Current Deadlines Faculty Improvement Grants

Faculty Improvement Grants are funded through the IFO/Minnesota State Master Agreement (Article 19). Faculty Association committees are responsible for establishing grant guidelines and conducting proposal reviews.

Beginning in FY 2023 (July 1, 2022), Faculty Improvement Grant application procedures and funding criteria have incorporated a priority for professional development activities that promote equity and inclusion and/or support the elimination of educational equity gaps.

  • For questions regarding Short-Term and Adjunct Grants, contact the FA Professional Development Committee.
  • For questions regarding Research Grants, contact the FA Faculty Research Committee.

Quick Links

Short-Term Grants

The purpose is to support participation in non-credit workshops/courses that prepare faculty for current or new teaching assignments and/or aligns with faculty member’s professional development plan. Qualifying workshops/courses are one to 14 days in length and should be interactive, hands-on training focused on a single topic, and demand active participation.

The FA Professional Development Committee may award up to $10,000 per application to support registration fees, travel and per diem expenses. Grant awards do not support attendance at annual meetings or professional conferences.

Current Cycle Deadline: October 15, 2026 at 4 p.m.

View the full Short Term Program Guidelines

Eligibility 

  • Applicants must be faculty with bargaining unit status — tenure-track, non-tenure track, qualifying fixed term or qualifying adjunct (>3 credits in the academic year) — at the time of application and grant activity. Please refer to the relevant sections of the current collective bargaining agreement.
  • Proposed activities must occur within the current academic/fiscal year. 
  • No more than one application per individual can be submitted or funded during any application round.

Evaluation Rubric 

  • Eligibility
  • Project Description
  • Contribution to Department
  • Contribution to SCSU
  • Quality of Application (clarity, organization, comprehensiveness, supporting documentation, budget justification)

  • Awarded funds are to be used exclusively for the work outlined in the proposal narrative.  Any modifications to the proposal must be reported to Research, Grants, and Sponsored Programs by completing a Modification Form
  • Recipients should refer to our webpage Facilitating Expenditures for the process on reimbursements.  All requests are submitted via Workday. If your award includes travel a spend authorization must be completed in Workday in addition to obtaining a travel authorization.  Be sure to keep all receipts, paid invoices and documentation related to your expenses.Please ensure you follow university procedures regarding travel/business expenses listed on Business Services webpage Travel/Business Expenses.
  • Recipients are responsible for the submission of a Final Report within 60 days after the project’s scheduled completion date.

2026

Jessica Imrie - $3,502
Nursing, Nurse Educators Conference in the Rockies 2026

Joy McKenzie - $4,500
Communication Sciences and Disorders, Prosci Certification Program

Ning Hou - $1,570
Management, Ethical Leadership

Maria Mikolchak - $5,000 
English, BELC Grant for Professors of French

Samuel Chase - $1,183
Athletics, 2026 National Association of Basketball Coaches Convention

2025

Aeriel Ashlee - $1,692
Educational Leadership & Higher Education, Healing Our Way Home: A Retreat for Women of Color

Mary Baumann-Spooner - $675
Nursing, Assistive Technology Fundamentals

Choonkyong Kim - $4,985
English, Intensive Spanish Language Course

Elena Kurinski - $4,960
Languages and Cultures, Cultivating Diversity and Inclusion

Maria Mikolchak - $4,850
English, BELC International Workshop for Language Teachers

Mark Schmidt - $4,401
Information Systems, Expanding Horizons for Global Education Opportunities: Familiarization of Alnwick Campus

Tom Steman - $538
University Library, Appraisal of Digital Records / Building Advocacy and Support for Digital Archives

Janet Tilstra - $2,796
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network Annual Conference and Students as Partners Pre-Conference Workshop

Yongli Zhao - $4,250
Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, PV110: Solar Training - Solar Water Pumping

2024

Omar Aguirre - $750
Athletics, “2024 NABC Convention”

Kyle Ashlee - $3,095
Community Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy, "2024 National Conference on Race and Ethnicity"

Elena Kurinski - $4,494
Languages and Cultures, "Advanced Methods and Practices for Foreign Language Teachers"

Maria Mikolchak - $4,850
English, "BELC international workshop for teachers of French"

2023

Michael Bredeson - $350
Biology, “Cornell’s Ornithology: Comprehensive Bird Biology”

Croix Clayton - $1,448
English, “ASLI Spanish Language Institute Cuernavaca – Regular Group Session”

Ning Hou – $3,845
Management, “Advanced Negotiation Skills Training” by Harvard Continuing Education”

