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, as well as grant preparation support from ISSR's Grants, Personnel and Budget Manager Karen Mason. The seminar includes ongoing presentations and discussion of faculty research proposals, advice on grant writing and submission, information about grant agencies, and funding to enable consultation with nationally recognized scholars for consultation. 

ISSR Scholars have emerged from all of the UMass Colleges, and have obtained an unprecedented funding success rate of over 70% since 2012.

Applications for the 2020-21 Scholars Program will be due on Friday, January 31 2020.  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.

Sign up now for the December 12 Application Strategies Infosession with the Directors of CRF and ISSR - for advice on selecting the best program for you, and preparing a persuasive application. 

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 due January 31, 2021.
Notifications will be made early in the Spring semester.

If you have any questions about the ISSR Scholars Program please Email Joya Misra.

ISSR & CRF Scholars Infosession

Interested in either the ISSR or CRF Scholars Program?
Get application tips and answers to your questions at our December 12 Scholars Infosession!

 

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 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.
  • The two people who are applying as Scholar Collaborators must be from two different home departments at UMass; cross-college collaborations are also encouraged.
  • For RTF distribution for proposals and grants run through ISSR, see SBS funding policy.