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Research Funding

UCHRI 2025-2026 Calls for Applications

As a grantmaking organization, UC Humanities Research Institute primarily funds UC faculty and graduate students who participate in innovative research and projects that engage a variety of disciplines and stakeholders. Application deadline for 2025-2026 cycle is Feb. 3, 2025.

Grant Opportunities

School of Arts and Humanities support and opportunities

Arts and Humanities Senate Faculty Ad-Hoc Funding

Proposal Requirements: Requests should be 500 words or less, include what support is requested, identify why the support is important for the department, the School and the University as a whole, and specify how the support will enhance the student or faculty experience.

  • The proposal must include how much money the department is putting towards the effort and what other funding sources have been sought and secured, if any.
  • Cost-share or match required: All awards require a cost share/match of at least 1 to 1.
  • Applicants may request any amount, with a max award of $3,000. Individuals can receive one award every every three years.

Eligibility: 

  • Current Senate Faculty in the School of Arts and Humanities.
  • Must be in compliance with all mandatory UC trainings.

Terms: 

  • Proposals are prioritized according to their alignment with the School's strategic goals (see below)
  • Please submit requests in a timely manner taking into consideration the date of proposed event/activity, the deadlines listed, and the evaluation process. This mindfulness is appreciated given the large number of requests received and the goal to provide equal opportunity for all. 
  • The applicant will be informed of the status four weeks after the deadline.
  • Funds will be transferred to the faculty member’s home department. All payment or reimbursement arrangements will be handled by the home department.

School's Strategic Goals:

  • Sustaining a first‐class faculty
  • Maintaining and enhancing graduate education
  • Increasing the number of entering freshmen
  • Building and expanding collaborative and interdisciplinary academic and research activities
  • Enhancing financial sustainability through the generation of new revenues

Deadlines:

  • Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

To Apply: Please complete the proposal application via the online portal.

 Questions? Contact Anthony King (apk006@ucsd.edu

Arts and Humanities Inclusive Excellence Initiative

The School of Arts and Humanities is committed to addressing systemic racism, anti-Black and anti-Asian hate, and white privilege, and continues to investigate the racial dimensions of the liberal arts and diversity and inclusion.

As part of the broader Strategic Plan for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, the Inclusive Excellence Initiative intends to amplify the crucial EDI work by faculty across the School of Arts and Humanities.

  • Proposal Requirements: Proposals will need to present in 500 words or less stating what EDI support is being requested, why the support is important for the department or institute, school, and university as a whole, and how specifically the support will enhance the student, staff, or faculty experience.
  • Funding Areas: (1) Faculty Mentorship, (2) Student Mentorship, (3) Community Engagement, and (4) Research.
  • Awards: There will be up to 5 awards of a $3,000 each available. If awarded, an update at the conclusion of the project may be requested.
  • Deadline: The current cycle for the Inclusive Excellence Initiative is closed.
  • To Apply: Please complete the online proposal application.

 

 

Arts and Humanities Funding Calendars - Faculty & Graduate Students

View the below linked calendars supplied by the Dean's office for funding opportunities. These documents include funding due dates, maximum amounts offered and sponsor/funder details. These links are updated semi-regularly with additions, deletions or other changes.

Sponsored-Project Proposal Submission Timeline

Your department Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and Fiscal Manager will provide proposal assistance, primarily focusing on budget development and administrative logistics. The School of Arts and Humanities Dean’s Office can work closely with the PI and designated staff to investigate options and provide proposal feedback. We each work in partnership with the Office of Contract and Grant Administration (OCGA) to provide support for the development of large, complex, multidisciplinary research proposals.

OCGA is responsible for contract and grant management for UC San Diego and their role includes:

  1. Review, endorsement and submission of proposals
  2. Negotiation and acceptance of contract and grant agreements
  3. Interpretation of guidelines
  4. Promotion of compliance with sponsor and University policies

 

Recommended Submission Schedule

60 Days Before Deadline

Provide to your CAO and Fiscal Manager:

  • Agency name
  • Link to funding opportunity, special announcements or forms
  • Title of proposal
  • Identify start date, number of years and due date of proposal
  • Budget; identify target annual budget amount and provide list of personnel working on grant, materials and supplies, equipment (vendor quotes are usually not required), travel, other expenses (including publication costs, animal costs, campus services)
  • Indirect Cost (IDC) statement, as OCGA will often request this
    • Review federally negotiated IDC rates.
    • If IDC is not allowed, provide documentation from sponsor
  • If proposal includes subcontracts, provide contact information for each site

45 Days Before Deadline

Provide to your CAO and Fiscal Manager, with the option to include the Dean’s Office staff:

  • A rough draft of the proposal (including references, bibliographies, biosketches, as required by funding agency)
  • Budget justification
  • Letters of collaboration (if applicable)
  • Review draft proposal

30 Days Before Deadline

Submit draft documents to CAO and Fiscal Manager for compilation into application package and submission to OCGA for review:

  • Draft application review includes finalized budget, budget justification, administrative documents (e.g., facilities, equipment, biosketches, resource sharing plan, etc.) and draft science
  • Your department colleagues will upload documents into application package for OCGA review and inform you of any changes, corrections or suggestions
  • Complete PI certification in Kuali record COI certification in Kuali COI

14 Days Before Deadline

Review entire proposal for submission. Provide final version of required documents to Research Administrator.

