The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences offers research grants to aid tenured, tenure-track, and collegiate faculty with research activities and creative work. Niles research grants may fund a range of research expenses, including research assistance, research trips, publication costs, purchase of equipment, release time from teaching, and summer research salary.

The maximum for a Niles research grant is $6,000. The deadline has been extended to April 21, 2021.

Research grants cannot be used for conference travel. Research grants may be used for performances as appropriate to the creative work of the faculty member. To maximize the distribution of funds, some proposals may be only partially funded. Joint proposals from multiple faculty members are encouraged; award amounts for collaborative projects will be limited to the same amount as individual awards.



Faculty whose research plans were significantly affected by COVID-19 may indicate these effects in the appropriate section. The impact on scholarship may include research disruptions, such as travel limits or human subject constraints, or significant obligations, such as family care responsibilities, that interfere with research during this time.  



Please note that only Niles grants are being offered this year; Dean's Fellowships and Incentive Grants are not available in this cycle.

Faculty may submit only one application, for a maximum of $6,000. Faculty should indicate all research funds available to them in 2021-2022, including funds from departments or schools. Faculty requesting funds to purchase equipment should indicate cost-sharing plans and how this equipment will be used beyond the time period of these grants.



Funds will be transferred to departments or schools after July 1, 2021, and must be spent by June 30, 2022. Grants may support travel, salary, and research assistance during the 2021-2022 academic year or summer 2022 as long as they fall within the dates required to expend funds in the fiscal year.

The application can be found here. Please direct questions to Tom Ewing (etewing@vt.edu).