Dean's Program

Dean’s Program for Research, Scholarship, and Collaborative Activities

Faculty Travel Grants (FTGs) and Virtual Conference Faculty Registration Grants

Eligible faculty may receive as much as $2000 per academic year for travel expenses to present original papers at scholarly and professional meetings. This award includes reimbursement for allowable travel-related conference expenses such as lodging, meals, transportation, and registration, all of which are non-taxable. Funds may be used for foreign or domestic travel and Virtual Conferences.

Application: Apply per department guidelines and award is the decision of the department chair

Summer Research Assignments (SRAs)

Summer Research Assignments provide tenure-line faculty with salary support while they concentrate on research and writing during the summer. Terms of these awards vary but cover one-to-two months of summer salary. All Summer Research Assignment applications must be received and approved by the applicant’s department chair. Applications approved by the chair are then made available to the review committees (selected by the college) for review and decisions. The college dean is the final reviewer.

Summer Research Assignment awards are based on a number of factors, including the expected benefits to the university. The recipient is expected to return to normal duties at the university for at least one academic year—Sept. 1 through May 31—following the SRA. A recipient who elects to leave the university without returning for an academic year, whether because of resignation or retirement, is obligated to reimburse the university for funds (gross salary plus fringe benefits) expended in support of the SRA.

Summer Research Assignments are salary awards paid on a monthly basis by payroll services. These awards are subject to all of the deductions that apply to teaching salary payments.

SRA Application Process

Submit the following as a single PDF document using Times New Roman font size 12 with no less than one-inch borders.

1) Project proposal that is no longer than three single-spaced pages (references are not included in the page count). Proposal must include a detailed outline of the product of the SRA (e.g., a grant) and the deadline for submission, as well as other details such as book publisher, funding agency, type of grant etc.
2) 4-page CV highlighting relevant research publications and funding.

The proposal should include a title and outline the project rationale and significance, research questions, and a research plan that clearly specifies the methods and methodology, as well as the goals and product of the proposed project. Priority will be given to proposals that outline a clearly defined, well-justified and feasible project that will contribute to the submission of a proposal by the end of fall for external funding or to provide support for a major project also due by the end of fall (e.g., finishing a book). Priority also given to those submitting a book proposal or a grant for the first time and to those submitting to a grant agency/organization to which they have not submitted previously (please make sure to specify this information in your proposal).

The proposal will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the Simmons Research Council who will submit their recommendation to the Associate Dean for Research and Outreach. The Dean will make the final decision.

A final report will be required by October 1^st of the academic year when the award is granted. For instance, if you receive an SRA for Summer 2024, a final report must be submitted by October 1, 2024.

Applications for Summer 2024 are due: January 18, 2024 at 5PM CST

Final Decisions will be Made by: February 16, 2024

Faculty Research Leave

Research leaves are available to those qualifying persons of the University who are full-time employees holding faculty rank of associate professor or higher. The faculty member is eligible to apply for one semester of research leave at full pay or one year of research leave at partial pay (typically half of the nine-month base salary for the college and most schools, but no more than two-thirds of base salary). The faculty member is eligible to apply for a research leave that begins after a minimum of twelve semesters of full-time service since the initial appointment or last research leave or a minimum of ten semesters of full-time service after a junior faculty research leave (see below). Faculty with more than the minimum number of semesters of full-time service needed for eligibility may not carryover the additional semesters toward eligibility for a future leave or use the additional semesters to request a longer research leave at full pay. A faculty member who takes a research leave must agree to return to full-time service at SMU for at least one year.