Stephanie Houdek - $1,699.90
Math Skills Center, “New York College Learning Skills Association Workshop 2023 – All Our Voices: We are Better Together”

Elena Kurinski - $3,606.80
Languages & Cultures, “Alnwick International Education Professional Development Workshop”

Gengyun Le - $4.083.25
Biology, “National Institute on Scientific Teaching – Northeast Summer 2023”

Maria Mikolchak - $4,525
English, “BELC Workshop for Teachers of French”

Kenneth Miller - $2,450
Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, “ANSYS Mechanical Topology Optimization”

Celi Monroe - $1,195
Art, “Principles of Typeface Design: Display Type”

Mark Schmidt – $4,395
Information Systems, “Alnwick Program Faculty Development Workshop”

Michael Sundblad - $4,830
Environment & Technological Studies, “Haas CNC Equipment Training”

 

Previous recipients are showcased in RSP’s annual report.

Research and Scholarly Activity Grants

The purpose is to support Scholarly activity whose duration is greater than 14 days. Research is broadly defined as creative achievement, and/or the scholarly pursuit of knowledge using recognized procedures in the applicant’s discipline/area of study. Scholarly activities should align with the faculty member’s professional development goals and must have specific goals and outcomes.

The FA Faculty Research Committee may award up to $15,000 per application to support the execution of well-conceived scholarly or creative plan.

Current Cycle Deadline: September 29, 2026 at 4 p.m.

View the full Research and Creative Activity Grant guidelines

Eligibility

  • An applicant must have at least a 33% assignment in an IFO role at the time of application and during the grant activity. Faculty on sabbatical are considered to be on assignment.
  • Proposed project must begin within the current academic and fiscal year. 
  • No more than one application per individual can be submitted or funded during any application round. Furthermore, an individual may be funded only one time per fiscal year.
  • If this status changes, no funds may be expended when the person is not in eligible status.
  • Adjuncts are not eligible.

Evaluation Rubric

  • Eligibility:The applicant and proposed activities meet program requirements.
  • Background/Literature Review: Applicant describes the scholarly context of the work, and justifies the proposed scholarly activity in terms of the work’s importance to the applicant’s field or discipline.
  • Relevance to Professional Development: Situates the proposed project in the context of the applicant’s professional development.
  • Goals and Objectives: The alignment of goals and objectives with the scholarly needs of the project, consistent with ‘rationale’ above.
  • Strategy, Methods, and Design: Proposed strategies accomplish the goals and objectives of the project; the project design is consistent with the rationale and serve the goals and objectives of the work.
  • Timeline: is reasonable and feasible; the project can be accomplished; timeline includes all goals and objectives.
  • Outcomes: What tangible research/creative work product is to result from the proposed work, and what is the proposed mode of disseminating that work?
  • Broader Impact: The project has broader impact and intellectual merit beyond the applicant’s personal development, extending beyond the applicant’s field.
  • Budget: Is appropriate to meet the goals and objectives; analysis of anticipated costs is well explained and justified, and align with the significance of the project.
  • Overall Quality: The proposal is well-written, coherent, and internally consistent with guidelines.

  • Awarded funds are to be used exclusively for the work outlined in the proposal narrative.  Any modifications to the proposal must be reported to Research, Grants, and Sponsored Programs by completing a Modification Form
  • Recipients are responsible for the submission of a Final Report within 60 days after the project’s scheduled completion date.

2026

Aeriel Ashlee - $8,141
Educational Leadership and Higher Education, "Advancing Transracial Adoptee and Multiracial Scholarship through the TRAM Lab: A Micro-Affirming Counterspace and Research Incubator"

Bhaskar Ghosh - $9,996
Computer Science and Information Technology, "FacultyTwin: A Digital Twin for Faculty to Support Student Success and Equity in Higher Education"

Haeinn Lee - $9,997
Art, "Sound Seekers (Appealing Natural Science: Interaction Design for Children)"

Heiko Schoenfuss - $4,966
Biology, "The evolution of new locomotor functions in vertebrates: adaptation of existing functionalities or de novo emergence?"

