Furman recognizes the value of supporting our faculty’s scholarly and creative activities, enabling our institution to remain a vibrant and stimulating academic environment. The Research and Professional Growth committee (RPG) supports these activities by making funding recommendations for faculty grants and sabbaticals. Three different intramural grant opportunities are available, as described below. Application guidelines and application forms are available here. Grant and sabbatical applications should be submitted here. More detailed information on how to apply provided is provided below, under “How to Apply”.
RPG funds are exclusively dedicated to supporting faculty scholarship, research, and creative activity. Requests to fund course development, mentoring, or teaching activities should instead be routed to the Faculty Development Center.
Questions about these funding opportunities can be directed to the chair of RPG.
I. The Furman Standard Grant
Description: The purpose of The Furman Standard (TFS) grant program is to support ambitious, multi-year, projects that enhance Furman’s status as a nationally recognized liberal arts college and to encourage an individual faculty member’s passion for scholarly and creative activity. This prestigious award is a three-year grant with a budget of $5,000 per year, for a total of $15,000. Applications are accepted once annually in the Spring.
Application Guidelines / FAQ / Application Form / Prior Award Winners
II. Research and Professional Growth Grants
Description: The Research and Professional Growth grant program provides one-time funding to support the meritorious scholarly or creative work of Furman faculty members. Typically, awards are capped at $2,000. Awards are made twice a year. Applications submitted for the Fall deadline are to fund scholarly and creative work that occurs between December and May. Applications submitted for the Spring deadline are to fund scholarly and creative work that occurs between June and November. The number of awards made per year is dependent on available funding.
Application Guidelines / FAQ / Application Form
III. OLLI Faculty Enrichment Award
Description: Participants in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Furman have generously devoted funds to provide an annual “OLLI Faculty Enrichment Award” supporting the scholarly or creative activity of a Furman faculty member. Award of these funds is made via the same application form as the Research and Professional Growth Grants. On the application, you will see a question asking whether you would also like to be considered for the OLLI Faculty Enrichment Award. For this award, preference is given to applications that substantively involve students in the proposed work. Recipients will be required to give a presentation on their work to the OLLI program.
Application Guidelines / Application Form
RPG reviews faculty sabbatical requests and makes recommendations to the Dean. Applications are due in the Fall of the academic year prior to when the sabbatical is planned. Please consult with your department chair before applying. Furman’s policies governing faculty sabbaticals can be found here. In addition to submitting an application, you must also receive approval for your sabbatical plan from the Dean of Faculty, which is documented on the separate Sabbatical Solution Approval Form. To be eligible for a new sabbatical, you must also have submitted a report on any previous sabbaticals.
Sabbatical Application Form / Sabbatical Solution Approval Form
For all RPG opportunities:
At the beginning of each academic year, deadlines will be announced at faculty meetings, and posted to Faculty Notices on Box. Funding decisions are typically announced a few weeks after application deadlines. Questions can be directed to the chair of RPG.
For all RPG funding mechanisms, you are required to submit a report on your project upon its conclusion. These reports will also be submitted via the same secure Box folder. You will not be eligible to apply for a new grant or sabbatical until the RPG committee has received your report on the use of previous funding.
Post-Award Report Form