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UMBC Internal Funding & Support

Grants Assistance to Humanities and Arts Faculty

Rachel Brubaker
Dresher Center Assistant Director, Grants and Program Development
rbruba1@umbc.edu   |   Ext. 53580

Rachel Brubaker, Assistant Director for Grants and Program Development (rbruba1@umbc.edu, ext. 53580, Room 218 PAHB), helps arts and humanities faculty seeking internal and external funding support. This assistance can include identifying funders, developing proposals, preparing budgets and routing materials, and assembling applications for submission. Faculty applying for external funding must be Principal Investigator (PI) Eligible.

Assistance provided:

  • Consultation on project ideas and possible collaborations
  • Research into grant and fellowship programs and potential funders
  • Assistance in preparation and routing of grant applications
  • Development of proposal budgets
  • Suggestions for post-award administration
At-a-Glance Guide for the Arts CIRCA-at-a-Glance_2019-20

Capturing all internal fellowships and grants that may be of interest to UMBC Visual and Performing Arts.

Internal Funding Opportunities Calendar

Dr. Preminda Jacob, Associate Dean, Research & College Affairs of CAHSS has produced a comprehensive guide to opportunities. Link: Internal_Funding_Opportunities_Calendar_Details

CIRCA Contingency Fund Award  (rolling deadline)

This fund is intended to provide crucial research, presentation, and travel support to UMBC faculty in the Visual and Performing Arts who have already sought or exhausted all DRIF, SFRF, departmental, and/or CAHSS Travel Fund support. The maximum award an individual may receive is $1,000 per year. Full-time tenured/tenure-track faculty and lecturers may apply for a CIRCA Contingency Fund Award. Funds are limited by budget constraints and awards will be made on a rolling basis. The CIRCA Advisory Group will review complete applications as soon as possible, and the Director will respond in a timely manner with a determination on the request. Click CIRCA_Contingency_Fund_2019-20 to access the application form.

Charlesmead Initiative for Arts Education
Deadlines: Rolling (for projects up to $1,000) // October 15 and May 15 (for projects over $1,000)

The Charlesmead Foundation has provided UMBC with a gift of $500,000 over five years to fund projects that introduce or strengthen arts engagement opportunities primarily for K-8 students in Title I Baltimore City Public Schools. However, the review committee also considers projects that involve other school grades, non-profit organizations, and faculty research focused on arts education. Full-time faculty and staff are invited to apply for funding for projects over $1,000 biannually, or for projects up to $1,000 on a rolling basis. Graduate students are eligible to apply for up to $1,000 in funding. Communication with the award coordinator is highly encouraged (rachelw4@umbc.edu). Click here for more information.

General Information: A Timeline of Submission Deadlines for PIs:

16 to 40 business days prior to the grant deadline: The PI works with the CAHSS grant support centers on the budget and narrative. Note that: Rachel Brubaker at the Dresher Center, who routes Arts and Humanities grants, recommends a 2-week lead time (10 business days).

6 to 10 business days prior to the grant deadline: secure approval of the Department Chair.

5 to 8 business days prior to the grant deadline: the CAHSS Dean’s Office must receive the grant documents routed through Kuali. Note that: Fellowships will require 2 business days, other proposals (NEA; NIH; Foundations) will require 3 to 5 business days

Complex proposals (involving cost-share; Facilities & Administrative Cost Recovery (F&A) waivers; multi-unit/multi-college collaborators; limited submissions; the requirement of additional signatures outside the Kuali chain) will require a minimum of 5 business days

3 business days prior to the grant deadline: OSP must receive the grant documents routed through Kuali. All grant documents should be in a finalized state and ready for review by OSP

O days: Grant submission deadline—the proposal must be in a ready to submit format by 9:00 am the day of the deadline.

Research at UMBC

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) serves as an advocate for UMBC’s research community, and supports our faculty, staff and students as they pursue research, scholarship and creative activities across all levels.

