ISSR Scholars Program

The Institute for Social Science Research Scholars Program supports social science faculty from across the university to build new directions in their research programs.

ISSR Scholars receive a course-release to pursue a regular year-long seminar facilitated by experienced research grant recipients, and receive grant preparation support from ISSR's Grants, Personnel and Budget Manager Karen Mason. Scholars benefit from ongoing workshopping of research proposals, advice on grant writing and submission, information about granting agencies, and funding to consult with nationally recognized scholars of their choosing. 

ISSR Scholars have emerged from all of the UMass Colleges. Overall ISSR Scholars have earned more than $7 million in external grant funding. 74% of Scholars since 2012 have received external funding to support their research, and their proposals win funding at twice the success rate of NSF grantseekers.

Applications for the 2022-23 Scholars Program will open in the Fall of 2021.  Please see application procedures and criteria below. We encourage social science faculty of all ranks and schools to apply, regardless of their external funding history.

Meet our scholars

Current Scholars Past Scholars

Eligibility

  • All ranks of social science faculty across the university. Participating faculty’s department chairs must approve the proposed course reduction, and applicants outside of SBS must obtain the approval of their Dean.
  • In addition to the individual Scholars application, ISSR now also accepts applications for Scholar Collaborators - interdisciplinary partners who are working on joint grant proposals. The two people who are applying as Scholar Collaborators must be from two different home departments at UMass; cross-college collaborations are also encouraged.

Deadlines and Questions

Applications will be accepted in the Fall of 2021.
Notifications will be made early in the Spring semester.

Application tips
From the December 2020 ISSR & CRF Scholars Info-session
Zoom meeting Video (on Box)
Summary of Tips and Links

If you have questions about the ISSR Scholars Program please Email Krista Harper,

Applying

Complete the required documents:

Email your application as a single PDF file (all in one attached file; application sections will not be accepted as individual files) to Karen Mason, ISSR Grants Manager.

Each application should include:

  • A completed Application Cover Sheet
  • A recent curriculum vitae
  • A two- to three-page summary of the proposal you anticipate preparing, including a description of the research and methodological approach; include a working project title
  • A supporting letter from your department Chair (for non-SBS faculty, a supporting letter from your Dean that recognizes the responsibilities reflected in being an ISSR Scholar is an additional requirement)

In addition, each individual applicant or Scholar Collaborator pair should also indicate:

  • Whether you will also be applying to the Center for Research on Families Family Research Scholars Program, which offers a similar seminar series for faculty working on family-related research
  • The name of anticipated co-investigators and whether you will be the principal investigator of the proposal
  • The name(s) of the anticipated sponsor(s) to whom you will submit the proposal

Criteria

  • This award is available to all ranks of social science faculty across the university; participating faculty’s department chairs must approve the proposed course reduction, and applicants outside of SBS must obtain the approval of their Dean.
  • Each program applicant is expected to be the principal investigator of the submitted proposal, except in the case of scholar collaborators. If ISSR receives an unusually high number of applications, faculty who have not received any other proposal preparation grants in the last three years will be given priority. This program is not for faculty who want to revise or resubmit existing proposals.
  • Each program Scholar is expected to submit his or her proposal no later than the semester following his or her participation in the program (or the sponsor’s next application date, if later). If a proposal is not submitted within this period, the investigator will be expected to teach an overload to repay the course reduction he or she received to participate in the program.
  • People who are applying as Scholar Collaborators must be from two different home departments at UMass; cross-college collaborations are also encouraged. Collaborators can submit the same 2-3 page proposal summary.
  • For RTF distribution for proposals and grants run through ISSR, see SBS funding policy.