Funding, awards, and recognition (TESTCOPY)

College-level Funding and Awards

HFA grants and awards are available on a competitive basis for research and creative activities.

HFA funding supports: 

• Disciplinary research and interdisciplinary initiatives
• Publishing
• Hosting conferences and guest speaker presentations
• Travel for research presentations and other creative activities

Campus Awards Managed at the College Level 

The HFA Dean's Office nominates, solicits nominations, and selects nominees for the following campus-level awards, recognitions, and fellowships:

• College Outstanding Teaching Award

  The HFA Dean's Office accepts nominations from department chairs and selects two to receive the award. Nominations are due to HFA by 3/7/26 (Tentative).  To nominate, submit the HFA nomination form. Dean's office contacts:  Nancy Noble and Amy Fleig

• Samuel F. Conti Faculty Fellowship

  The Dean's Office accepts nominations and selects two to forward to the VCRE for consideration. Nominations are due to HFA by 12/5/25 (Tentative). To nominate, submit the HFA nomination form.  Dean's office contacts: Pari Riahi and Amy Fleig

• Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series & Chancellor’s Medal

  The Provost's Office accepts nominations directly from deans, department heads/chairs, and chairs of department or school/college personnel committees. The deadline to submit nominations for the 2026-2027 award will be announced by the Provost's office in 2025-2026.  Dean's office contacts: Anthony Tuck and Amy Fleig.

• Distinguished Professor

  The Dean's Office solicits nominations from department chairs. One nominee for the college is selected and forwarded to the Provost's Office for consideration.  The deadline for department chairs to nominate is 11/1/25 (Tentative).  To nominate, submit the HFA nomination form. Dean's office contacts: Anthony Tuck, Pari Riahi, and Amy Fleig.

• Interdisciplinary Studies Institute Fellowship 

  The Interdisciplinary Studies Institute solicits applications from faculty across campus. For the 2025-2026 cycle, the application deadline is 9/17/25. Dean's office contact: Pari Riahi.

• Lilly Fellowship for Teaching Excellence 

  The Dean's Office solicits nominations from department chairs and forwards them to the Center for Teaching & Learning for consideration. The deadline for department chairs to nominate is 12/12/25 (tentative). To nominate, submit the HFA nomination form.  Dean's office contacts: Nancy Noble and Amy Fleig.

• Provost Professor 

  Each fall, the Provost’s Office initiates a call for nominations from faculty members and/or academic administrators who hold a faculty rank.  Nominations are submitted directly to the Provost's Office. 

The Office of Faculty Development website provides links to campus- and system-level opportunities and resources:  

•  Awards and Recognitions 

•  Fellows and Scholars Programs

•  Guide to Research at UMass  

  The Guide to Research at UMass includes videos on topics such as finding funding, applying for funding, engagement, and the Academic Freedom Toolkit

Campus-Level Awards and Fellowships at the College Level 

The HFA Dean's Office nominates, solicits nominations, or selects nominees for the following campus-level awards, recognitions, and fellowships:

• College Outstanding Teaching Award

  The HFA Dean's Office accepts nominations from department chairs and selects two to receive the award. Nominations are due to HFA by 3/7/26 (Tentative).  To nominate, submit the HFA nomination form. Dean's office contacts:  Nancy Noble and Amy Fleig

• Samuel F. Conti Faculty Fellowship

  The Dean's Office accepts nominations and selects two to forward to the VCRE for consideration. Nominations are due to HFA by 12/5/25 (Tentative). To nominate, submit the HFA nomination form.  Dean's office contacts: Pari Riahi and Amy Fleig

• Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series & Chancellor’s Medal

  The Provost's Office accepts nominations directly from deans, department heads/chairs, and chairs of department or school/college personnel committees. The deadline to submit nominations for the 2026-2027 award will be announced by the Provost's office in 2025-2026.  Dean's office contacts: Anthony Tuck and Amy Fleig.

• Distinguished Professor

  The Dean's Office solicits nominations from department chairs. One nominee for the college is selected and forwarded to the Provost's Office for consideration.  The deadline for department chairs to nominate is 11/1/25 (Tentative).  To nominate, submit the HFA nomination form. Dean's office contacts: Anthony Tuck, Pari Riahi, and Amy Fleig.

• Interdisciplinary Studies Institute Fellowship 

  The Interdisciplinary Studies Institute solicits applications from faculty across campus. For the 2025-2026 cycle, the application deadline is 9/17/25. Dean's office contact: Pari Riahi.

• Lilly Fellowship for Teaching Excellence 

  The Dean's Office solicits nominations from department chairs and forwards them to the Center for Teaching & Learning for consideration. The deadline for department chairs to nominate is 12/12/25 (tentative). To nominate, submit the HFA nomination form.  Dean's office contacts: Nancy Noble and Amy Fleig.

• Provost Professor 

  Each fall, the Provost’s Office initiates a call for nominations from faculty members and/or academic administrators who hold a faculty rank.  Nominations are submitted directly to the Provost's Office. 

External Funding

HFA faculty members have secured grants and fellowships from prestigious funding organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Council of Learned Societies, the Ford Foundation, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. 

Recognizing the value and benefit of off-campus funding, the College of Humanities & Fine Arts (HFA) is committed to helping faculty members identify potential funding sources and prepare competitive applications.

All HFA faculty members planning to submit an application for external funding are required to complete the College of Humanities and Fine Arts Proposal Assistance Request Form that is part of the campus' grant tracking/management system, Kuali. The form should be submitted prior to the funding deadline.

Resources For Faculty Seeking External Funding

• College of Humanities and Fine Arts External Funding Contacts??
  • General consultation and assistance - contact Pari Riahi, Associate Dean of Reseach and Engagement and Amy Fleig, Director of Faculty Development and Programs
  • Research leave and salary replacement questions - Pamela Ciminera, Associate Dean of Administration and Finance??
  • To receive proposal assistance, faculty are required to complete the College of Humanities and Fine Arts Proposal Assistance Request Form that is part of the campus' grant tracking/management system, Kuali. The form should be submitted prior to the funding deadline.
• The Office of Faculty Development (OFD) supports all faculty and librarians with programs to help build careers and communities.  The OFD website offers the following resources:
  • Guide to Research at UMass which includes videos on finding funding, applying for funding, engagement, and the Academic Freedom Toolkit.
  • Links to national and international awards, recognitions and fellowships
  • Links to the Office of Research and Engagement (ORE) and the offices within it, including the office of Research Development (for support from public funders—such as federal, state, or local agencies), Office of Corporate Engagement, Office of Research Compliance, Office of Pre-Award Services (OPAS), and the Office of Post-Award Management (OPAM)
• Foundation Relations of the UMass Amherst Foundation supports faculty, researchers, and administrators in obtaining private philanthropy to fund research that advances the common good.
• The Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) supports faculty seeking to strengthen their research skills, secure research funding, and pursue interdisciplinary collaboration. Francis Lo (he/they) is part of the grant support team in ISSR. They provide pre- and post-award grant administration for faculty and graduate students in the Colleges of Social & Behavioral Sciences and Humanities & Fine Arts.  
• The Office of Research and Engagement (ORE) administers the campus's research enterprise, working in conjunction with academic, government, and private partners to translate new knowledge and scientific discoveries into technical innovations and scholarly works that benefit society and create opportunity for students, faculty, and the public.