Research Excellence Fund (REF)

2026-2027 Program Cycle

Fall Proposals

Important Deadlines

Notice of Intent to Submit: The Notice of Intent to Submit should be filled in with sufficient time to meet non-standard internal deadlines.
Sponsored Programs Cayuse Approval Deadline: October 1, at 5:00 p.m. All proposals must be fully signed/certified in Cayuse with the budget and budget justification reviewed and approved by Sponsored Programs (SP).
Proposal Deadline (full final PDF attached to Cayuse proposal by the Principal Investigator): October 7, at 5 p.m.
An optional internal review for compliance with REF requirements can be scheduled by reaching out to rd-l@mtu.edu prior to September 30.

Award Period: All awards will begin January 1. The award duration is 12 months.

Spring Proposals

Important Deadlines

The Notice of Intent to Submit should be filled in with sufficient time to meet standard internal deadlines.
An optional internal review for compliance with REF requirements can be scheduled by reaching out to rd-l@mtu.edu prior to TBD.
Proposal Deadline (full final PDF attached to Cayuse proposal by the Principal Investigator): TBD.

Award Period: All awards will begin July 1. The award duration is 12 months.

Research Excellence Fund (REF) - Research Seed Grants (RS)

Program Description
REF-RS grants are designed to provide research faculty (including research scientists, engineers, and research assistant professors) and untenured, tenure-track academic faculty who have been in their current position with Michigan Tech for less than six years with additional resources to develop an externally supported research program. Instructional track faculty with research appointments are eligible to apply. A letter from the department chair verifying the research component of the appointment should be included as a supplementary document. Due to limited funding, awards are limited to one per PI during the eligibility period. There is no limit on an individual’s ability to serve as a co-PI; however, the focus of each REF project must be on positioning the PI for future research success.

Typical REF-RS projects will develop preliminary data to be used in subsequent proposals to outside funding sources, support pilot studies developing new research methods or procedures, or support other activities leading to the development of an externally recognized and funded research program. All RS awards should include a description of how the REF funds will be used to better position the PI for future success on a defined career path. Travel costs are allowable but must be well-justified. Travel support should not be for attendance at a professional conference or meeting the PI normally would attend. The report submitted at the end of supported REF-RS projects should include a description of proposals submitted (or in preparation) to external funding agencies based on the work supported by the REF-RS Grant.

REF-RS grants may be up to $40,000 per year, with an expected average award of $30,000 per year.

Submission Details and Instructions.

Research Excellence Fund (REF) - Scholarship & Creativity Grants (SCG)

Program Description
The REF Scholarship and Creativity Grant (SCG) provides support to encourage tenure-track, tenured, and teaching faculty with permanent appointments to engage in research, scholarly, and creative work/activities to support their career development as a faculty member. SCG awards primarily support scholarly projects undertaken by faculty in disciplines identified by the National Science Foundation as “non-science and engineering fields.” These are primarily within the arts, education, business, humanities, and some social science disciplines. All SCG awards should include a description of how the REF funds will be used to better position the PI for future success on a defined career path. Please note that project aimed primarily at securing teaching resources or improving teaching effectiveness are outside the scope of the REF program.

Grants will range up to $15,000, with an expected average of less than $10,000.

SCG awards are meant to stand alone; they are not supplements to or replacements for departmental general fund expenditures or other existing funding programs (startup, grants and contract cost-share, C2E2, student support, etc.)

SCG awards are intended to allow faculty to undertake the following (and similar) activities:

Initiation of a new scholarly or creative activity, or completion of such a project, whether for individual investigator projects or collaborative teams. Research projects may involve writing books and research articles. Funds for activities such as archival data collection, site visits, interviews, and manuscript preparation will be given priority over editorial assistance and indexing, and scholarly monographs will have priority over textbook projects and preparation of articles for scholarly journals.
Travel support for research-related activities, educational workshops, and training programs related to the scholarly interests of the proposing faculty. This support should not be for attendance at a professional conference or meeting the PI normally would attend.
Acquisition of databases, other computer software, or research equipment, if justified for the specific project.
Art performances, exhibits, or other creative and artistic activities within the applicant’s field of study.
Efforts to initiate collaborative research teams. Such proposals must identify the specific actions to be supported in attempts to build working relationships in support of specific projects. It is expected that the outcome of such awards will include proposals to external sponsors; proposals must identify clear strategies for seeking future external funding. Collaborators submitting a REF request of this type cannot have worked together on previous grants or publications. The committee will give precedence to the creation of interdisciplinary teams. Budgets must be especially clear about activities to be supported, and must justify the activities that will advance development of successful research or creative collaborations.
Other activities contributing to personal scholarly research and development, such as publication costs.

Submission Details and Instructions.