Assigned Time for RSCA with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Status of Opportunity
Applications for Assigned Time for Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities (RSCA) with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance are currently open and due by Sept. 15, 2026.
Program Overview
To increase collaborative research between SDSU and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA), the Division of Research & Innovation (DRI), in partnership with SDZWA, is launching a pilot assigned time program for SDSU faculty to develop a collaborative grant with SDZWA partners during the spring or fall 2027 semesters.
The purpose of this program is to provide assigned time for SDSU faculty to work collaboratively with SDZWA scholars on a grant proposal submission on a topic of relevance both to the scholarship of SDSU and applied impact for the SDZWA mission. SDZWA and DRI will fund up to three units of assigned time for a faculty member working on the collaborative proposal during Spring or Fall 2027.
Teams must consist of at least 1 SDSU Faculty member and 1 SDZWA scholar in order to be eligible for this assigned time opportunity. Teams must use their assigned time to prepare a grant proposal submission.
Prospective topics may include:
- AI and Technology
- Biobank bioinformatics and sequencing
- Data analytics
- Zoonotic diseases
- Indigenous knowledge systems (San Diego cultural heritage)
- Productive social/cultural engagement with American Indian communities
A list of SDZWA scholars and their research areas (PDF) is available on the call for proposals.
DRI and SDZWA managers will be available to help connect scholars for pre-submission consultation. If you have an idea you think would be competitive, but need an SDZWA partner, please contact [email protected] with your inquiry, and DRI staff will facilitate an introduction.
Application Details
A complete application for this opportunity will consist of:
- Brief project description (up to 1000 words)
- Team member project roles (up to 500 words)
- Evidence of team member scholarship (up to 750 words)
- Letter of support from College Dean
- PDF copy of the targeted grant or RFP announcement
- Letter of Support from a SDZWA Scholar
The application should be prepared and submitted by the SDSU scholar requesting the Assigned Time. The application will require the approval of an SDZWA Scholar in order to be accepted for formal review.
Application Timeline
We expect the consultative period to last until Aug. 31, with applications due Sept. 15, 2026 for assigned time in Spring 2027 or Fall 2027.