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About the Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts Grants

To assist faculty with mitigation of and recovery from disruptions to research and creative work due to COVID-19, the Office of the Provost has increased funding for 2022-23 Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (HSSA) Grants. 

Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to tenure-line and non-tenure-eligible faculty in the humanities, social sciences and arts fields. 

Eligibility

Full-time, benefits-eligible faculty, tenure-line or clinical/instructional, librarian faculty, and artists-in-residence with continuing appointments in the humanities, social sciences, and the arts fields are eligible to apply.

In 2022-23, priority is given to non-tenure-eligible faculty, to faculty at any rank who have had significant caregiving responsibilities during the period of the pandemic, and to projects that assist faculty with recovery from COVID-19-related disruptions to their research and creative work.

Faculty are not eligible to receive both a Research Recovery Grant and the HSSA grant in the same year. Any applicants in humanities, social sciences and arts fields not selected for the COVID-19 Research Recovery Grant automatically will be considered for an HSSA Grant.

Criteria

Research proposals will be judged on: 

  1. Usage of funds to mitigate disruption to research due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to impact the applicant’s body of scholarship or creative work
  2. Academic, scholarly or creative merit and originality of the applicant’s research or creative work; potential for significant contribution to the field; and anticipated research or creative output and dissemination, including, for example, publications, papers, future grant applications, performance, etc.

Funding

The Research grants will provide up to $5,000 to be paid into faculty discretionary accounts. Funds must be used by Aug. 31, 2024.

Eligible research expenses include: 

  • Travel expenses related to conducting research or creative work 
  • Graduate or undergraduate research assistants (Please note that funding for undergraduate researchers may be available through the Office for Undergraduate Research.) 
  • Assistants or crew for creative work (for example, video editor, composer, animator, etc.) 
  • Data collection, such as conducting surveys or interviews, including transcription services 
  • Acquisition of research materials unavailable locally or online, via microfilm, photographs, etc. 
  • Artistic supplies beyond what would be considered normal and customary in the field 
  • Construction, rental or purchase of special equipment not available on campus. The possibility of renting or leasing (rather than purchasing) such items as audiovisual and photographic equipment should be explored. All merchandise purchased with University funds is the property of the University. Read the equipment purchasing policy for more information. 

Non-allowable expenses include: 

  • Faculty salary, including summer salary 
  • Travel to conferences 
  • Entertainment of visitors, including purchase of alcohol 
  • Teaching activities

Reporting

All grantees must provide a written self-evaluation of their project by Sept. 30, 2024.

Application Materials

All proposals should be submitted using the online proposal form, which requires the following:

  1. Name, title, department(s), school(s), attestation of caregiver status, and title of research or creative project
  2. Statement of Funding Impact and Budget: Explain why you are requesting funding and how you will specifically use the funds for your research or creative work project. If applicable, include how you will use the award to mitigate impacts and disruption caused by COVID-19. (500 words maximum)
  3. Project Description: Summary of the research or creative work project and its goals, originality and contribution to the field; include discussion of your proposed activities, feasibility and your anticipated findings, output and dissemination of your research. Explain how the project will impact your body of scholarship or creative work.  (500 words maximum)
  4. Budget Worksheet: Please fill out and upload the budget worksheet to the online proposal form.
  5. Proposals for creative projects should include work samples; please review the Guidelines for Creative Work Samples for more information.

Deadline

January 20, 2023

Questions

Please email faculty@northwestern.edu.