The Arts and Humanities Research Grant provides support to scholarly, creative, or artistic pursuits and research projects led by individuals or teams. The program is part of Carolina’s strategic plan and the Vice Chancellor for Research’s university-wide pilot funding portfolio, furthering the University’s pre-eminence as a national and world-renowned leader in foundational research, creative practice, and the translation of research into social settings.

The program is co-funded by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and the Institute for the Arts and Humanities. Grants provide support to individuals and/or teams pursuing scholarly, creative, or artistic research projects.

Awards

Awards will range from $2,500 to $7,500.

Application Process

Proposals are submitted to the Office of Research Development by email. The proposal should contain the following:

• Cover page. Please use this required template for the cover page of your application.
• Project Description
• CV (no more than 3 pages)
• Budget and Budget Justification

Complete details and how to apply are available at the ORD website.

Applications received after the deadline will be de-prioritized during the review period.

Proposal Review and Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be reviewed and ranked by a panel of arts and humanities and/or subject area experts. The Office of Research Development and the Institute for Arts and Humanities will manage and provide guidance and oversight of the review process. Final award selections will be made by the Vice Chancellor for Research and the Director of the Institute for the Arts and Humanities.

All proposals will be evaluated based on the following:

• Demonstrated ambition or intellectual promise
• Project design and feasibility
• Qualifications of the applicant(s)
• If applicable, how the project will impact the applicant’s career development
• If applicable, the likelihood that the project will position an applicant for external funding

Terms and Conditions of the Award:

• Research involving human subjects, such as surveys, or other compliance issues must be reviewed in accordance with the University’s policies. Once approved, copies of approval letters must be submitted to ORD@unc.edu. An award is tentative until all compliance approvals have been obtained.
• The award period is one year. No-cost extensions are allowable with proper justification and approval from ORD.
• Requests for a no-cost extension must be made at least 90 days prior to the expiration of an award. No-cost extensions will only be granted for extenuating circumstances. Extensions will not be made for longer than six months.
• Unexpended funds will revert to the OVCR and IAH.
• ORD Internal Grant funds cannot generally be used for payment of costs incurred prior to the date of the award. Special cases must be approved prior to submitting an application and will only be granted for costs incurred up to 90 days prior to being awarded.
• All expenditures, including procurement of supplies and travel authorizations, must adhere to general policies of the University.
• A final report is due to the Office of Research Development at the project’s conclusion. This report should be submitted at the end of the grant period, at the end of any extension granted, or prior to departure if the investigator should leave the University.
• By accepting the award, the lead scholar(s) agree(s) to serve as a reviewer for a future round of Arts and Humanities Research Grant applications.

Acknowledgements: The publication of the results of research projects supported by a grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Program should carry a printed acknowledgment of financial assistance from the UNC Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and the UNC Institute for the Arts and Humanities. ORD and IAH should receive a single copy of each such publication.

Deadline:Competitions for the Arts and Humanities Research Grant will be held once annually. Proposal applications will be due May 20, 2024 to the Office of Research Development. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the due date. Applications received after the deadline will be de-prioritized during the review period.

Eligibility

Applicants for the Arts and Humanities Research Grant must be full-time, permanent tenure-track, tenured, or fixed-term faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill whose research and scholarly expertise aligns with the fine arts, humanities, or humanistic social sciences. For projects involving multiple faculty, each faculty member must meet these eligibility criteria.

Funding Guidelines

Applicants must provide a detailed budget justifying the anticipated costs of the project. This budget should include an itemized table of anticipated costs and a narrative describing what each cost is and how it relates to the project.

Appropriate use of funding

Approved budgets may include: research travel; special language programs; wages for research or creative assistants; books; materials; supplies; exhibitions.

Inappropriate use of funding

Faculty salary; computers; equipment already accessible from the University; support for the editorial work of a journal; students’ tuition or insurance costs; conferences hosted by scholarly organizations; food and beverages; travel expenses solely to attend research conferences or curriculum development; Course enhancement, curriculum, course development, public service, textbooks, or any activities in teaching or instruction, as opposed to research or scholarship.

Please see Award Regulations in application document for full restrictions.

Funds expire

Awards are to be used within one full year from the date of the award. The anticipated start date for the awards in July 1, 2024 with anticipated expiration of June 30, 2025 for grants awarded in 2024.

For grants awarded in academic year 2022-2023, funds expire on June 30, 2023.

Reporting Requirements

Faculty will be asked to provide information to the Arts and Sciences Foundation about the impact of the funding. ORD also has reporting requirements. Please see Award Regulations in application document provided by ORD for further information.

Questions

For more information, contact:

Office of Research Development
ORD@unc.edu

Last updated: 4/4/24