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Funding Opportunities


We know that finding and applying for grants can be challenging. If you need assistance, please contact research and proposal development team who can assist you in locating potential funding opportunities.






  • Internal Funding

      Office of Research and Sponsored Programs


      General Overview
      The Internal Grant Programs at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) provide financial support for the creative activities and research of faculty and staff across all academic disciplines. These programs are administered through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) at SHSU under advice of the Faculty Research Council. The ORSP internal grant program is divided into four programs – Individual Scholarship, New Faculty, Interdisciplinary Collaborations, and Pilot Studies for Future Funding. Additionally, ORSP's Center for Enhancing Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (EURECA) hosts two funding programs – Faculty and Student Teams (FAST) and Student Travel Awards for Professional Presentation (STAPP).


      ORSP (Closed until FY24):


      EURECA:


      Other Internal Funding


      Want to post an internal grant? Contact Us

      • Academic Affairs

          Building Research, Innovation, Discovery, and Growing Engagement (BRIDGE)

          Supported by the Provost Innovation Fund

          The intent of the BRIDGE program is to align and develop existing and emerging research themes at SHSU into sustainable programs that elevate the reputation of SHSU and establish the university as a major contributor to new knowledge and technology for Texas. Funding through this program will support research teams who require substantial investment over multiple years to develop successful funding proposals to specific funding agencies.

          Successful BRIDGE projects will contribute to emerging industry and societal needs of the region and Texas by addressing fundamental contemporary problems or advancing existing knowledge through translational research, such as:

          • Preparing for demands on food, energy, and/or water systems
          • Research in life, health, and biomedical sciences
          • Addressing concerns of cybersecurity and resiliency
          • Preparing for the increased demand of educational services and mental health care

          Learn more about the funding program on the BRIDGE webpage.

          Office of Assessment

          Assessment Mini-Grant

          The Office of Assessment has funding available for assessment-related activities in the form of competitive Assessment Mini-Grants. These grants are available to all faculty and staff at SHSU to help fund new or ongoing assessment practices within programs, offices, or departments; or to all faculty and staff to help fund travel to make an assessment-related presentation at a professional conference. The application becomes available by February 1 for the following academic year, and is due to Assessment by the last Friday in May. The application and additional information are available at the Assessment Mini-Grant website.

          Typical Award: $700-$1,000
          Expected Funding: $15,000
          Max Award: $1,000

          Point of contact: Tama Hamrick (thamrick@shsu.edu; 936-294-1536)

          Engaging Classrooms QEP

          General Overview

          The Engaging Classrooms QEP is a 5-year initiative to incorporate and institutionalize active learning and engagement at SHSU. Engaging Classrooms has three internal grant programs to achieve the QEP’s goals: Engaging Spaces, Teaching Innovation Grants (TIGs) and Odyssey Grants.

          Programs
          Engaging Spaces (Team Collaboration Program)

          The Engaging Spaces program invites a team of instructors to reimagine an existing space and submit a proposal that transforms the space into an active learning classroom. Proposal teams must contain at least one tenure-track faculty member and can contain up to three other instructors. Selected proposals will share ownership of the renovated classroom with the Engaging Spaces program and there will be certain renovations that are non-negotiable to remain consistent with our QEP mission. The Engaging Spaces Committee will act as the liaison for the selected proposals and work with SHSU Facilities and IT to achieve the vision of the proposal. The Call for Proposals and application can be found on our website.

          Application Cycle: September – December
          Grant Period: Remainder of Spring semester at the end of the application cycle to the
          end of the next Summer
          Expected Funding: $150,000
          Typical Award: $50,000 - $100,000


          Teaching Innovation Grant (Team Collaboration Program)

          The Teaching Innovation Grant (TIG) supports teams of instructors to implement innovative active learning techniques in the classroom. While based in a researched pedagogical backdrop, these techniques should be both novel, either locally or globally, and grounded in inclusive, student-centered teaching. By its nature, the Teaching Innovation Grant can be used to fund a broad range of topics, and applicants are encouraged to be creative. In teams of 2-5 members within a single department or across disciplines, instructors of any rank will innovate the teaching strategies of a particular course or set of courses. The Call for Proposals and application can be found on our website.

          Application Cycle: October – December
          Grant Period: Spring following the end of application cycle to the end of the next Spring
          semester
          Expected Funding: $60,000
          Typical Award: $4,000 - $8,000
          Odyssey Grant (Individual Scholarship Program)

          Odyssey Grants are individual travel grants that are available to all instructors at SHSU. These travel grants fund faculty to attend professional development conferences or workshops that are primarily or exclusively focused on active learning. Educational conferences will have priority over educational sessions at a conference that is research focused. Examples of workshop opportunities and the application can be found on our website. Instructors who receive an Odyssey Grant will be expected to share their experience with the SHSU community.

          Application cycle: Rolling (September 1-August 31)
          Max Award: $2,000

      • College of Criminal Justice

          Each year the College of Criminal Justice sets aside a portion of its Recovered Indirect Costs to fund research that has the greatest potential for the highest positive impact on criminal justice practice as determined by a college-wide Research Committee convened for that purpose. The Associate Dean for Faculty Development determines the amount available from year to year depending on the previous year’s RIDC allocation and existing reserves and distributes the funds in accord with recommendations from the Research Committee. For more information, please contact Dr. Randy Garner (rgarner@shsu.edu).

      • College of Education

          The College of Education does not have any formal internal grant programs currently.

      • College of Health Sciences

          Research Grant Program

          The College of Health Sciences (COHS) provides several competitive grants for faculty and students to carry out research, scholarship, and creative projects. These grants support faculty and students’ research endeavors from design through peer-reviewed dissemination (e.g., conference presentation, journal article, external grant submission). Annual appropriation of available funds depends on the number of applications received. COHS tenure-track faculty receive priority in fund allocations.

          Allsubmissions are due 1 OCT. The Associate Dean for Research and selected COHS faculty will review the grants and make final determinations for distribution of funding. All applicants will receive comments about their grant application within 30 days of the submission deadline.

          Grant proposals are treated as confidential and will only be shared with members of the COHS Research Committee. The Associate Dean of Research will retain copies of funded research proposals. Names and project titles of funded projects will be released to all COHS faculty and placed on the COHS website.

          Two of the grants available:

          1. Faculty Research and Creative Scholarship Grant – This grant provides support for the development and implementation of research and creative projects.
            1. Purpose: To encourage and provide support for COHS faculty to develop and implement research or creative projects.
            2. Award: Maximum award is $7500
            3. Eligibility: All full-time COHS faculty members with continuing nine-month academic appointments. Research projects must be new endeavors, with priority given to inter-disciplinary projects.
            4. Qualifying expenses: Funds may be used to purchase equipment, software licenses, and database information, provide support for research personnel, payment to research participants, summer salary (≤ 50% of the total award) and travel costs directly related to the project for training or conducting the research. This grant does not cover publication costs or travel costs for presenting results of the research.
          2. Student Research and Travel Grant – This grant will provide funds needed for students to conduct a supervised research project or attend a conference to present their research.
            1.  Purpose: To provide funds needed for students to conduct a supervised research project OR attend a conference to present their research.
            2. Award: Maximum award is $400
            3. Eligibility: Full-time COHS undergraduate and graduate students working with a faculty mentor/advisor on a research project or creative work, with priority given to students who have not received this funding in the past.
            4. Qualifying expenses: Funds can be used for one of two options: 1) to support a research project through the purchase of research equipment, chemicals/cleaning supplies, software programs, and other necessary equipment to complete the project, OR 2) to pay for travel to present scholarly work at a state, regional, national, or international conference. Funds may be used to support graduate thesis work.

