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Call for Proposals for the CSSH Research Development Initiative (RDI)

The Dean’s Office in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities is pleased to announce the AY 2024-2025 CSSH Research Development Initiative (RDI), which will provide faculty members in the college with seed funding to help them develop proposals that fulfill one or both of CSSH’s two research priorities: seeking significant research support from external sources and developing research across Northeastern’s global campus network.

Please note: The CSSH Research Development Initiative (RDI) is no longer accepting applications for AY 2024-2025. Please check back in Summer 2025 for updates.

Research Development Initiative Priorities

  • To support research that will lead to the development of proposals for external grants or fellowships and that will have a positive impact on the career trajectory of faculty within the College of Social Sciences and Humanities. This external support may come in a wide variety of forms including grants, fellowships, research contracts, or research partnerships. Specific grant or fellowship opportunities must be identified and a clear plan for subsequent submission must be included in the RDI application.
  • To build CSSH faculty’s research capacity in Northeastern’s global campus network. We will consider projects that propose to develop proposals for external funding with a faculty member at one of Northeastern’s global campuses (beyond Boston) or to support development of a research partnership or project at a location within Northeastern’s global campus network (Arlington/DC, Charlotte, London, Miami, Oakland, Portland, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Toronto, and Vancouver). A CSSH faculty member can, for example, apply for research development funds to partner with one or more faculty members at Mills College, Northeastern University-London, or another network campus OR to extend their own capacity to conduct their own research in the Oakland, London, Seattle, etc.

Across both RDI priority areas, we encourage proposals that support the college’s goals of fostering cross-college collaborations, developing multigenerational research teams, and supporting undergraduate students’ involvement in research.

Maximum Award

Awards for a single CSSH investigator will not exceed $7,500. Most projects will be funded for six months; all unexpended funds will be returned to the Dean’s Office after 12 months (from date of notification).

Eligibility and Allowable Expenses

All full-time faculty from CSSH are eligible to apply for these awards. Allowable expenses include travel, purchase of data or software, access fees to archives, and funding for students as research assistants. In rare instances, these funds may be used to purchase hardware if the hardware is necessary for the development of the full proposal. Neither faculty salary nor faculty course releases are supported under this program.

Faculty who have balances in research, start up, gift, or overhead return accounts that are equal to or greater than the amount requested in the RDI application are not eligible to receive an RDI award; if you do have unencumbered research, start up, gift, or overhead return funds, we will apply that funding to this award. Faculty who received an RDI award in the previous academic year will not be eligible to receive an RDI award this year.

CSSH RDI funds are intended primarily to support the CSSH faculty member in a research collaboration; those proposing to work with faculty at other NU campuses and colleges should first approach the other campus or college to see if they will cover the costs requested that directly support non-CSSH faculty.

Application Materials

All materials must be submitted electronically, through the CSSH online application system. The application includes the prospectus, unit head endorsement, and the vitae. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

Prospectus

A three-page (double-spaced) page narrative that includes:

  • a clear articulation of how the proposal relates to one or both of the CSSH RDI priorities;
  • a strong description of the rationale for and potential impact of the proposed project;
  • a statement of how the proposed project relates to the applicant’s teaching, engagement, or scholarly efforts, or to developing the applicant’s research capacity in the global campus network;
  • an outline of a specific work plan that connects to the budget narrative as well as a description, if appropriate, of how students will be involved in the project;
  • a detailed budget (no more than $7,500) and budget narrative (no more than two paragraphs) that specifies each requested expenditure (please be sure to adhere to College guidance around budget preparation);
  • a plan for submission (including the specific funding agency, its submission date(s), and a timeline) of one or more proposals for external support.

Applicants should also include a brief endorsement from your unit head, as well as an updated CV.

Review Process

Applications will be accepted and funded on a rolling basis. Applications will be reviewed by a committee that will make recommendations to the CSSH Dean. Priority will be given to proposals that include, when appropriate, opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in the proposed research.

Repeat Awards

This program exists to provide one-time support to CSSH faculty to help them develop proposals for external support or to develop projects in the global campus network. Therefore, a successful faculty member will generally not be re-funded for the same project from this initiative, or receive additional funding for new projects if final reports from prior RDI awards were late or incomplete.

Funding Timeline and Final Report

All awardees are expected to submit a final report within one year of receiving project funding. This report should include a description of project activities and accomplishments and of any new partnerships or collaborations. The final report should also describe any barriers faced and strategies to overcome them and any dissemination activities including papers or conference presentations. All reports must include a description of external funds applied for or proposals planned. This report must be sent to Associate Dean, Natasha Frost (n.frost@northeastern.edu), by the due date specified in the award notification.

Please address any questions about this initiative to the Associate Director of Research Development, Kate Duggan (k.duggan@northeastern.edu).