Dear Faculty and Staff,
Universities have always produced the ideas and innovations that have changed the world in which we live. Given the ambitious goals for research laid out in our refreshed strategic plan, providing faculty and staff with the support they need is critical to the future of the University. To this end, we introduce the Chancellor’s Initiative for Transformational Research.
We welcome proposals likely to lead to external funding, selection for high quality scholarly publications, support for national and regional innovation, and cultivation of external partnerships. In other words, this program seeks to fund a new wave of groundbreaking projects that have the capacity to be scaled up to demonstrate long-term sustainability.
These projects should focus on advancing new knowledge and finding new ways to solve societal problems. They should engage experts across disciplines, foster partnerships in and outside the University, have the capacity to attract external funding, and expose students to new skills and experiences.
For example, we will invest (but not exclusively) in research that:
- Addresses societal challenges such as housing, poverty, education, and mental health
- Solves critical and urgent health and wellness needs
- Develops critical technologies in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, energy, and other innovations
Awards will be distributed in amounts up to $75,000. The number of awards will depend on the quality of the submissions. If you need help in developing your proposal or have other questions, contact Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement Sherine Obare.
This initiative is designed to spark more research on our campus by investing in our very capable faculty and research scholars. It is my hope that the awarded projects will garner state-wide and national attention. By doing this we can elevate the stature of the campus and provide our students with the rich experiences that make our campus distinctive.
Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr