SBSRI Funding

The SBS Leveraging Grant Competition is suspended until further notice. We are reconfiguring the competition guidelines and will send a college-wide announcement when the competition re-opens.

Faculty Small Grants provide up to $5,000 of funds for research projects, including seed money for research that could lead to external grants and fellowships, or standalone projects that can be completed with a small grant. Faculty Small Grants connect to or support SBS's Strategic Plan. Allowable expenses include research-related travel, subject payment, supplies, short-term research assistance, small equipment, and computers and related equipment. These grants do not support the PI’s normal living expenses, publication costs, faculty supplemental compensation, conference-related registration fees and/or travel expenses. See guidelines for further information, including eligibility requirements.

Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 Research Professorships: Research Professorship applications will only be accepted once annually during the Fall competition cycle. Research Professorships provide one course release for faculty so they can give more time to a research project that connects to or supports the college’s Strategic Plan. Awards are contingent on the teaching needs of the applicant’s unit, so the unit head/director must approve the application and the proposed timing for a course release. This application has no budget component. Depending on instructional need, SBS may fund replacement instruction (arrangements to be determined on a case-by-case basis between the Dean and unit head/director). 

This opportunity supports faculty leadership of large, external grant proposals that advance team-based, institutionally significant initiatives relevant to the SBS Strategic Plan. Support is in the form of a course release for the PI to enable additional time for proposal development.

Applicants should target a minimum of $1M in external funds. Well-justified exceptions for a lower amount will be considered in cases of extraordinary institutional significance and potential impact.  

The submitted proposal, if awarded, must have impact beyond an individual PI’s research program. Forms of impact may include:

• Research innovation through integrative, interdisciplinary team science or scholarship.
• Infrastructure development: creation of new or upgraded facilities (labs, scientific instruments, digital resources) that will benefit multiple users.
• Financial ROI: potential to scale to even larger longer-term funding ($5M+)
• Student success: Creation or improvement of curriculum or related high-impact practices at programmatic scale. 
• External partnerships: community-engaged or use-inspired initiatives with partners from government, industry, or civil society. 

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with Jane Zavisca, SBS Associate Dean for Research, and Beth Stahmer, SBSRI Director, about the potential fit of the target external proposal with the goals of this opportunity prior to submission.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, through Arizona Cultivate.  A limited number of professorships will be awarded each fiscal year; check Arizona Cultivate to confirm the competition remains open. 

SBS Grant Development Professorship Guidelines

Up to $3,000 for graduate students who have advanced to PhD candidacy and who require funding to conduct their dissertation research. Allowable expenses include research-related travel, subject payment, supplies, small equipment, and computers and related equipment. These grants do not support publication costs, student/PI supplemental compensation, normal living expenses, conference-related registration fees and/or travel expenses. Students may be awarded only one Dissertation Research Grant; prior awardees are not eligible. Graduate Interdisciplinary Program (GIDP) students should contact Beth Stahmer to determine eligibility. See guidelines for further information.

Up to $600 for PhD and Master's level research activities. Allowable expenses include research-related travel, subject payment, supplies, small equipment, and computers and related equipment. These grants do not support publication costs, student/PI supplemental compensation, normal living expenses, conference-related registration fees and/or travel expenses. Students may be awarded only one Pre-doctoral Research Grant; prior awardees are not eligible. GIDP students should contact Beth Stahmer to determine eligibility. See guidelines for further information.