More information: Faculty Leave Programs/Policy Number 2.13/Academic Affairs

Junior Faculty Research Leave

Research leaves are available to those qualifying persons of the University who are full-time employees holding faculty rank of associate professor or higher. The faculty member is eligible to apply for one semester of research leave at full pay or one year of research leave at partial pay (typically half of the nine-month base salary for the college and most schools, but no more than two-thirds of base salary). The faculty member is eligible to apply for a research leave that begins after a minimum of twelve semesters of full-time service since the initial appointment or last research leave or a minimum of ten semesters of full-time service after a junior faculty research leave (see below). Faculty with more than the minimum number of semesters of full-time service needed for eligibility may not carryover the additional semesters toward eligibility for a future leave or use the additional semesters to request a longer research leave at full pay. A faculty member who takes a research leave must agree to return to full-time service at SMU for at least one year.

More information: Junior Faculty Research Leave/Policy Number 2.13/Academic Affairs

Dean’s Dissertation Enhancement Award

The Dean’s Dissertation Enhancement Award is given to PhD students to enhance the quality of their dissertations. The intent of the award is to provide funds up to $3,000 that would significantly increase the quality of the student’s dissertation or improve the student’s chances of obtaining outside funding for their dissertation research. All students who have completed their required coursework (not including the prospectus defense) by the date of the award are invited to apply. The grant can be used to support the purchase of data or efforts to collect data, including travel and field work as it relates to these endeavors. A subcommittee appointed by the Associate Dean of Research will review proposals and give priority to students who have defended their dissertation proposals, who are in more advanced stages, and who would otherwise be unable to collect or obtain data. Awards are made on a rolling basis.

Please submit your Award application via Dean's Dissertation Enhancement Award Application. Required proposal materials must be submitted in one PDF file and include the following.

• a brief abstract of no more than 250 words,
• a proposal in non-technical language of no more than three pages,
• signed signature sheet of the successful dissertation proposal,
• an updated copy of the applicant's CV, and
• one letter of recommendation from a professor within the department.

The proposal should address the following questions.

• What is the proposed dissertation topic?
• What would the Enhancement Award allow the student to do that improves the dissertation?
• How would the funds be used? Students should indicate the status of their prospectus (defended, scheduled, proposed) in their application.
• The final section of the proposal should provide a proposed budget, budget justification, and a timeline for expected expenses.
• If the award will assist the student in applications for extramural funding, this should be clearly indicated in the proposal as well as a list of the funding sources for which the student plans to apply and details of those sources' application processes (due dates for receipt of proposals, dates at which funds become available whether faculty support is needed, and if so, a statement from a faculty member indicating that such support will be provided, etc.)

Faculty Research Seed Grants

Research Seed Grants are competitive grants that are awarded from the Deans’ Office to enable research of extramural sponsored programs; seed grant awards are made in consideration of start-up fund balances. These funds, of up to $5000 per award, may be used for allowable research expenditures such as additional student hours. Please keep in mind that research seed grants should lead to submission of a grant proposal.

Allowable Costs

• Wages for student/clerical assistants or focus group participants in compliance with the minimum wage standards.
• Reasonable consultant's fees as determined by the review committee conditional on the documentation submitted by the grant applicant.
• Travel documented as essential and directly related to the project. All travel must comply with SMU Guidelines.
• Operational costs (office supplies, software, computer costs, etc.)
• Equipment and supplies directly related to proposed research as justified on the budget funds
• Faculty Summer Stipend. Not to exceed 50% of the total request.

Ineligible Costs

• Travel to meetings, conferences, training workshops to present research results.
• All costs not related to the proposed research project.
• Course release buyouts.

Restrictions

• Funds must be expended within twelve (12) months of award. Funds from Research Seed Grants may not be used for travel in pursuit of extramural funding or to workshops and conferences. Visits to funding agencies in pursuit of sponsored programs is supported by the Extramural Travel Grant program.
• The Research Seed Grant may not be used for faculty summer salary or teaching release via buy-out. In addition, certain items are excluded for purchase from these funds.
• Only one Research Seed Grant may be awarded to a faculty member within a thirty-six (36) month period.
• Successful applicants must submit a one-page report within thirty (30) days following the end of the award period, including an updated plan for follow-up on funding.