Indira Dutta - $9,876
Computer Science and Information Technology, "ElderConnect: AI-Assisted Cybersecurity Empowerment for Older Adults"

Jalal Khalil - $5,493
Computer Science and Information Technology, "Open-Data Infrastructure and Synthetic Population Development for Mobility Research"

Jungwon Ahn - $10,000
Environmental and Technological Studies, "Advanced Experimental Research in CNC Machining Processes"

Kyoko Kishimoto - $8,985
Ethnic and Women's Studies, "Journeys of a Lifetime: Legacy of Systemic Racism on Health Disparities across the Life Course"

Matthew Davis - $9,703
Biology, "The Evolution of Fangs across Fishes"

Peter Happel-Christian - $7,922
Art, "Subject Matter: Unboxing the Legacies of Dutch Still-Life Paintings on Consumer Culture through Experimental Photographs"

Rachel Humphrey - $9,990
Atmospheric and Hydrologic Sciences, "Huskies on the Lookout II: Evaluating Atmospheric Safety and Air Quality with Student-Built Payloads"

Rosemary Williams - $10,000
Art, "Her Shadow"

Suman Saha - $7,200
Marketing, "Isolated and Overdrawn: Loneliness, Maladaptive Consumption, and Financial Strain"

2025

Michael Bredeson - $8,168.87
Biology, "Are Herbicide-Resistant "Superweeds" Protected from Insect Damage by the Insecticides Applied to Crop Seeds?"

Adriano Cavalcanti - $10,000
Computer Science and Information Technology, "Brain-Computer Interface for Avatar Humanoid Robotics"

William Collis-Prather - $4,937
Applied Clinical Research, "Diversity in Medical Device Clinical Research"

Michael Dvorak - $5,899
Chemistry, "Modeling Astaxanthan Cluster Formation via Chemometric Factor Analysis Methods"

Jennifer Hill - $6,312
Special Education, "Equitable Access and Best Practices in School Library Media Centers"

Liya Hou - $1,740
Accounting, "Antitakeover Provisions and Corporate Tax Avoidance"

Ning Hou - $9,011
Management, "Revolutionizing Library Engagement: Building a Chatbot for SCSU with AI"

Rachel Humphrey - $9,840
Atmospheric & Hydrologic Sciences, "Huskies on the Lookout: Weather Balloon Launches in Times of Need"

Jennifer Lamb - $10,000
Biology, "Comparing Survey Methods for Rare Salamanders in Minnesota"

Angela McDonnell - $9,953
Biology, "Population Genomics Rare, Declining Plant Species in the Driftless Area of Minnesota: Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium), Phase 2"

Sheila Moriarty - $9,482
Social Work, "The Lived Experiences of International Students in Central Minnesota"

John Sinko - $3,229
Physics, "Data Collection and Analysis for Laser Orbital Debris Removal"

Brian Valentini - $7,898
Special Education, "Perceptions of Secondary Teachers Regarding Independent Living Skill Development in Transition Settings"

Jieyu Wang - $4,844
Information Systems, "Designing Conversational Agents for Student Well-Being: Tailoring Students' Personalities into Human-Centered Intelligent Systems to Enhance Equity"

2024

Jungwon Ahn - $4,737
Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, “Impact of Manufacturing Engineering Technology Student-Alumni Mentorship Program on Student and Alumni Engagement and Academic Success”

Michael Bredeson - $5,612
Biology, “Measuring the World's Most Widely Used Insecticide, Imidacloprid, in agriculturally embedded Wetlands”

Matt Davis - $9,897
Biology, “Repeated Evolution of Adaptations in Marine Habitats”

Sarah Gibson - $9,824
Atmospheric and Hydrologic Sciences, “Investigating the Diversity of Fossil Fishes from the Pleistocene of Southern Minnesota”

2023

Sohel Ahmad - $3,659
Management, “Understanding Job Skills for Business Graduates Through the Lens of Economic Cycle”

Amanda Hemmesch-Breaker - $4,440
Psychology, “Aging with Moebius Syndrome: A Focus Group”

Ning Hou - $6,567
Management, “How much are you willing to share your data? How do the emotions and money priming impact your willingness to share your data?”

Choonkyong Kim - $9,065
English, “Acoustic Analysis of Speech Samples from Read-Aloud Tasks by Second Language Speakers”

Gengyun Le - $10,000
Biology, “Effect of Voluntary Exercise Training on Type 1 Diabetes in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic and Non-obese Diabetic Mice”

Angela McDonnell - $9,998
Biology, “Population Genomics of Two Rate, Declining Plant Species in the Driftless Area”

Kenneth Miller - $3,963
Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, “Optimization of 3D Printer Build Parameters for Topology Optimization Designed Parts”

Juli Pitzer - $9,980
Mass Communication, “Like and Subscribe”

Shannon Sadler - $9,591
Music, “Seven Mirrors: A Performance and Pedagogical Video on the Piano Music of Cambodian-American Composer Chinary Ung”

Heiko Schoenfuss - $4,747
Biology, “Do Divergent Juvenile Locomotor Styles Drive Divergent Adult Habitat Use?”

