MSU College of Art & Sciences revamps research funding programs to address times of change and racial inequality
by Sam Kealhofer, Intern on the A&S Research Support Team
To better aid Mississippi State University faculty in conducting research into today’s urgent issues, the research office within the College of Arts & Sciences has re-envisioned the Strategic Research Initiative (SRI) funding program and now offers new opportunities to aid in research efforts negatively impacted by COVID-19, promote student research/scholarly activity, and highlight research aimed at understanding and mitigating racial inequalities.
The SRI for Faculty Seed Funding will accept proposals from September through October 15. The program will fund up to $10,000 per proposal and has two tracks: Track I is offered for pre-tenure A&S faculty, while Track II is offered for any A&S faculty who believes they have a hot-topic or priority-area project that is necessary to springboard new competitive federally funded proposals or will lead to a quality peer reviewed publication. The Office of the Associate Dean for Research also encourages researchers to include a COVID-19 impact statement for projects that were delayed, shutdown or otherwise impacted by COVID-19 and the resulting quarantine. The program aims to build capacity for success in obtaining external competitive funding, peer-reviewed publications and Ph.D. production.
The Student Research & Scholarly Activity Funding Program will accept proposals from September 30 through October 30. Track I will fund up to $5,000 per proposal for faculty-mentored graduate student projects, while Track II will fund up to $2,500 per proposal for faculty-mentored undergraduate student projects. This program is designed to help students acquire data for peer reviewed publications, other scholarly work, fellowship opportunities, or competitive RFPS being sought by the faculty mentor. Through this program, the Office of the Associate Dean for Research intends to highlight the important role that both graduate and undergraduate students play in the research enterprise and to empower students during their academic careers.
The Race & Racism Research Funding Program will accept proposals from October 15 through November 12. The program will fund up to $10,000 per proposal for research and scholarship focused on the critical study of race and racism. The program is open to work on diverse areas of race and racism which will lead to new understandings of and research-based solutions to racial inequalities.
These additions to the A&S Strategic Research Initiative funding opportunities are responsive to issues facing our researchers and the larger community. It is our hope that such opportunities will foster continued success of our faculty and student researchers and scholars. We are confident in the significant positive impacts their efforts will have on the university, the nation and the planet.
In an effort to contribute solutions to the various challenges facing the nation, as well as insight into other points of interest, the College of Arts & Sciences will continue to highlight faculty research in our “Research in the Headlines” series each Monday and Wednesday. For more research in the headlines, visit https://www.cas.msstate.edu/research/researchintheheadlines/; and for information about the College of Arts & Sciences or the submission page visit https://www.cas.msstate.edu/ or https://www.cas.msstate.edu/research/collegefundingopportunities/.