Currently Accepting Proposals for the Community-Engaged Research and Scholarship Fund

09/03/2026
By Anne Maglia

Dear colleagues,

The Office of Research Development (ORD) is pleased to announce the return of the Community-Engaged Research and Scholarship (CERS) Fund for fiscal year 2027. The proposal deadline is Monday, Nov. 2, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

ORD is committed to strengthening the university’s role in public service by supporting projects that create new knowledge, approaches and practices that address regional challenges through collaborative efforts. Funded by the Public Service Endowment, the Community-Engaged Research and Scholarship Fund supports the creation and sustenance of strong, mutually beneficial relationships by supporting work that addresses an urgent problem, need or opportunity identified and agreed upon by the community, community partners, and UMass Lowell researchers and scholars.

The Office of Research Development has allocated $20,000 per fiscal year for this program and plans to fund two to three projects of up to $10,000 each.

Proposals must be submitted through InfoReady. In the competition, you may download the full solicitation under “Supporting Documents.” Please review the solicitation thoroughly for eligibility, guidelines and proposal requirements. Please also review the guidelines for all ORD-sponsored funding.

In addition to CERS, ORD is currently accepting applications for the Researchers and Scholars Investment (RSI) Fund. Please refer to the RSI InfoReady competition for more information.

ORD will host a virtual information session on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 11 a.m. – noon, to review the CERS and RSI programs. ORD will cover eligibility and requirements for these funding mechanisms, the guidelines regarding all ORD-sponsored funding and tips for submitting a competitive proposal.

Register to attend the webinar.

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