Rapid Research Grants
The Graduate School Rapid Research Grant aims to provide funding for doctoral students to conduct unanticipated, time-sensitive research as part of their dissertation research. This opportunity is open to research activities that were not anticipated and will only be possible for a short, specific period of time.
For example: You are a political scientist conducting dissertation research on voter suppression in the U.S. About a month before the election it becomes apparent that a state not expected to experience significant voter suppression activity will now be heavily targeted. You request funds to travel to this state to observe suppression efforts and responses on election day, data you will only be able to collect at that specific time.
Rapid Research Grants are available for up to $1,000 for costs associated with data collection. Funds may not be used for data analysis; additional ineligible expenses are outlined below.
Rapid Research Grants are not intended for students whose research is funded by their P.I. nor for activities you have previously planned as part of your degree. For planned research such as this, we invite you to apply for a Graduate School Grant (Predissertation or Fieldwork) during the appropriate cycle in the fall or spring. "Time sensitive" is defined as data collection activities that will only be available or possible for a limited time, such as interviewing community members immediately after a natural disaster. Rapid Research Grants are not to fund work that you are trying to complete by a certain deadline related to a degree milestone or course assignment (e.g. you may not request a Rapid Research Grant because you want to complete your dissertation by a certain date).
Who Is Eligible?
UMass Amherst doctoral students who are enrolled full-time in a campus-based degree program and have completed at least one year in their doctoral program at the time of application are eligible to apply. MFA students may apply if they have a convincing case that the research will enhance their degree. Applicants must also be in good academic standing with their department/program. UMass doctoral and MFA students are eligible to receive a Rapid Research Grant grant only once. Students enrolled in a master's degree program other than an MFA are not eligible.
Deadlines & How to Apply
Applications for Rapid Research Grants are accepted on a rolling basis. NOTE: Funds for the 2023-24 academic year have been fully spent and no new applications will be accepted at this time. There are two steps:
- Submit a brief explanation of the research opportunity via the online Rapid Research Grant Preliminary Application, including discussion of the time-sensitive nature of the proposed work and why it cannot wait until the next scheduled fall or spring Graduate School Grant cycle.
- After review of the initial submission, select applicants will be invited to submit a full Rapid Research Grant application, which includes a one-page narrative, budget/budget justification, and letter of recommendation. Detailed application instructions will be sent to those invited to submit a full application.
In most cases applicants will receive a response to the initial submission within two weeks. Review of full applications may take up to three weeks.
Review Criteria
Reviewers will consider the following when making award decisions:
- The time-sensitive nature of the proposed research—is this a limited opportunity to collect data that won't be available during the regular fall or spring Graduate School Grant cycle?
- The unexpected nature of the proposed research--is this an opportunity for dissertation data collection that could not be anticipated and planned for far enough in advance to apply for other forms of funding?
- Clarity and quality of the Project Description--applications will be reviewed by faculty outside your field who need to understand what you plan to do, how you will do this work, and the potential impact your work will have. Avoid jargon and technical language!
- Feasibility of the proposed project
- Potential of the proposed work to contribute to the student’s overall dissertation
- Whether the budget is realistic and cost-efficient
- Quality of the letter of recommendation
- The student’s research is not sponsored by a faculty P.I.
Expenses
In most cases, award funds will be disbursed as reimbursements, although some expenses such as equipment purchases must be paid directly by the University. Students should be prepared to pay for expenses out-of-pocket and receive reimbursement when activities are completed. Awarded funds are managed by the student’s department; awardees must communicate with their department’s business manager prior to spending any grant funds. Grant recipients will be required to submit a brief report at the end of the grant period to account for how grant funds were spent.
Ineligible expenses include:
- costs associated with data analysis, such as transcription or having samples analyzed
- paying oneself a stipend or salary
- costs associated with publishing your research
- costs to attend or present at conferences or meetings
- typing, duplication, or editing of the dissertation
- normal living expenses except expenses associated with research-related travel
- routine laboratory or office supplies (these include items considered standard for your department/laboratory, i.e. things routinely in stock)
- purchase of software or specialized equipment that is already available on campus
- purchase of computers, tablets, or similar technology
- purchase of books
Supplements for Public Engagement or Travel with Children
Applicants for Graduate School Rapid Research Grants are eligible to apply for supplements to cover costs associated with Public Engagement projects or childcare/travel with children during research. Please review the criteria and application information in the Public Engagement and Travel with Children sections of the Internal Funding web page.
Questions on the Graduate School Rapid Research Grant should be addressed to Heidi Bauer-Clapp (hbauerclapp [at] umass [dot] edu).