01/30/2024
By Anne Maglia

The Office of Research and Innovation is now accepting applications for the Researchers and Scholars Investment (RSI) Fund for Spring 2024. The awards are meant to support faculty in their professional trajectory, providing opportunities to test new ideas, implement initiatives and strengthen their skills and craft. These funds are meant to provide immediate assistance for short-term projects and goals that will provide great benefit to the scholar, their team and the university.

Examples of appropriate use of funds include:

- Collecting preliminary data
- Subscription to a digital tool or resource
- Hiring an editor for a new book
- Purchasing supplies for an art installation
- Support for student travel to a conference

Applicants are asked to demonstrate the direct benefit of the project to the individual researcher/scholar and the university. Students can be supported, but the research project must advance the work of the applicant. Priority for funding is given to projects that directly support the UML 2028 Strategic Plan and include opportunities for engagement, participation and collaboration with students, colleagues, departments and/or external partners.

Anticipated Funding Amount
The RSI Fund will award up to $3,000 per project and up to 30 projects per fiscal year. Applications are accepted twice per fiscal year, once in the Fall semester and once in the Spring semester.

Eligibility
- Tenured, tenure-track, and emeritus faculty are eligible to apply.
- Applicants must demonstrate that they have no other available source of funding including startup funds, research investment funds (RIF), etc. If you have funds earmarked for other activities, you may still apply for the RSI Fund. However, you must clearly show how each pool of funds will be used in the budget section of the application.

Guidelines
- Funds are awarded for a one-year period. Funds for the spring cycle of awards will be disbursed in July.
- Funds may not be used for summer salary or other additional compensation for faculty
- Funds may not be used to fund research assistants/tuition waivers (funds may support student hourly wages)

The deadline for the Fiscal Year 2024 Spring semester is Monday, April 1 by 11:59 p.m. Applicants must complete the brief application through InfoReady.

Please download and review the UML RSI Fund Guidelines under "Supporting Documents" on the InfoReady page.

Please email RD@uml.edu for any questions. Thank you.