          3. Contact: Dr. Jennifer Bunn
            Email: jab229@shsu.edu
            Phone: 936-294-2393

      • College of Humanities and Social Sciences

            Collaborative Research Cluster Initiative

            Purpose
            To promote the SHSU strategic goal of academic excellence, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) invites proposals to develop CHSS faculty-led interdisciplinary research clusters that build partnerships based on shared strengths of expertise to address industry or community needs and help leverage external funding for sustained research support. Bringing together faculty, graduate students, or external stakeholders from different disciplines for exchange and collaboration, the research clusters aim to encourage a broadened scope of scholarship that enhances the profile and competitiveness of CHSS faculty research.

            Application Guidelines:
            All tenured and tenure-track CHSS faculty are eligible to apply as the PI of the proposed research cluster. Applications must include the following materials:

            • An application that includes the name of the research cluster, project title, name and contact information for the PI and Co-PI, cluster members’ names and affiliations, and a brief description of the project and its purpose;
            • A narrative (maximum 1000 words) that outlines the goals of the cluster, its proposed activities, and the background and expertise of the cluster members;
            • A short version of the PI’s and Co-PI’s CV(s) with a focus on key scholarly accomplishments;
            • A schedule/timetable of proposed activities and estimated budget

            Application must be submitted through Microsoft Office Form titled “Collaborative Research Cluster -CHSS” by 5 p.m. on December 15, 2022. Form can be found on the CHSS website under the Faculty Resources tab. Materials submitted after the deadline or that do not follow the stated guidelines will not be considered. A Review Committee will evaluate all the proposals and make recommendations to the CHSS Dean. All applicants will be notified in January 2023 when the selection process is concluded. Selection criteria include:

            • The significance of the cluster for interdisciplinary research;
            • The clarity and achievability of the goals and measurable impacts of the proposed cluster with respect to SHSU strategic priorities;

            Award Description

            For the 2022-23 academic year, CHSS will award funding to a maximum of five research clusters on a competitive basis. Successful applications will receive $4,000 to support their cluster activities as seed funding to create opportunities for collaborative work, with a view toward the development of joint projects, publications, and/or grant applications. Cluster activities include, but are not limited to, work-in-progress meetings, networking events, workshops, training sessions, and exploratory trips. Funding may be used for the following purposes: costs related to guest speaker(s) deemed necessary to advancing the cluster’s central project; costs related to the development of grant proposals for external funding; the purchase of research materials required for the advancement of the cluster’s project; research participants; and/or travel to a venue of relevance to the cluster’s research. A maximum of $400 may be spent on food/beverages. Research cluster expenditures must follow the SHSU guidelines related to purchases, procurement, and travel. The PI will serve as the primary contact for funding-related communications. All funds must be spent by August 15, 2023. Any unused funds are returned to CHSS afterwards. The PI is responsible for submitting a final report to CHSS Dean’s Office by September 30, 2023, reviewing the outcomes of the events, activities, proposed project, and future plan.

            For questions, email chssresearch@shsu.edu.

      • College of Osteopathic Medicine

          Medical Summer Scholars Program

          The Medical Summer Scholars Program is available to first and second year SHSU-COM students. It is a competitive summer research internship designed to expose students to preclinical/laboratory, clinical medicine, and educational/community health research. Students apply to work with any SHSU faculty with ongoing summer research with an expected time commitment of 30 hours a week for 9 weeks. In addition to their research project, students may be asked to participate in a didactic lecture series specific to conducting and presenting research or shadow PI, colleagues, or specialists. All students are required to present an oral research presentation or poster presentation under the guidance of their SHSU faculty mentor. Eligible students submit the official Medical Summer Scholars Program Application and Student Ranking Forms and all supporting documentation to comresearch@shsu.edu by the first Friday of May.

