Call for Proposals 2026-27 W&M Faculty Research Application

Summary

Our goal is to promote meritorious and impactful research/scholarly activity at William & Mary by providing faculty and staff members from all disciplines with additional support for their research. We intend to continuously improve the quality and consequence of W&M research and scholarship while increasing opportunities to incorporate W&M students in active, hands-on learning.

Full Description

Program Goal

Program Scale

We anticipate funding up to 30 one-year awards at $5,000 per award—notification of award and funds availability in mid-March 2026. The funding should be used between May 15, 2026 and August 31, 2027.

Who May Apply

Any research-active W&M faculty or staff member who is in good standing and authorized by their unit manager (Chair, Director, Dean, VPR or their delegates) to conduct independent research. Eligibility will be confirmed by the Vice Provost for Research’s office in consultation with school/college deans prior to proposal review. Questions regarding eligibility should be directed to the Vice Provost for Research’s office. This opportunity is not available to graduate students, postdocs, visiting faculty, or short-term appointees.

How to Submit

Forthcoming.

Program Deliverable

A 1–2-page summary report presenting the funded research results is due at the end of the grant period.

What to Include in the Proposal (see more details in the Application Instructions)

A description of the research to be performed, including a description of the potential impact of the work (e.g., engagement of students, community involvement, sponsored funding, academic or disciplinary impact)
A brief budget breakdown
Two-page CV
If a previous recipient of this award, a description of previous results

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated by the Faculty Research Committee. We remind all applicants that there are other internal support opportunities available through the university.

The proposal should clearly state its objectives. Because the application will be read by colleagues who are not experts in the applicant's field, the application should describe the project and its methodology in a way understandable to non-experts in the discipline.
The proposal should describe how the objectives will be achieved, pointing out what has been done in the field or what is usually done, and call out what is new in the proposed approach, and explain why that increases the chances for success and the impact on the proposed fields of work.
The proposal should discuss its potential impact. Impact is interpreted broadly, and could include the participation of students, community engagement, the potential for sponsored funding, academic or disciplinary impact, or other impacts as appropriate to the work. including both its impacts within the discipline and its broader impacts in society.
Priority consideration will be given to early-stage investigators, defined for this program as those within five years of initiating their independent research at William & Mary.

Expectations

Applications must be complete to be considered.
Grants are made with the expectation that the recipient will remain employed by W&M. A recipient who resigns or is not retained will be required to relinquish the grant and any unexpended portion thereof.
Grants are made with the expectation that the recipient will perform the work within the proposed period. Other supported research, or paid or unpaid teaching, may also be done by the recipient during the period in which this grant is received, so long as other work is adjusted to meet the obligations of the research grant.
Recipients of W&M Faculty Research Grants should acknowledge the support of W&M in all subsequent publications arising from funded research.
By September 30, 2027, Faculty Research Grant recipients must provide a 1–2-page summary report presenting the funded research results. The report should include the status of the proposed work and note any significant changes from the initial proposal. The PI shall submit copies of this final report by email to the Vice Provost of Research, with their unit lead/department chair copied. Failure to submit this report promptly may cause the recipient to be ineligible for future internal grants.

How to Apply

Submission procedures are being finalized. Interested applicants are encouraged to begin compiling their proposal materials. Instructions will be added when available.

The applicant should carefully read the W&M FRC Faculty Research Grant Call for Proposals before completing the application.

Faculty Research Grant Call for Proposals

Requirements

Please complete items 1–10 of the application, including the project description narrative. The project description must address the Evaluation Criteria of the Call for Proposals. The project description should include a high-level budget (e.g. $2,500 UG wages; $2,500 summer salary).

The project description (essentially the proposal) must not exceed 500 words, be single-spaced and double-spaced between paragraphs, have a minimum of one-inch margins, and use at least a 12-point font.

If you have received a previous award from this program, please also include a statement of tangible results or list of publications.

Please include a short-form, 2-page CV.

The statement of previous results and CV will not count against the maximum total of 500 words.

DEADLINE: 5:00 pm, Friday, February 27, 2026