Proposals must meet all of the following criteria:
- Does the project have a clear, strong and compelling rationale?
- Will the project make a significant impact in its field/industry (i.e. what interventions is it making, what needs or gaps does it address, what questions will it be the first to answer)?
- Is the project innovative?
- Does the project complement the existing or planned research of the faculty member's home department?
- Does the proposal give evidence of the necessary expertise to carry out the plan effectively?
- Does the project draw effectively on available/existing institutional resources and expertise?
- Is the budget reasonable, efficient, and reflective of real needs?
- Does the project further the mission, goals, and values of the School? [See SPS Vision 2025]
In addition, proposals for project funding should meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Does the proposal have the potential to lead to publishable work?
- Does the project have potential to attract outside funding and/or other resources?
- Does the project have the potential to prompt innovations in the relevant field?
Priority will go to first-time applicants; followed by previous awardees for a new project; then previous awardees for the same project funded by this program or another SPS Fund.
If you are seeking funding for a project previously funded by this grant, please note that the same project is only eligible for two years of funding through this grant (the two years do not need to be consecutive). Please include a description of the outcomes and/or products from the previous grant including:
- Abstracts and citations for published works
- Descriptions of events or activities hosted
- Explanation of how the work you proposed for this current application will build on previous work
- Any efforts undertaken to seek outside funding
3-5 pages maximum
Project statements must address the following:
- Clear statement of purpose, scope, and timeline of project
- Description of project
- Objectives
- Research Design
- Tangible outcomes. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Conference/Meeting/Presentation
- Working paper
- Online or Print Publication
- Legislative or Industry Recommendations
- Documentary Film
- Podcast or other substantive social media exposure
- National media recognition
- Academic or Industry Award
- Invitations to serve on nationally-recognized boards, committees, working groups
- New curricular initiatives or degree programs
- New pedagogical strategies or practices
Successful proposals will include a carefully prepared budget and thoughtful allocation of resources. Justifications should be provided for each proposed line item. Please include estimated dates of when you expect to incur each expense. All budgets must be vetted by the Office of Finance and Administration prior to submission.
To review your budget, please contact John Wolosz, Director, Finance and Administration via email at jmw2165@nyu.edu. It is recommended to allow up to two weeks for this review to be completed. The final communication from the Office of Finance and Administration must also be included in the proposal.
Consider the following when preparing the budget:
- Advertising and promotion: Funds, advertising, and/or promotion may be requested if the activity is integral to the success of the project.
- Travel: Events, conference attendance, and/or meeting related expenses.
- Hotel, airfare, meals
- Personnel: student assistants (to help with research), consultants, event managers, translation costs, etc.
- If you are requesting the work of a graduate assistant or other assistance, please clarify the proposed duties for each individual as explicitly as possible. Please verify the current graduate student rate and fringe with the Office of Finance and Administration when developing your proposal.
- Books and/or journals for research.
- General administrative costs.
- Small or unique equipment costs.
- Dues or membership fees.
Budget revisions after initial approval will only be considered under special circumstances and must be reviewed by the Chair of the Dean’s Research Committee and approved by the SPS Dean.
If you are seeking a double award, please submit both a budget proposal for a $5,000 award and a $10,000 award.
Please include a current curriculum vitae with your application.
At New York University, all research involving human subjects (funded or not funded) must be reviewed and approved by the University's Institutional Review Board (IRB) before being carried out.
Before submitting an application for the Dean’s Research Grant Program, applicants should review the IRB Decision Tree to determine if their project meets the definition of Human Subjects Research. Affirmation of this review is required on the application.
The Dean’s Research Grant Program will fund requests for specialized technical equipment required to complete a research project provided there is a clear and detailed rationale for its use, and the project has received approval. All specialized technical equipment purchased with the grant will remain property of the NYU School of Professional Studies.
Equipment not covered under the grant includes desktops, laptops (some exceptions apply), and all-in-one computers that can be obtained via the Technology Support Model at the NYU School of Professional Studies. Peripheral equipment requests will be reviewed on a project by project basis to determine eligibility under the fund.
More detailed information can be found in the Use of Specialized Technical Equipment.
Applicants who receive a conditional approval are required to satisfy all conditions before funds are released.
If IRB approval is needed, please visit the “
How to Apply” page to begin the application process. Investigators planning to initiate a research study involving human subjects should allow at least
two months for the review process, since UCAIHS may need to request revisions or additional information before granting final approval.
For additional guidance, please review the IRB FAQ’s or schedule a consultation with an IRB expert at the UCAIHS office.
More information can be found on the Research Involving Human Subjects section of NYU’s website.
The Dean’s Research Grant Program is valid for one academic year (September 1 – August 31; and March 1 - August 31 for the Spring/Summer 2023 cycle). Single-semester extension requests will be considered under special circumstances and on an as-needed basis. A formal extension request must be submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs (sps.facultyaffairs@nyu.edu) by the end of the spring semester. Requests will be reviewed by the original selection committee and a recommendation will be made to the SPS Dean.
Last Updated: December 15, 2023