The Dean’s Award for Research, Innovation and Scholarship Excellence (RISE) at the School of Graduate Studies provides small seed grants to full-time faculty to promote scholarship and other creative activities. For this grant opportunity, research and scholarship are defined broadly to include scholarship of discovery, integration, community engaged research and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
The maximum award amount for any recipient will be $10,000 (dependent on availability of funds).
Eligibility Criteria
- Candidates for this award must be faculty from the School of Graduate Studies with a minimum of a .50 FTE appointment. Applicants of all ranks are encouraged to apply; however, preference will be given to candidates at the rank of Associate Professor or below.
- The proposed project MUST demonstrate commitment to collaboration and mentoring of junior faculty or graduate students. Interprofessional and interdisciplinary proposals will be given preference.
Application Requirements
Candidates should submit a proposal of no more than five (5) pages (single-spaced pages at size 12) by August 30, 2026.
The contents of the proposal must include:
- Project title
- Principal investigator’s names, titles, and contact information
- Project summary (No more than 250 words)
- Project narrative with no more than 1500 words (brief background information, statement of the problems, research question, methodology, and analytic plan)
- Significance/potential impact
- Dissemination plan
- Timeline
- Logic model
- References
- Proposed budget and justification, not exceeding $10,000
- Applicant’s CV or Resumes (not included in the five-page limit)
- Letter of support from the applicant’s supervisor/head of department/unit (not included in the five-page limit)
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Project significance, potential impact, and alignment with UMB mission, vision, and values
- Clarity of research question, methodology, and analytic plan
- Realistic scope, feasibility, and potential for successful execution within 18-24 months
- Candidate’s potential to lead the project
- Project potential to grow into a long-term scholarly/research agenda
- Evidence of collaboration and opportunities for mentoring
- Budget justification
Terms of Grant
Funds should not be used to buy computer hardware.
Awardees/recipients are expected to:
1) Deliver presentations at the beginning, midpoint, and end of their project;
2) Submit an annual written progress report; and
3) Submit a final written project report within 24 months of the award.
Reports should, at a minimum, highlight research outcomes and impact, expenses, and remaining fund balance, as well as timelines and contingency plans.
A completed application and supporting documentation should be uploaded to the School of Graduate Studies grant submission portal no later than August 30, 2026.