses must be submitted via an expense report in Workday by this date, in order to ensure reimbursement by June 30.

November 1, 2027

Final reports due via InfoReady for projects conducted during FY2027.

Post-Award Management

Funds awarded for a given fiscal year can only be utilized between July 1 of that year and June 15 of the following year. An example of the award cycle can be seen in the calendar above.

Expense reports for reimbursement must be initiated by the award recipient in Workday. ORCS will provide guidance on this and other processes as needed, and can also assist with vendor contracts, student hiring, and Workday Marketplace purchases. Reimbursement for expenses incurred prior to the FGP start date (July 1) are not permitted.

Expense reports and purchases must be initiated by June 15 during a recipient’s award cycle, in order to receive payment by the end of the fiscal year (June 30), unless other guidance is issued by Finance. Any funds unused after June 30 shall revert to the College.

All publications resulting from the FGP should contain the following acknowledgment: "This research [or project] was supported in part by a grant from the Emerson College Faculty Grants Programs.”

All capital equipment purchased with FGP funds are property of the College, and shall remain at the College if a faculty member leaves. Applicants should consult the Academic Affairs guidance on Faculty Travel and Research Spending before incurring any expenditures, in order to ensure allowability and adherence to appropriate processes. You may also contact ORCS with questions about allowable costs. It is the applicant’s responsibility to know and follow the College’s financial policies.

Final Report Requirement

No later than November 1 following the expiration of your grant, a final report summarizing the outcomes of your project will be due via InfoReady.