          Typical Award: $2500.00
          Expected funding: $25,000.00

           Intramural Grant Program

          The Intramural Grant Program is a competitive grant application available to all faculty, students, and staff at the SHSU-COM. This program is intended to support preclinical/laboratory, clinical medicine, and educational/community health research scholarship. The applications are peer reviewed and allocated based on criteria that align with the mission of the COM and SHSU. These criteria include but are not limited to projects associated with rural and underserved communities, collaboration across disciplines, and the engagement of students. Eligible students submitting grants must have an SHSU PI. All applications must be submitted through the Intramural Research Program in the SHSU COM Intramural Grant Portal folder. There are 2 application cycles, the first closes in November and the second closes in May.

          Typical Student Award: $2500.00
          Expected funding: $20,000.00
          Max Award: $5,000.00

          Typical Faculty/Staff Award: $7500.00
          Expected funding: $100,000.00
          Max Award: $10,000.00

      • College of Science and Engineering Technology

          Undergraduate Research Awards

          COSET faculty are eligible to apply for the COSET Undergraduate Research Award. Full-time undergraduate students enrolled at SHSU during the spring semester are eligible to be team members. However, students graduating in spring semester are eligible for the spring award only. Faculty mentors may submit only one proposal. At least six proposals are expected to be funded. Faculty who have applied for a summer EURECA FAST grant are ineligible to apply for a spring COSET award for the same project but are encouraged to apply for the summer COSET award if not funded by EURECA. If a faculty member would like to submit a proposal for a different project (with different student team members) compared to one submitted for the EURECA FAST award, they are eligible for either the spring semester or summer COSET award. Prior submission of a EURECA FAST proposal is not a requirement to be eligible for a COSET award. Faculty members not funded for the spring semester COSET award may resubmit for the summer COSET award.

          Typical Award: $2,000-$4,500
          Expected Funding: $20,000
          Max Award: $4,500

          Contact: Dr. Li-Jen Lester
          Phone: 936-294-1326
          Email: lester@shsu.edu
          Program Description: here

  • Hispanic Serving Institution Funding

      Have any questions? Contact Us

      • DOD: Research and Education Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MSI)

        Deadlines
        Open submissions but closes April 30, 2024


        Description
        The CCDC ARL invites applications/proposals from covered educational institutions for research and education programs that will meet the following objectives:


        • a. Enhance research and engineering capabilities in areas important to national defense;
        • b. Increase the number of graduates in STEM disciplines;
        • and c. Encourage research and education collaborations with other institutions of higher education and with defense organizations.


        Support for research, development, testing, evaluation, or educational enhancements will be through the competitive awarding of grants or cooperative agreements.


        Request for Proposals


      • NSF: Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program)

        Deadlines
        August 30, 2022; and last Wednesday in August thereaftery


        Description
        The Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program) seeks to enhance the quality of undergraduate STEM education at HSIs and to increase retention and graduation rates of undergraduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at HSIs. In addition, the HSI Program seeks to build capacity in undergraduate STEM education at HSIs that typically do not receive high levels of NSF grant funding. The National Science Foundation (NSF) established the HSI Program in response to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31) and the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (P.L. 114-329). The HSI Program is aligned with NSF's commitment to increase access for underrepresented groups to the Nation's STEM enterprise.



        Request for Proposals


      • Department of the Navy (DoN) Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program

        Deadlines
        September 30, 2023 (anticipated)


        Description
        The Department of Navy (DoN) Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program aims to increase the quantity and quality of minority professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the defense community. Research conducted at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) for the DoN HBCU/MI Program: (a) Enhances the research and educational capabilities of HBCU/MIs in scientific and engineering disciplines critical to the defense mission of the US Navy and US Marine Corps, (b) Encourages cross-institutional, collaborative efforts that explore innovative solutions to naval science and technology (S&T) challenges, and (c) Increases the engagement of students, including underrepresented minorities, in STEM fields important to the US Navy and US Marine Corps.



        Request for Proposals


      • NSF: HSI Program Network Resource Centers and Hubs (HSI-Net)

        Deadlines
        December 15, 2023 (Anticipated)


        Description
        The National Science Foundation (NSF) established the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program) in 2017, as directed by Congress [1]. The goals of the HSI Program are to enhance the quality of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and to increase the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of students pursuing associate's or baccalaureate degrees in STEM at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Intended outcomes of the HSI Program include broadening participation of students who are historically underrepresented in STEM, and expanding students’ pathways to continued STEM education and integration into the STEM workforce.



