Limited-Submission Grants

LIMITED-SUBMISSION EXTRAMURAL PROGRAMS

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These programs restrict the number of annual submissions allowed per institution. For full consideration faculty should submit pre-proposals to RSP by the deadline for internal review and selection. Pre-proposals received after the deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.

NEH Summer Fellowships

The National Endowment for the Humanities’ Summer Stipends program aims to stimulate new research in the humanities and its publication. The program works to accomplish this goal by:

  • Providing small awards to individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both
  • Supporting projects at any stage of development, but especially early-stage research and late-stage writing in which small awards are most effective
  • Funding a wide range of individuals, including independent scholars, community college faculty, and non-teaching staff at universities

Summer Stipends up to $8,000 support continuous full-time work on a humanities project for a period of two consecutive months.  NEH funds may support recipients’ compensation, travel, and other costs related to the proposed scholarly research.

Full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty must be nominated by their institutions, which are limited to two (2) nominations per year. RSP coordinates the internal selection process and the Vice Provost for Research is WWU's nominating official. 

Individuals who are not full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty members may also apply and are exempt from the institutional nomination requirement. Nevertheless, RSP encourages those individuals to notify their WWU supervisors as a courtesy—especially if they expect to be WWU employees during the period of performance of the fellowship, if awarded.

Internal Nomination Guidelines

Anyone wishing to pursue nomination should submit the following materials as one PDF to rsp@wwu.edu using the subject line "NEH Summer Stipend Nomination":

1) Project Description (part of the Project Information in a full application): Provide a brief description of your project. It should be written for a non-specialist audience and clearly state the importance of the proposed work and its relation to larger issues in the humanities. Also indicate your need for a Summer Stipend to complete your project (Summer Stipends expect full-time work on the project for 2 consecutive months). (1 page) 

2) Resume: This should cover your current and past positions, education, publications, and other relevant professional accomplishments, activities, and language proficiencies. (2 pages)

 

2024 NEH Summer Fellowships Deadline

Pre-proposals are due to rsp@wwu.edu by Friday, June 28, 2024.

Prospective nominees will be notified by August 2. 

NEH anticipates applications due Sept 18.

Click here to register for the NEH sponsored webinar to be held July 10 at 11am.

Keck Foundation Scientific Research Grant

The W. M. Keck Research Program seeks to benefit humanity by supporting Medical Research and Science & Engineering projects that are distinctive and novel in their approach, question the prevailing paradigm, or have the potential to break open new territory in their field.

Past grants have been awarded to major universities, independent research institutions, and medical schools to support pioneering biological and physical science research and engineering, including the development of promising new technologies, instrumentation or methodologies.  Grants range from $1 million to $5 million and are typically $2 million or less. 

2022-2023 Keck Research Grant Deadlines

Pre-proposals are due to Vice Provost for Research (rsp@wwu.edu) by February 1, 2023 or August 2, 2023.

National Science Foundation: Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI)

The Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program serves to increase access to multi-user scientific and engineering instrumentation for research and research training in our Nation's institutions of higher education and not-for-profit scientific/engineering research organizations. An MRI award supports the acquisition or development of a multi-user research instrument that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs.

MRI provides support to acquire critical research instrumentation without which advances in fundamental science and engineering research may not otherwise occur. MRI also provides support to develop next-generation research instruments that open new opportunities to advance the frontiers in science and engineering research. Additionally, an MRI award is expected to enhance research training of students who will become the next generation of instrument users, designers and builders. 

An MRI proposal may request from NSF up to $4 million for either acquisition or development of a research instrument. WWU may submit no more than two (2) submissions in Track 1 and no more than one (1) submission in Track 2For the newly defined Track 3, no more than one (1) submission per competition is permitted.  

Cost sharing requirements for new awards in the MRI Program are waived for a period of 5 years beginning with the FY 2023 MRI competition. 

 

Pre-proposal Guidelines

Please provide a narrative no more than three pages in length addressing:

  • Names of PIs and co-PIs, description of the instrument, and approximate cost.
  • Why this proposal should be a priority for Western.
  • Any special resource needs and preliminary plan for addressing them. Examples include new space requirements, funding sources for required service contract(s), staff, and site preparation.
  • Any special considerations: e.g., reasons why this proposal is better submitted in this cycle rather than a future one.

Appended documents, outside the 3-page limit:

  • SciENcv biosketches for PIs and co-PIs.
  • If the proposal will be a resubmission, include reviewers’ comments from the most recent submission and a narrative describing plans to address them.
  • If the proposed instrumentation is expected to be housed in a space outside the PIs lab (e.g. AMSEC, STS, department space, etc.), a brief letter of support must be included.

Pre-proposals should be emailed to your college dean by the stated deadline. 

2024 NSF MRI Deadlines

Pre-proposals are due to your College Dean by May 17, 2024.

College Deans should forward pre-proposals to rsp@wwu.edu by May 20, 2024 using the subject line "MRI Pre-Proposals 2024"

Preproposal applications will be reviewed by an ad-hoc expert committee with recommendations put forth to the VP of Research.

Priority may be given to previously unsuccessful full proposals in following years.

Prospective applicants will be notified before the end of Spring quarter.

NSF submission window: October 15-2024-November 15, 2024.

 

Murdock Scientific Research Instrumentation Grant

Funding is intended to support scientific research in the form of major scientific instrumentation. Only applications from scientific research institutions or major universities will be considered. Applications from individuals will not be considered.

Murdock Grant Deadlines

No applications are being accepted 2023-2024.

Questions?

Contact us at rsp@wwu.edu.