Mid-Career Research Award

• Designed to support tenured Radow College faculty who are seeking to accelerate their research momentum with the goal of submitting an external grant application.
• Awards of $5,000–$10,000 each.
• Targeted eligibility: tenured faculty who have held rank at KSU for five or more years and have not submitted an external grant application in the preceding three years.
• Requires a one- to two-page Research Plan with a concrete 12-month work plan and an articulated 24-month trajectory toward an external grant submission.
• Funds a flexible menu of activities (e.g., supplies, summer salary, travel, specialized databases/software, research assistance, paid external mentorship) tailored to each awardee’s specific research needs.
• Two structured check-ins with the Associate Dean of Research and a required end-of-award report.

The Mid-Career Research Award is designed to support tenured Radow College faculty working on submitting an external grant application. Structured check-ins provide support and mentorship; an end-of-award report allows for an assessment of progress and feedback on the readiness of the research for grant application submission.

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• Tenured faculty member in Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
• Held current faculty rank at KSU for five or more years.
• Have not submitted an external grant application in the preceding three years.

1. Eligibility Confirmation: Applicant must confirm their tenure status, years at rank, and most recent external grant application date with the Radow College Associate Dean of Research prior to submitting.
2. Research Plan Submission: Applicant must submit a one- to two-page Research Plan (research focus, 12-month work plan, 24-month trajectory toward external submission) and a budget request of $5,000–$10,000, through the college’s designated system (e.g., InfoReady).
3. Review: The Radow College Associate Dean of Research will evaluate submissions against the Evaluation Rubric below.
4. Notification & Award Setup: Applicants will be notified of funding decisions in writing via email; awardees must complete any required approvals (e.g., Chair and Dean sign-off for summer salary) before funds are released.
5. Check-Ins: Awardees must participate in two structured check-ins with the Associate Dean of Research during the award period.
6. End-of-Award Report: Awardees must submit a brief end-of-award report summarizing completed activities and progress toward the 24-month external-submission trajectory.

Applications are reviewed competitively by the Associate Dean of Research office using the Evaluation Rubric below. Because award sizes vary ($5,000–$10,000), the reviewer may recommend a specific funding level within that range based on the scope and cost of the proposed 12-month work plan and the proposed 24-month trajectory toward external submission.

Scores will be determined using the weights above to rank applications; the Associate Dean of Research will use the resulting ranking, together with the total available budget, to determine funding decisions and award amounts within the $5,000–$10,000 range.

Examples of Allowable Expenses : 

• Research supplies, materials, and participant incentives for pilot or feasibility work.
• Summer salary in June with prior Chair and Dean approval, to dedicate time to research.
• Travel to a library, archive, field site, or discipline-specific conference directly tied to the funded Research Plan.
• Purchase or subscription to specialized databases, software, or analytical tools needed for the funded research.
• Research assistance (undergraduate or graduate) to support project startup.
• Support for mentorship pairing.

Not Allowable :

• Conference Travel (please request this support from your Department).
• Summer salary support without prior Chair and Dean approval documented before the award period begins.
• Costs unrelated to the specific 12-month work plan described in the Research Plan.
• Honoraria to an internal (Radow College) mentor beyond normal service expectations — the $1,000 mentor honorarium applies to external mentors only.
• Use of funds for equipment or activities primarily benefiting teaching or service rather than the funded research plan.
• A second Mid-Career Research Award within the same 24-month trajectory window without documented justification and Associate Dean of Research approval.

All funding must be expended or encumbered by the date noted in your written award notification and is subject to standard institutional budget and procurement policies.

• Primary Deliverable: Completion of the proposed 12-month work plan and documented progress toward the 24-month trajectory to external grant submission.
• Check-Ins: Awardees must participate in two structured check-ins with the Associate Dean of Research during the award period to discuss progress and any needed adjustments.
• End-of-Award Report: A brief report summarizing completed activities, use of funds, and progress toward external submission, due at the close of the award period.
• Acknowledgment: Any resulting proposal, presentation, or publication arising from award activities should acknowledge Radow College Research Advancement Award support.
• Non-Completion: Awardees who do not submit an external grant application within the 24-month trajectory window must provide a written explanation to the Associate Dean of Research; this may affect eligibility for future awards.
• Strategic Reporting: Aggregate outcomes (number of awardees, submissions made within 24 months, funding decisions) will be reported by the Associate Dean of Research to demonstrate the award’s contribution to reactivating extramural funding capacity among tenured faculty.