        Request for Proposals


      • USDA: Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program

        Deadlines
        March 31, 2023


        Description
        This competitive grants program is intended to promote and strengthen the ability of Hispanic-Serving Institutions to carry out higher education programs in the food and agricultural sciences. Programs aim to attract outstanding students and produce graduates capable of enhancing the Nation's food and agricultural scientific and professional work force.



        Request for Proposals


      • USDA: Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP)

        Deadlines
        March 23, 2023


        Description
        The purpose of this competitive undergraduate scholarship grant program is to increase the multicultural diversity of the food and agricultural scientific and professional workforce, and advance the educational achievement of all Americans by providing competitive grants to colleges and universities.



        Request for Proposals


      • NSF: Build and Broaden: Enhancing Social, Behavioral and Economic Science Research and Capacity at Minority-Serving Institutions (B2)

        Deadlines
        January 18, 2024


        Description
        Build and Broaden (B2) supports fundamental research and research capacity across disciplines at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and encourages research collaborations with scholars at MSIs. Growing the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce is a national priority. National forecasts of the impending shortage of workers with science and engineering skills and essential research workers underscore a need to expand opportunities to participate in STEM research (President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2012).

        MSIs make considerable contributions to educating and training science leaders for U.S. economic growth and competitiveness. Yet NSF has received comparatively few grant submissions from, or involving, scholars at MSIs. Targeted outreach activities reveal that MSIs have varying degrees of familiarity with funding opportunities within NSF and particularly within the Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE) Sciences Directorate. As a result, NSF is limited in its ability to support research and training opportunities in the SBE sciences at these institutions. With its emphasis on broadening participation , Build and Broaden is designed to address this problem. SBE offers Build and Broaden in order to increase proposal submissions, advance research collaborations and networks involving MSI scholars, and support research activities in the SBE sciences at MSIs. Proposals that outline research projects in the SBE sciences that increase students’ pursuit of graduate training, enhance PI productivity build research capacity, or cultivate partnerships are especially encouraged to apply.



        Request for Proposals


      • NEH: Awards for Faculty at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

        Deadlines
        April 12, 2023


        Description
        The Awards for Faculty program strengthens the humanities at Hispanic-Serving Institutions by encouraging and expanding humanities research opportunities for individual faculty and staff members. Awards support individuals pursuing scholarly research that is of value to humanities scholars, students, and/or general audiences.

        The program welcomes proposals in all areas of the humanities, regardless of geographic or chronological focus. This program offers applicants flexibility in project outcomes and award periods. Projects must be based on humanities research. Eligible projects include:

        • research in primary and secondary materials leading to the development of books, monographs, peer-reviewed articles, e-books, digital materials, translations with annotations or a critical apparatus, critical editions, or other scholarly resources
        • research related to institutional or community goals or interests, such as projects that draw on archival collections, collection and interpretation of oral histories, or the development of materials in support of culture or language preservation and revitalization
        • research leading to the improvement of a single existing undergraduate course, including the development of humanities resources (for example, oral histories, identification and preparation of previously unavailable archival sources, or newly compiled historical or literary collections)
        • research leading to digital or web-based products intended to supplement a course revision or publication project



        Request for Proposals


      • Department of Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions Grants

        ED Title III, Part A (SIP)
        Description
        Provides grants to help eligible IHEs become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low-income students by improving and strengthening academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability.