OVPR has successful partnerships with federal and state agencies, foundations and the private sector. Their research efforts are based on strengths in the arts, engineering, humanities, information technology, natural and mathematical sciences, public policy and social sciences. They work with faculty to catalyze interdisciplinary collaboration and education, and create new economic opportunities through the transfer of inventions and technologies.

Click here to visit the Research at UMBC website.

Note: Faculty should consult their Chair and the UMBC Faculty Handbook on policies for fellowship leave. University rules require that fellowship and grant proposals be routed through the applicant’s Department, College, and the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration, even if the proposal does not require an institutional signature.

Lapsed Deadlines: 2019/2020

CIRCA FACULTY RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP (CFRF)
CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR FALL 2020 or SPRING 2021 SEMESTERS

Extended Deadline: December 15, 2019

The Center for Innovation, Research and Creativity in the Arts (CIRCA) invites applications from full-time Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, Instructors, and tenured and tenure-track faculty members in the Arts (Dance, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts) for the CIRCA Faculty Research Fellowships for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters. Faculty on visiting or short-term appointments are not eligible to apply. Funding is intended to support and promote significant Arts innovation in research at UMBC. Up to three CIRCA Faculty Research fellows will receive release from teaching in the selected semester (up to two course releases) in order to work on a substantial project, development of innovative new directions in their work, or the training necessary to embark on such work. Faculty wishing to develop expertise in a new practice or technique are also encouraged to apply. The CFRF offers time to fully concentrate, renew research, and explore. CIRCA-FacultyResearchFellowship_FA20-SP21-Final

CIRCA FACULTY PEDAGOGY FELLOWSHIP (CFPF)
CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR SPRING and FALL 2020 SEMESTERS

Extended Deadline: December 15, 2019

The Center for Innovation, Research and Creativity in the Arts (CIRCA) invites applications from full-time Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, Instructors, and tenured and tenure-track faculty members in the Arts (Dance, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts) for the CIRCA Faculty Pedagogy Fellowships for the Spring 2020 or Fall 2020 semesters. Faculty on visiting or short-term appointments are not eligible to apply. Funding is intended to support and promote significant Arts innovation in teaching at UMBC. One Pedagogy Fellow will receive release from teaching in the selected semester (up to two course releases) in order to work on the development of innovative new directions in undergraduate or graduate teaching, or the training necessary to embark on such work. Faculty wishing to develop expertise in a new practice or technique related to instruction are also encouraged to apply. The CFPF offers time to fully concentrate, renew teaching, and explore. CIRCA-FacultyPedagogyFellowship_SP20Fall20-Final

Office of the VP for Research Strategic Awards for Research Transitions (START)

Deadline: February 14

These awards help UMBC faculty to advance their scholarly and research endeavors, to compete more effectively for external support and to pursue new areas of inquiry. Awards are for up to $25,000.
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CIRCA/CAHSS Summer Faculty Research Fellowships (SFRF)

Deadline: February 15, 2020

UMBC’s Center for Innovation, Research, and Creativity in the Arts (CIRCA) and the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) invite applications from tenure-track and tenured faculty for research support in the arts for Summer 2020. Funding will support specific faculty projects that will enhance the prominence of the arts at UMBC and increase the quality and vitality of research or creative work in theory, scholarship, and/or practice in the arts. Two fellowships of $6,000 each are directed to research projects with the potential to create significant impact in the field. The fellowships may support faculty in the development of a grant proposal or be employed to establish a research fund. In the first case recipients will be expected to develop proposals intended to lead to their securing extramural funding for their research activities. The second fellowship type may be used to support the presentation, documentation, dissemination, and/or exhibition of faculty research. Proposals from full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty in CAHSS will be considered. Funds for this initiative are provided by CIRCA, CAHSS, and the Office of the Vice President for Research.