Andrea Thortensen - $7,972
Atmospheric & Hydrologic Sciences, “Creating a Lake Level Model for Sauk River Chain of Lakes”

Brian Valentini - $7,921
Special Education, “Special Education Transition Teachers Use of Assessment and Data Collection”

2022

Hannah Belay - $3,375
Nursing, “Unleashing the Power of Peer Mentors to Ensure Success and Retention of Nursing Students”

Matthew Davis - $6,679
Biology, “Evolution of Anglerfishes and Novel Feeding Strategies in the Deep Sea”

Peter Happel-Christian - $6,844
Art, “AA5: Archive Experiments (Examining the Archive of Ansel Adams through a Contemporary Lens)”

Jennifer Lamb - $9,970
Biology, “Taking a Closer Look: Sexual Dimorphism, Color, and Pattern in Amphibians”

Ben Witts - $9,967
Community Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy, "A Thorough Investigation of Infant Crying, Caregiver Responding, and the Normal Cry Curve"

 

Adjunct Grants

The purpose is professional development in the discipline in which the applicant teaches for St. Cloud State University. 

The FA Executive Committee may award up to $3,000 per application to support registration fees, travel and per diem expenses. 

Current Cycle Deadline: October 15, 2026 at 4 p.m.

View the full Adjunct Grant program guidelines

Eligibility 

  • Applicants must be faculty employed within the current academic year AND teaching more than 3 credits or more than one course during the academic year.
  • Proposed activities must be for the current academic year.
  • No more than one application per individual can be submitted or funded during any application period.

Evaluation Rubric 

  • Eligibility
  • Project Description
  • Contribution to Department
  • Contribution to SCSU
  • Quality of Application (clarity, organization, comprehensiveness, supporting documentation, budget justification)

  • Awarded funds are to be used exclusively for the work outlined in the proposal narrative.  Any modifications to the proposal must be reported to Research, Grants, and Sponsored Programs by completing a Modification Form
  • Recipients should refer to our webpage Facilitating Expenditures for the process on reimbursements.  All requests are submitted via Workday. If your award includes travel a spend authorization must be completed in Workday in addition to obtaining a travel authorization.  Be sure to keep all receipts, paid invoices and documentation related to your expenses.
  • Please ensure you follow university procedures regarding travel/business expenses listed on Business Services webpage Travel/Business Expenses.

Submission Instructions For All Funding Programs

Step 1: Review the program guidelines and rubric to determine your eligibility, understand allowable expenses, learn submission requirements, and see how applications are evaluated for funding.
 
Step 2: Discuss your project and intent to apply with your department chair/director and dean/supervisor as upon submission, your proposal will automatically be routed to them for review and approval. 

Step 3: Log into the Internal Grant Proposal and Award Portal for PIs using your StarID.

  • Wizehive allows you to save your progress as you work on completing your application.
  • Do not click the "Submit" button until your application is complete. A complete application includes the finished Application, Estimated Budget Summary, supporting documents and budget justification items, and, if applicable, Co-PI response(s).
Step 4: If you have one or more St. Cloud State Co-PI's, you are required to complete a Co-PI Request form for each Co-PI participating in the project. This process will trigger a notification to your Co-PI(s) requiring them to acknowledge participation in the project.

Step 5: If applicable, confirm your Co-PI(s) have completed their Co-PI Request forms. You can confirm this by looking for the green box next their name(s) within the Co-PI Request section of your application.

Step 6: Click on "Submit" to put forward your COMPLETE application for consideration. It must be submitted prior to the posted deadline above or it will not be considered.
  • Changes/updates cannot be made once your application is submitted.
  • The application will be automatically routed in Wizehive to obtain the necessary approvals (signatures) from your department chair/director and dean/supervisor.
  • To ensure timely reviews, it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure department chairs/directors and deans/supervisors know the application is coming.
Step 7: Once your completed application is electronically approved in Wizehive by your department chair/director AND dean/supervisor, your application will be distributed to a review panel for review and consideration. It is acceptable for department chair/director and dean/supervisor approvals to occur after the deadline date. Please note that the review process takes time, so please be patient. Updates will be sent out as soon as the review process is concluded.

DISCLAIMER:Applicants are encouraged to submit their electronic application early to avoid potential access issues. Applications after the deadline will not be considered without official confirmation of campus-wide accessibility/technical outages. Previous versions of application forms will not be considered and will be denied.