Summer Research Seed Grants

The Summer Research Seed Grant program was established to support the efforts of Washington University faculty in seeking external funding for research. Up to five Research Seed Grants will be distributed through the Center for the Humanities to faculty who will undertake the preparation of a competitive, peer reviewed, prestigious grant application during the summer with the goal of submitting a grant application in the fall and/or spring. Applicants must commit to meeting this condition in order to qualify for this grant.

Faculty may submit applications for both the Summer Faculty Research Grant (FRG) and Summer Research Seed Grant but can be awarded only one grant.

Important dates & details

For faculty applying during the 2023–24 academic year

Application Deadline: Friday, February 21, 2025

Grant amount: Up to $5,000

Award notification: Monday, March 17, 2024

Grant period: May 15–August 31

Eligibility: All Washington University tenured or tenure-track faculty in the humanities or humanistic social sciences who will undertake the preparation of a competitive, peer reviewed, prestigious grant* application during the summer grant period with the goal of submitting an application in the fall and/or spring

*American Council of Learned Societies, Guggenheim, Mellon Foundation, National Endowment of the Humanities, Social Science Research Council, National Humanities Center and the Fulbright Distinguished Chair program. This list is not exhaustive but captures the emphasis on competitive, peer-reviewed, prestigious awards.

 

    How to Apply

    Applications must include:

    1.   Completed Summer Research Seed Grant Application (see link below)

    • Completed Budget Page
      • All expenses should be reasonable, realistic and directly related to the activities that will be conducted as part of the project.
      • A writing stipend of up to $2,000 to support time to prepare the research narrative that will be part of your grant submission(s) is allowed. The stipend is considered taxable income.
    • Description of your research plan for the summer (300 words maximum)

    2.   Project Status 

    3.   Narrative (600 words maximum). Within the narrative, applicants should provide

    • A summary of the project
    • The status of the project in terms of completed work (chapters in MS, portions previously published)
    • An account of work to be completed during the tenure of the major grant, if it is awarded
    • An account of work that you anticipate will be accomplished following the grant period.

    4.   Short CV (2-page maximum)

    Application download: (link to application form)

    Application requirements: Submit your application as a single pdf to: cenhumapp@wustl.edu using the following naming convention for your application pdf: Last Name First Initial Summer RSG

    Evaluation criteria: Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee convened by the Center for the Humanities and ranked according to:

    • The quality of the proposal with regard to its methodology, scope, theoretical framework and grounding in the relevant scholarly literature.
    • The feasibility of the project and the relevant grants that would support it.

    Grant administration: The Seed Grant is administered by the awardee’s home department.

    • Funds will be made available in an appropriate account by May 1. Once distributed, Seed Grant funds may not be moved to circumvent more restrictive departmental policies.
    • Grantees are expected to adhere to the administrative and financial policies of the university and those specified in the Center for the Humanities’ “Guidelines for Center Grants” issued to grantees upon award notification.
    • All funds must be used within the grant period. The university will not reimburse for expenses incurred after the end of the grant period even if grant funds remain.
    • If there is a balance in the Seed Grant account after October 1, the balance will revert back to the Center for the Humanities research account.
    • The Grantee is required to submit a report of project accomplishments to Stephanie Kirk, Director of the Center for the Humanities, no later than October 1.
    • The Grantee and his or her grant administrator are required to give a detailed report of the expenditures of the grant to the center’s financial supervisor, Caitlin McCoy, no later than October 1.
    • Publications resulting from Seed Grant activities must contain an acknowledgment of support by the Center for the Humanities and the following sentence: “Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Center for the Humanities.”

    Learn about awards made in previous funding cycles.