Research Incubator Grants
In 2022, the Charles Center launched an incubator program to support new models of faculty-mentored student research. Recipients of inaugural incubator awards are collaboratively advancing research that is aligned with faculty interests, has the potential to be self-sustaining in the future, and is consistent with Vision 2026 goals for W&M.
We have traditionally supported undergraduate research via a student-centered process in which proposals for summer funding are submitted to the Charles Center by individual students working with a single mentor. While continuing this popular program, we seek to develop new models of student research that may not be well-suited to the traditional process.
Realizing Vision 2026
Aligned with Vision 2026 goals, Research Incubator Grants encourage innovative faculty-mentored research with undergraduates to:
- producing consequential results with community or global impacts
- expanding the base of our research ecosystem through novel approaches to mentoring, especially by engaging new external partners such as alumni or industry experts
Educate for Impact through
- blending classroom and hands-on research activities in new ways
- easing access to opportunities so that every student has a chance to participate
- sub-disciplines not currently providing many undergraduate research opportunities
- areas that enhance environmental sustainability of the campus and financial sustainability for our research programs
Incubator Grant timeline
Projects are selected from faculty proposals that include research with, ideally, three or more undergraduates, who do not need to be named in the proposal. Funding is $15,000 annually for two years in the form of $4,000 stipends for each of the three undergraduates (or a pro-rated amount for teams of different sizes). Students work full time for 7 or more weeks in each of the two summers with a faculty member on one project or a set of related questions. Stipends can be awarded to the same or different students each summer. Funding also includes $3,000 annually for supplies, travel, etc. (not summer salary) for the project, to be spent by the faculty mentor in conjunction with the Charles Center. These funds will be available on July 1 and must be expended by the following May 1.
The first round of funding supports research conducted in summers 2025 and 2026. Funding for 2026 is contingent upon fulfillment of recruitment, mentoring, and reporting goals. The faculty mentor is expected to seek extramural funding or to work with their students on standard internal research-funding applications after the two-year funding period.
Funding Criteria
Funding Critieria
All applications are evaluated on the following criteria:
- clear, compelling research proposal
- strong faculty research track record, as evidenced by the CV
- well-defined plans for student recruitment and student research mentoring
- novel and innovative research model for the faculty mentor's sub-discipline
Applications are given more favorable consideration if they include some of the following attributes:
- high number of student research opportunities both during and beyond the two-year funding period
- clear path to sustainable funding
- inclusion of external partners who may provide expertise or additional funding
- collateral benefits for classroom teaching
- benefits for campus inclusion and sustainability efforts
- likelihood of high-impact findings, particularly those with public impact
- expansion of currently available research opportunities on campus to new disciplines or groups of student
- interdisciplinarity or multidisciplinarity
Apply for a Research Incubator Grant
Check back soon! We intend to begin accepting applications for Research Incubator Grants in Fall 2024.
