Date and deadlines

  • Due Date: Proposals are accepted on an ongoing basis.
  • Award Notification: Notifications are sent on an ongoing basis.
  • Earliest Start Date: July 1 (Annually)

Program description

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences provides collaborative mentoring grants in support of mid-career tenure-track and instructional specialized faculty (teaching, research, or clinical associate professors). 

The program’s main objective is to prepare faculty members for the next promotion. Team and individual proposals are accepted, as well proposals from academic units. Collaborative mentoring teams and academic units can receive up to $5,000. Individual proposals may receive up to $1,500.  

Collaborative and unit proposals should consist of faculty members (project leads) working in a peer-to-peer interdisciplinary team. Proposals must reflect substantive involvement from team members from different disciplines and/or academic departments. Teams may also include team members from outside campus to participate (with restrictions). Funding will be distributed after July 1 annually and must be concluded by June 15 annually.

Proposals should demonstrate research, teaching or engagement excellence. This can be conveyed through creating research/writing plans, collaborating on internal and external funding and grants, setting up and running laboratories, developing innovative pedagogy, and cultivating relationships with potential external reviewers, and community organizations.

Proposals should enhance productivity for professional outcomes in the areas of scholarship, grant applications, publications, or community outreach. Projects may consist of developing and achieving teaching excellence through the development of new pedagogical practices, developing new courses, interdisciplinary curricula, and student outcomes. 

Additionally, proposals may also address work-life barriers and strategies for addressing issues that may limit professional advancement at the University of Illinois. Individual or team proposals may include funding for:

  • Editing services.
  • Expenses for a collaborative mentoring partner outside the institution.
  • Honoraria for external in-person mentoring or mentoring public events.
  • Professional coaching. 
  • Professional development travel.

Proposals requesting funds for external in-person support should including a letter of support from the proposed mentor for the services to be provided and the associated costs.

Faculty eligibility

Each project will identify a faculty lead or principal investigator who will assume organizational leadership for the project. A faculty member may only be a lead or PI on one submitted project. However, there is no limit to being on other projects. Applicants are strongly encouraged to include other mid-career faculty members. Preference will be given to individuals/ teams who have not been previously supported.

Proposal guidelines and preparation

Funding request proposals are accepted on an ongoing basis and should include the following information:

Cover/title page

This page must include the project title, the names of the team members and their primary affiliation (indicate the faculty lead/PI), contact information, and the funding amount being requested. 

Project Summary/Abstract

  • Include the project’s broad goals and objectives. 
  • Provide a description of the methods or approaches used to achieve the goals. 

Project Narrative

  • Present a description of the project outlining the collaborative nature and broader impact for the department, college, and campus. Indicate how various stakeholders are going to be impacted if this proposal is funded.
  • Include how the proposed project leverages resources and strengths, while also filling a need for mid-career faculty. 
  • Briefly describe the role and qualifications of the individual or team. 

Milestones

  • Provide a description of what will be accomplished along with a timeline. 
  • Provide a budget estimate, with a narrative justification for the project being proposed. Indirect costs and salaries/stipends/supplements are not permissible.

Addendum (1 page) 

  • Proposals requesting funds for external in-person support should include a letter of support/ quote from the proposed mentor/mentoring group for the services to be provided and the associated costs.

Submit funding requests

Questions?

For additional information, please send inquiries to LAS-IE@illinois.edu.