About the UNE Minigrant program
The UNE Minigrant program provides intramural funding that helps support faculty research and scholarship at the University of New England. Funding for the program is provided through hard money commitments made by the University and indirect cost revenue generated by extramural grants and contracts awarded to the University.
The primary purposes of these funds are to
- Support the generation of scholarly works, particularly for junior faculty starting their research/scholarship programs, and pilot projects that can be incorporated into applications for external funding by federal and state agencies or private foundations.
- Catalyze the growth in quality and quantity of scholarly activity being conducted by faculty at the University of New England, helping contribute to a culture of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship that positively impacts individuals and communities.
- Facilitate the faculty member’s scholarship thereby raising the visibility of both the individual faculty member’s project and the composite University research/scholarship programs to the outside professional and public communities. This also helps increase the likelihood of a broader positive impact on society.
Minigrants are funded at two different levels. The most common individual awards are funded up to $5,000. In addition, requests can be made for higher amounts (up to $15,000) for projects that can justify the larger budgets based on the scope or nature of the project.
Applicants may not apply to both tiers of funding with essentially the same project. For both tiers, competitive applications will require a carefully planned budget and justification as the proposed project and budget will be reviewed together.
The funding period for 2025 Minigrants is a maximum of 15 months (June 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026) which provides faculty with an academic year and two summers to complete their projects.
An electronic copy of a proposal must be submitted to minigrants@big5vn.com. Applications for 2025 Minigrants are due January 23, 2025, by 11:59 p.m.
Please see RFA for complete guidance on applying. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the budget section of their proposals with the Office of Research and Scholarship well in advance of their application.
Contact
Karen Houseknecht
Associate Provost for Research and Scholarship
Ursula Röse
Chair, UFA Research and Scholarship Committee
Peter Herrick
Assistant Director of Sponsored Programs