5 Business Days Before Deadline

Final proposal is due to OCGA by 8 a.m. Final documents are due to your department administrative staff by noon on the business day prior to the agency's published deadline.

Day of Deadline

Confirm proposal has been submitted. Review submitted application online if applicable.

After Submission

Inform your department CAO and Fiscal Manager as soon as an award or a declination of a proposal has been received.

Additional items to consider:

  • UC San Diego standard business hours are 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • Submit as early as possible to avoid last minute system issues or delays, particularly during peak submission periods.
  • Stay by a phone or email until submission is confirmed in case any unexpected issues arise.

Campus support and opportunities

Researcher funding - Office of Research Affairs

Funding Resources for Researchers (link): Resources and services across campus support investigators seeking funding for research activities.

Based in the Office of Research Affairs, the Research Development team supports investigators throughout campus in developing large, interdisciplinary, and/or strategic proposals.

The team provides curated resources to support a variety of common funding pursuits, such as recurring early-career programs.

Funding opportunity mailing lists

Research Development distributes selected research funding opportunity announcements, including those for limited-submission programs, through two campus-wide lists. To subscribe to listservs, log in at the links below with your SSO (@ucsd.edu) credentials:

  • The UC San Diego Funding List announces funding and limited-submission opportunities relevant primarily to investigators on the General Campus and at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
  • The Biomedical Limited Submissions List distributes funding and limited-submission opportunities relevant to investigators engaged in biomedical and health-related research.

Subscribe to the Corporate and Foundations Relations newsletter, request a one-on-one virtual meeting with a CFR team member, or quickly let them know who you are so they can include you in communications:  Fill out the Faculty Questionnaire, with your name, title, department, start date and research key words.

Corporate and Foundation Relations

Working with the UC San Diego Corporate and Foundation Relations team is a partnership focused on building strong, solid and long-lasting relationships between UC San Diego investigators and the philanthropic organizations that share your vision for your field of study.

Their expertise:
  • Relationships are the basis for success
  • Serve as content ambassadors
  • Strategic direction is provided
  • Track and maintain the pulse of the philanthropic organization landscape
  • Advise on written proposals, providing edits and guidance

Corporate and Foundation Relations is your campus partner in securing private corporation and foundation support. They offer several pages with funding opportunities: Big Ideas, upcoming corporate and foundation deadlines, young investigators, postdoctoral opportunities and awards.

Subscribe to the Corporate and Foundations Relations newsletter, request a one-on-one virtual meeting with a CFR team member, or quickly let them know who you are so they can include you in communications:  Fill out the Faculty Questionnaire, with your name, title, department, start date and research key words.

The Corporate and Foundation Relations team continually adds new funding opportunities from corporate and private foundation funders that are available to the UC San Diego community. The database at the Corporate and Foundation Relations website reflects opportunities with a deadline within the next six months or with a rolling deadline.

 

View Overall Funding Opportunities

Limited Submission Programs

Limited-submission funding opportunities are those for which the sponsor limits the number of proposals UC San Diego may submit. Opportunities are posted through an internal application portal (InfoReady Review) and distributed via the two opt-in mail list.

When the number of internal applications for a given funding opportunity exceeds the allowable number of external submissions, internal review is conducted by one or more of four standing faculty committees, members of which are appointed by the Academic Senate. Recommendations on the most competitive applications are provided to the Vice Chancellor for Research. All applicants are notified of the outcome and provided reviewer comments, if any, on their applications.

Unit 18 Faculty professional development Fund

In accordance with the current UC-AFT/UC Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a Professional Development Fund provides Unit 18 Faculty with financial support for professional development activities.

As the relevant section of Article 9, Paragraph C.4 of the MOU states, “Individual Unit 18 faculty will be eligible to submit requests for funding to support proposals for professional development including but not limited to professional meetings, training seminars, software and paid leave, all of which should be in support of pedagogical endeavors. Only those Unit 18 Faculty with continuing appointments will be eligible to submit requests for paid leave.”

The phrase “pedagogical endeavors” is interpreted broadly to refer to all activities and projects that contribute to the Unit 18 faculty member’s professional development and effectiveness as a teacher at UC San Diego.

See the Academic Personnel Services website for detailed information on applying for these funds.

External opportunities

Sponsor websites and email lists

To find and stay updated on external funding opportunities, you can:

Research Development & Grant Writing News

UC San Diego subscribes to a monthly newsletter, Research Development & Grant Writing News, that provides information and advice for faculty, researchers, staff and graduate students on how to compete successfully for research and education funding from federal agencies and foundations. 

The newsletter is published by Academic Research Funding Strategies, LLC, and our institutional subscription limits distribution to within UC San Diego. Access the most-recent editions (login required).

To receive the newsletter directly, please subscribe to the Funding Announcements listserv using the @ucsd.edu form of your email.

Philanthropy News Digest