Faculty are encouraged to reach out to CIRCA Director Timothy Nohe and Rachel Brubaker, the Dresher Center’s Assistant Director, Grants and Program Development to discuss the application process.
SFRF 2020 CIRCA app

Dresher Center for the Humanities Summer Faculty Research Fellowships (SFRF)

Deadline: February 15, 2020

The Dresher Center will hold a drop in session on Wednesday, December 11, noon-1pm, for faculty who would like to discuss their proposal ideas with Jessica Berman, Director, and Rachel Brubaker, Assistant Director.

The Dresher Center for the Humanities and the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) invite applications for Summer 2020 Faculty Research Fellowships (SFRF). Funding is intended to support and promote significant humanities research at UMBC. Dresher Center Summer Faculty Research Fellows (individuals or groups) will receive support for summer research and assistance in developing extramural funding applications, book proposals, and grant project applications. Funding may also be used for the completion of book manuscripts, major articles, or projects of a similar stature. Proposals are welcome and will be considered from all full-time, tenured or tenure-track UMBC faculty pursuing humanities research in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Proposals will be reviewed by the Dresher Center Advisory Board.
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IRCA/CAHSS Summer Faculty Research Fellowships (SFRF)

Deadline: February 15, 2020

The Office of the Vice President for Research, the College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) Dean’s Office, and the Imaging Research Center (IRC) are pleased to announce an opportunity for tenured and tenure-track faculty members in CAHSS the time and funding to collaborate with the IRC on new research. The Fellowship can be used to advance your current or begin an entirely new project. It can be used to explore new modes and venues of dissemination and publication. The IRC is not a service for creating things already available at UMBC from Creative Services, New Media Studio, Common Vision, or from private companies such as simple websites, videos or apps. The IRC is a research lab developing new digital media technologies and practices to achieve something not currently being done, or which should be improved upon in a significant way.
SFRF 2020 IRC app

Office of the VP for Research Summer Research Faculty Fellowships (SURFF)

Deadline: February 21, 2020

These fellowships of up to $6,000 support non-tenured, tenure-track UMBC faculty pursuing research and scholarly projects during the summer, including projects in all departments.
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Lipitz Professorship in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Academic Year 2020-2021

Deadline: March 27

Roger C. Lipitz and the Lipitz Family Foundation have established an endowed fund at UMBC, the purpose of which “shall be to provide funds to recognize and support innovative and distinguished teaching and/or research in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland Baltimore County through alternating one to two year professorship awards.” The endowment has usually produced about $15,000 in spendable funds, though the sum has varied.

Nominations (including self-nominations) for the Academic Year 2020- 21 Lipitz Professorship are due to the Dean’s Office no later
than Friday, March 27 (to the attention of Tamara Brown, tbrown@umbc.edu

Lipitz Professorship in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

CAHSS Grants for Pedagogy and Teaching (PAT Awards)

Deadline (Spring): April 13

UMBC’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) is pleased to announce the next round of the Dean’s Pedagogy and Teaching (PAT) Fund. The grants are open to CAHSS faculty members twice per academic year to support pedagogical development, and are available to all faculty—tenured/tenure-track, lecturers, adjunct, and graduate teaching assistants (excepting visiting faculty)—who teach courses in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Proposals should present a well-designed plan of action that clearly identifies ways to improve teaching and learning, and should include a clearly defined path to completion. Proposals with broad, long-term impact on student learning are especially encouraged. The CAHSS Teaching Advisory Committee will review all applications and will make timely recommendations to the Dean.
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CAHSS Dean’s Faculty Support

Deadline (Spring): April 13

Travel Fund application
To provide supplemental support for travel for presentation of a paper or poster; invited symposium chair/moderator/discussant; attendance as officer of association/conference; research development; teaching development; etc. Click here to access the application.

Sabbatical Leave 
Leave requests are due to the Dean’s Office by February 1 for leaves starting in summer/fall, and August 23 for leaves beginning in January. Click here to access the application.

Quick links: 

Last updated: February 20, 2020