Arts and Humanities Research Grants for Early Career Faculty

Key Dates

Grant Proposal Details

Who Can Apply

To apply for this grant, eligible applicants must be tenure-track, assistant faculty in schools or departments of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) at institutions of higher education in Texas.

The proposed project must be approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to proposal submission.

How Applications Are Reviewed

Foundation staff will read and score every proposal. While all proposal documents will be considered during the review process, the most important part of your proposal is the written narrative.

Reviewers will look at:

• Fit with the Initiative’s Goals: The proposal should focus on the intersection of mental health, well-being, and the arts and humanities. For more information, see Section D: Initiative Details and Eligibility;
• Scope of the Project (Narrative): See “How to Submit a Grant Proposal” section;
• Budget: The proposed budget should be reasonable, realistic, and within the limits stated in the RFP; and
  • Budget Justification: The proposed expenses must be clear and connected with the goals and activities outlined in the proposal. The budget should include a detailed breakdown of costs, including details like faculty relief time, graduate research assistant time, purchase of data analysis software, recruitment incentives for participants, mileage/travel for data collection, presentation to a key audience (national, regional, or statewide conference or meeting) and/or any research-related expenses.
• Timeline: The proposed timeline should be reasonable, realistic, and within the limits stated in the RFP.

Grant Term

The grant will last 18 months. See Key Dates table for further details.

Reporting Requirements

You must submit a final narrative report and final fiscal report describing the summary of grant activities and how you spent the grant funds during the grant term.

Training and Support

Texas Grants Resource Center will offer a free, optional webinar on proposal writing and budgeting. See Key Dates for details.

Send webinar questions, no later than 24 hours in advance, to the Grants Management team.

The proposal must include:

• Summary. Will serve as the abstract (research problem, objectives, methodology, and significance of your project). You will fill this out using the Fluxx system. This acts as a cover letter for your proposal.
• Narrative (Main Written Proposal). Also completed in Fluxx. We recommend writing your answers in a separate document and copying and pasting them into your Fluxx application as the system will log you out after 30 minutes and not save your work. You will be asked to answer questions about:
  • Project Alignment with Initiative’s Goals. Outline your vision for the project and the main project goals;
  • Research Question. Define the specific question or questions your research will address;
  • Background/Literature Review. Summarize existing research relevant to your topic. It should identify gaps in
    current knowledge and explain how your research builds on or diverges from existing studies;
  • Methodology. Detail the methods you will use to conduct your research. This includes research design, sampling, data collection techniques, and data analysis methods;
  • Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) or Community-Based Participatory Arts Research (CBPAR). Describe how you will incorporate the framework of CBPR or CBPAR into your mental health, well-being, and the arts and humanities project to involve community members, researchers, and other stakeholders in the research process, recognizing and maximizing the importance of their individual and collective contributions;
  • Outcomes and Impact. Outline what the research aims to achieve. Describe how you see your research project impacting the field in the short- and long-term; and
  • Advancement Toward Tenure. Identify journal/s you intend to submit a manuscript (or manuscripts). Describe other scholarly activities that support your advancement toward tenure.
• Staff.  In Fluxx’s “Key Project Staff” section, list everyone who will implement the research project – staff/principal investigator, contractors, consultants, etc. For each person, include their name and title and uploaded CV/resumes. If a position is vacant, you may upload a job description.
• Timeline (Use the template provided). Download the Excel timeline template from Fluxx’s “Application Documents” section. Fill out, save, and upload the document to Fluxx with your proposal. Include:
  • Major proposed milestones and due dates; and
  • Names of those responsible for each task.
• Budget (Use the template provided). Download the Excel budget template from Fluxx’s “Application Documents” section. Fill out, save, and upload the document to Fluxx with your proposal. Follow the instructions in the first tab of the Excel budget template provided in Fluxx.
• Letter Approving the Proposal Submission. Upload a signed letter on letterhead from the university’s grants office (such as the Office of Sponsored Projects or Grants and Contracts). This letter should either show approval of the proposal or say that approval is unnecessary. Note: This process can take several business days, so submit proposals early to give the grant office enough time for review and approval.
• Fiscal Documents. Upload the following documents from your organization’s finance office to the “Fiscal Documents” section in Fluxx:
  • IRS letter of determination of 501(c)(3) or tax-exempt status;
  • Most recent IRS Form 990;
  • Current operating budget;
  • Statement of activities (income statements) from the past year; and
  • Statement of financial position (balance sheets) for the past year.
• Letter(s) of Support. If you’re working with partner organizations, upload letters of support from them to the “Application Documents” section in Fluxx’s “Required Documents” section. Each letter should be on the partner’s letterhead and signed by the organization’s authorized representative (like the executive director, president, or CEO) and should contain:
  • A letter of support will be required from the applicant’s mentor; and
  • A letter of support will be required from the applicant’s Department Chair.
• Preferences. Preference will be given to proposals that include a funding match from the applicant’s university.

Background and Definitions

Background

This Background document is available for those who would like to learn more about the needs addressed by this initiative.

Definitions

Arts and Humanities: The Arts and Humanities are areas of study that help us share and understand the big mix of feelings, ideas, and experiences that come with being human. Learn more

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR): CBPR is a research process that is collaborative in nature because it involves community members, organizations, researchers, and research partners as equal collaborators and decision-makers in the entire research process. The goal of CBPR is to bring sustainable and lasting social change and well-being for all community stakeholders using the knowledge, expertise, skills, and strengths from community partners.  Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) | NIH

Community-Based Participatory Arts Research (CBPAR): CBPAR is the artistic child of CBPR. It is also a research process that is collaborative in nature involving community members, artists, and research partners as equal collaborators and decision-makers in the entire research process, and music, storytelling, dance, and visual arts to address community needs and create social change. CBPAR-Researchers Under the Spell of the Arts | Educational Research Review

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE): CSWE is the national association representing social work education in the United States. Its members include more than 900 accredited baccalaureate, master’s, and practice doctorate degree social work programs and their affiliated social work educators, students, and staff, as well as practitioners and agencies dedicated to advancing quality social work education.  CSWE’s Board of Accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the accrediting agency for social work education in the United States and its territories. Learn more

Early Career Faculty (also referred to as Early Career Researchers): Tenure-track, assistant faculty in accredited Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) departments or schools of social work in Texas.

Fluxx Grants Management System: Online platform to manage grant applications and processes.

Mental Health and Well-Being: Mental health, as defined by the World Health Organization, is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can make a contribution to his or her community.” The foundation believes that mental health and well-being should be promoted beyond the walls of health clinics and integrated into everyday life. Community members, leaders, and professionals–-from teachers and preachers to police officers and judges-–should understand its importance, the factors that influence it, and its relationship to overall well-being and resilience. Learn more