        Deadline: Anticipated deadline Summer 2023; SIP grants are generally every other year



        Request for Proposals



        ED Title V, Part A (DHSI)
        Description
        Provides grants to expand educational opportunities for, and improve academic attainment of, Hispanic students & Enables HSIs to expand and enhance academic offerings, program quality, faculty quality, and institutional stability

        Deadline: Anticipated June 2024; DHSI grants are generally every other year



        Request for Proposals

        ED Title V, Part A (DHSI)
        Description
        Provides grants to expand educational opportunities for, and improve academic attainment of, Hispanic students & Enables HSIs to expand and enhance academic offerings, program quality, faculty quality, and institutional stability

        Deadline: Anticipated June 2024; DHSI grants are generally every other year



        Request for Proposals

        ED Title III, Part F (HSI STEM)
        Description
        Provides grants to increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students attaining degrees in STEM fields & Provides grants to develop model transfer and articulation agreements between two-year and four-year institutions in STEM fields

        Deadline: Anticipated 2026



        Request for Proposals

        ED Title V, Part B (PPOHA)
        Description
        Provides grants to expand postbaccalaureate educational opportunities and improve the academic attainment of Hispanic students & Expands postbaccalaureate academic offerings and enhance the program quality in HSI institutions

        Deadline: July 2023



        Request for Proposals

      • NEH: Humanities Initiatives at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

        Deadlines
        Varies on particular program, May, Annually


        Description
        Humanities Initiatives at Hispanic-Serving Institutions strengthen the teaching and study of the humanities at Hispanic-Serving Institutions by developing new humanities programs, resources (including those in digital format), or courses, or by enhancing existing ones. Projects must be organized around a core topic or set of themes drawn from such areas of study in the humanities as history, philosophy, religion, literature, and composition and writing skills. NEH welcomes applications for projects that are modest in scope, duration, and budget, as well as applications for expansive, long-term projects.



        Request for Proposals


      • DHHS: Minority Research Grant Program (MRGP)

        Deadlines
        Anticipated June 2023, Annually


        Description
        The purpose of the MRPG is to support researchers at minority serving institutions that are exploring how CMS can better meet the health care needs of CMS beneficiaries. The MRGP supports research on the discovery and characterization of health processes, practices, behaviors, and burdens or issues related to CMS programs, policies, and operations, that influence health equity. Funded research may comprehensively address the social determinants of health that drive or influence the barriers and opportunities populations described above experience related to CMS-supported benefits, services, and coverage.



        Request for Proposals


      • NSF: Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM)

        Deadlines
        Anticipated 2024


        Description
        The DMR Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials Research (PREM) program aims to enable, build, and grow partnerships between minority-serving institutions and DMR-supported centers and/or facilities to increase recruitment, retention and degree attainment (which defines the PREM pathway) by members of those groups most underrepresented in materials research, and at the same time support excellent research and education endeavors that strengthen such partnerships.



        Request for Proposals


      • NSF: Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships (ExpandAI)

        Deadlines
        Varies on particular program, May, Annually


        Description
        Broadening and diversifying the research community in collaboration with National AI Research Institutes. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and its partners support the continued growth of a broad and diverse interdisciplinary research community for the advancement of AI and AI-powered innovation, providing a unique opportunity to broadly promote the NSF vision and core values, especially inclusion and collaboration. The Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships (ExpandAI) program aims to significantly broaden participation in AI research, education, and workforce development through capacity development projects and through partnerships within the National AI Research Institutes ecosystem

        Limited: limit on who may submit and number of proposals per organization

        Eligible MSIs can submit a Concept Outline at any time. Those that have been invited to submit a full proposal can submit a proposal based on that Concept Outline at any time during one of the submission windows listed below (up to one year).

        • January 09, 2023 - March 13, 2023
        • March 14, 2023 - June 26, 2023
        • June 27, 2023 - October 20, 2023
        • January 08, 2024 - March 11, 2024
        • March 12, 2024 - June 24, 2024
        • June 25, 2024 - October 18, 2024
        • January 06, 2025 - March 10, 2025
        • March 11, 2025 - June 23, 2025
        • June 24, 2025 - October 17, 2025



        Request for Proposals




Need Help?

New to grants? Or just unsure where to get started?

Reach out to our development team with any questions or comments. We are here to help!

You can contact us individually or reach out to our shared email.