Grants for Established RSCA

Status of Opportunity

Applications opened on July 6, 2026 for the 2026-2027 cycle and will remain open until all funds are spent. DRI anticipates funding 4-5 proposals for this cycle.

Apply via InfoReady Portal

Program Overview

The primary purpose of this program is to provide support for more significantly developed research, scholarly or creative activities (RSCA) projects for which a faculty member is seeking extramural funding. These typically would be projects where a faculty member has already established a solid record of publications, or juried exhibitions/performances, or smaller funded internal/external grant support, etc. focused on their specific area of RSCA specialization. This program can also support faculty who are resubmitting a previously reviewed grant proposal that received encouraging reviewer feedback.

Faculty who receive this funding are required to identify a targeted funding opportunity as well as submit a proposal for extramural funding (e.g., federal, state, local, foundation, etc.). Grant submission must be made within 6 months of the close of the award period. Awards can range from six to twelve months, depending on project needs. For this program, faculty can apply to several levels of funding that are connected to the amount of extramural funding sought (please see below). We strongly encourage interdisciplinary and multi-institution collaborations; however, non-SDSU collaborators are not eligible to receive grant funds. Please note: for a future multi-institutional grant application, SDSU must serve as the prime and not as a sub-contractor on the proposal.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to DRI's faculty research support team.

Eligibility

Tenured or tenure-track faculty at all academic ranks. Faculty can only receive funding from this program once during an academic year.

Application Details

Application Form

Applications will be accepted via the InfoReady online competitions portal and will open on July 6, 2026 for the 2026-2027 cycle. Applications will be taken on a rolling basis until funds for the academic year are spent.

To apply, please upload and submit a single PDF file that includes your application narrative and description, bibliography/references, team and institutional roles, evidence of scholarship, budget/budget justification, targeted RFP/grant announcement(s), and College Dean letter of support.

Application Narrative and Description

This section of the application should be single-spaced, 12-point font, with minimum 0.5 inch margins (4-pages maximum). The narrative and description should be written in a style that is accessible for reviewers outside of the applicant’s area(s) of expertise and should address the following:

• The importance of the problem or need being addressed by this project. How will this project advance your discipline(s) or field(s) of work? What is the contribution to your discipline(s) or field(s) of work?
• Describe any of your previous work (publications, presentations, juried exhibitions/performances, books, internal/external funding) directly related to this project. How will the proposed project extend and amplify the work you have already conducted in this area of inquiry?
• Describe the scope of the project, including the methodology for this work.
• For projects with multiple investigators or institutions, describe how these collaborations will strengthen the proposed project.
• How does the project fit within the identified funding mechanism or request for proposals or applications?
• Provide a project timeline that includes important milestones and the submission date for the targeted extramural funding opportunity.

Team and Institutional Roles

For projects with multiple team members, please provide the name of each team member as well as the team member’s department/school. Briefly describe the role of each team member and their contributions to the project. If your project includes other institution(s), provide a brief description of how that institution will contribute to the project (1-page maximum).

Evidence of Scholarship

Please summarize evidence of discipline-specific research, scholarship, or creative activities for the applicant (Principle Investigator/Project Director) and other key collaborators (up to two) that is relevant to the project. Be sure to include any previously funded grants for the past 3 years in this summary (9-pages maximum).

Budget and Budget Justification

Please provide a budget and associated budget justification/description based upon the funding level for your project. Expenses should be directly related to your project. Applicants can request up to $20k in funding depending on the amount of extramural funding sought in a future proposal.

The following are allowable budget expenses:

1. Salary for non-faculty staff and students
2. External grant writers or reviewers
3. Funds to collect pilot data
4. Purchase of small equipment for data collection or research purposes
5. Data transcription or translation services
6. Travel for data collection or research purposes
7. Supplies related to data collection (e.g. Biology, Chemistry, computer supplies, etc.)
8. Participant incentives
9. Consultant fees

The following are non-allowable budget expenses:

1. Faculty salary
2. Conference-related travel expenses
3. Assigned time for faculty
4. General office or printer supplies
5. Publication fees
6. Rent or space costs
7. Tuition

The allowable/non-allowable lists are representative, not exhaustive. If you have a specific question about allowable expenses or whether your project is appropriate for this funding mechanism, please contact [email protected].

Bibliography/References

(2-page maximum)

Targeted Request For Proposal (RFP) or Grant Funding Announcement(s)

Please include a PDF copy of the targeted RFP(s) or grant announcement(s) in your application packet. If you are resubmitting a grant proposal, please include the grant review summary statement in the application packet.

Letter of Support from College Dean

Please obtain a letter of support from the PI/PD’s College Dean.

Application Review

The Research Review Committee of the University Research Council will review these applications on a rolling basis. Applications will be scored using the following criteria:

1. 20%-Clarity of Proposal
2. 30%-Current Research/scholarship success of applicant and team (if applicable)
3. 20%-Extent to which the project will contribute significantly to discipline or field of work
4. 30%-Potential of the project to lead to grant funding.

Reporting

Applicants are expected to submit a grant proposal for extramural funding within six months of the close of the award period. At the end of the project period, DRI will send awardees a report template to complete. Reports are due six-months after the funding period has ended. Reports will include the final submitted proposal. DRI will send report reminders to awardees before the report is due.