UWM Research Assistance Fund (RAF)
Opens Aug 13 2024 12:01 AM (CDT)
Deadline May 15 2025 11:59 PM (CDT)
Description

The Research Assistance Fund provides small grants (up to $2,500) for conducting and disseminating research and creative work. The awards are intended for specific, short-term needs. Expenses must be incurred within a year of the award date. 

Eligible Applicants

  • UWM faculty and staff who conduct research or creative projects, are employed at least half-time, and are not concurrently enrolled as UWM students.
  • UWM faculty and staff who are not the Principal Investigator on a current UWM Discovery and Innovation Grant (DIG) or Advancing Research and Creativity (ARC) award.
  • Co-applicants are not allowed.

Ineligible Applicants

  • Administrators with positions at the dean level or higher
  • Those in the TTC Post Degree Training job family (e.g. post-docs, research associates, research interns)
  • Students (including those who are also UWM employees)
  • Those with uncommitted start-up funds of $20,000 or more
  • Those who are on notice of non-retention or who have accepted offers at other institutions
  • Visiting scholars who are not UWM employees

Additional Application Restrictions

  • Applicants may submit only one request per cycle.
  • Those who were funded between July, 1 2023 and June 30, 2024 must wait until July 1, 2025 to apply.
  • Those who receive an award between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025 must wait until July 1, 2026 to apply again.

Examples of Eligible Expenses

  • Conference/workshop/exhibition fees (remote or in-person) and travel to these events where you are presenting your research, artistic, or curated cultural works
  • Conference/workshop/exhibition fees (remote or in-person) and travel to these events where you have an official administrative role as an officer or conference planner
  • Subvention fees, open access fees, page charges, etc.  Note that publications that result in revenue will require a Royalty Sharing Agreement.  Contact your Divisional Finance Officer for more information.
  • Materials and supplies, user fees, and purchase of services for use related to a research project.
  • Participant incentives
  • Specialized software
  • Non-capitalized equipment (items that cost less than $5,000 per unit or system) for use related to a research project
  • Hourly graduate and undergraduate students for assistance related to a research project
  • Equipment service and repair if related to a research project
  • Travel to conduct research
  • Travel for executive-level role in professional organizations
  • Hosting a regional research meeting
  • Proposal writing assistance where subject expertise is needed
  • Consultant fees for developing an evaluation plan required for an external grant
  • Graphic design support for proposals, presentations, and publications (e.g., illustrations, data visualizations, figures, images)
  • Indexing for book manuscripts
  • Honoraria for external proposal draft review

Ineligible Expenses

  • Course releases, academic-year salary, summer salary, sabbatical salary.
  • Curriculum development.
  • Support for service projects that do not have a research component

Deadlines

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted. Unless additional information is required, applicants will be notified of funding decisions within 6 weeks of submission. Application submission well in advance of a specific event date is strongly encouraged.

Outcome Report

All award recipients must submit a short report (up to one page) on the outcomes of the funding.

Compliance with policy

All award recipients must follow UWM and UW-System policies, including but not limited to those for travel, procurement, and hiring.

UWM Research Assistance Fund (RAF)


The Research Assistance Fund provides small grants (up to $2,500) for conducting and disseminating research and creative work. The awards are intended for specific, short-term needs. Expenses must be incurred within a year of the award date. 

Eligible Applicants

  • UWM faculty and staff who conduct research or creative projects, are employed at least half-time, and are not concurrently enrolled as UWM students.
  • UWM faculty and staff who are not the Principal Investigator on a current UWM Discovery and Innovation Grant (DIG) or Advancing Research and Creativity (ARC) award.
  • Co-applicants are not allowed.

Ineligible Applicants

  • Administrators with positions at the dean level or higher
  • Those in the TTC Post Degree Training job family (e.g. post-docs, research associates, research interns)
  • Students (including those who are also UWM employees)
  • Those with uncommitted start-up funds of $20,000 or more
  • Those who are on notice of non-retention or who have accepted offers at other institutions
  • Visiting scholars who are not UWM employees

Additional Application Restrictions

  • Applicants may submit only one request per cycle.
  • Those who were funded between July, 1 2023 and June 30, 2024 must wait until July 1, 2025 to apply.
  • Those who receive an award between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025 must wait until July 1, 2026 to apply again.

Examples of Eligible Expenses

  • Conference/workshop/exhibition fees (remote or in-person) and travel to these events where you are presenting your research, artistic, or curated cultural works
  • Conference/workshop/exhibition fees (remote or in-person) and travel to these events where you have an official administrative role as an officer or conference planner
  • Subvention fees, open access fees, page charges, etc.  Note that publications that result in revenue will require a Royalty Sharing Agreement.  Contact your Divisional Finance Officer for more information.
  • Materials and supplies, user fees, and purchase of services for use related to a research project.
  • Participant incentives
  • Specialized software
  • Non-capitalized equipment (items that cost less than $5,000 per unit or system) for use related to a research project
  • Hourly graduate and undergraduate students for assistance related to a research project
  • Equipment service and repair if related to a research project
  • Travel to conduct research
  • Travel for executive-level role in professional organizations
  • Hosting a regional research meeting
  • Proposal writing assistance where subject expertise is needed
  • Consultant fees for developing an evaluation plan required for an external grant
  • Graphic design support for proposals, presentations, and publications (e.g., illustrations, data visualizations, figures, images)
  • Indexing for book manuscripts
  • Honoraria for external proposal draft review

Ineligible Expenses

  • Course releases, academic-year salary, summer salary, sabbatical salary.
  • Curriculum development.
  • Support for service projects that do not have a research component

Deadlines

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted. Unless additional information is required, applicants will be notified of funding decisions within 6 weeks of submission. Application submission well in advance of a specific event date is strongly encouraged.

Outcome Report

All award recipients must submit a short report (up to one page) on the outcomes of the funding.

Compliance with policy

All award recipients must follow UWM and UW-System policies, including but not limited to those for travel, procurement, and hiring.

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Opens
Aug 13 2024 12:01 AM (CDT)
Deadline
May 15 2025 11:59 PM (CDT)