Recognizing that it is often difficult for faculty in a liberal arts college to marshal the time and resources necessary to conduct pilot studies and to write major grant proposals, the Hirsch Research Initiation Grants are designed to provide seed money to promising large-scale projects. The grants can cover such costs as supplies, funding for research assistance, and travel to research sites. The research supported by the grants should be designed to assess the feasibility and scholarly value of larger research efforts and should be chosen on the basis of creativity and originality. While Hirsch Grants are especially appropriate to faculty preparing to submit proposals to outside granting agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health or the National Science Foundation, they are also appropriate to projects in fields for which outside funding is not likely to be available, if pilot studies for those projects might establish them as worthy of exceptional levels of funding from the College's own resources for research support.
All tenured, tenure-track and coterminous faculty of the College are eligible to compete for Hirsch Research Initiation Grants. Other things equal, there will be some preference given to proposals that involve students in the proposed research, and to proposals from faculty who have yet to establish a long track record of receiving grants in their current area of research.
As indicated by the guidelines, the primary purpose of the Hirsch Grants is to provide seed money for initiation of large-scale projects that will be continued in the future with other sources of funding. Seed money is intended to be used for research expenses, it cannot be used for faculty salaries. At least $20,000 will be available each year for Hirsch Grants; one or occasionally more grants will be awarded each year.
Hirsch Research Initiation Grant
Recognizing that it is often difficult for faculty in a liberal arts college to marshal the time and resources necessary to conduct pilot studies and to write major grant proposals, the Hirsch Research Initiation Grants are designed to provide seed money to promising large-scale projects. The grants can cover such costs as supplies, funding for research assistance, and travel to research sites. The research supported by the grants should be designed to assess the feasibility and scholarly value of larger research efforts and should be chosen on the basis of creativity and originality. While Hirsch Grants are especially appropriate to faculty preparing to submit proposals to outside granting agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health or the National Science Foundation, they are also appropriate to projects in fields for which outside funding is not likely to be available, if pilot studies for those projects might establish them as worthy of exceptional levels of funding from the College's own resources for research support.
All tenured, tenure-track and coterminous faculty of the College are eligible to compete for Hirsch Research Initiation Grants. Other things equal, there will be some preference given to proposals that involve students in the proposed research, and to proposals from faculty who have yet to establish a long track record of receiving grants in their current area of research.
As indicated by the guidelines, the primary purpose of the Hirsch Grants is to provide seed money for initiation of large-scale projects that will be continued in the future with other sources of funding. Seed money is intended to be used for research expenses, it cannot be used for faculty salaries. At least $20,000 will be available each year for Hirsch Grants; one or occasionally more grants will be awarded each year.