Research and Sponsored Programs

Message from your peer facilitator:

Ask your colleagues for examples of successful proposals to help you craft your submissions.
 

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5.2 RESEARCH AND SPONSORED PROGRAMS

 

Office of Research & Sponsored Programs

The Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP) office supports research at CSUN. One of their primary responsibilities is in managing all research grants and contracted ("sponsored") programs for the university. The RSP office is also your institutional partner for matters related to research integrity, intellectual property, and all campus Centers and Institutes. We also work closely with the Research and Grants Committee, a Faculty Senate committee that supports faculty research efforts. If you haven’t met your college’s representative yet, you are encouraged to reach out!

In addition to supporting funded research, RSP houses the following research oversight boards:

• The Committee for Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS)
• The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
• The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
• The University Copyright and Patent Committee (UCPC)

As the department responsible for ensuring CSUN’s compliance with all federal, state, local, and CSU system-wide laws and requirements, RSP supports these committees to ensure careful consideration of the ethical implications of our research and compliance with research and safety regulations.

Above all, the RSP team is here to help you!  You can view the complete RSP staff directory and identify your college/department liaisons—they are the first people to ask when you’re thinking about submitting a new proposal or need some assistance but aren’t sure who can help you.

And speaking of proposals, you can visit the Funding Opportunities page to learn how to search for new grant opportunities. Some internal grants that may be of interest to first-year faculty are highlighted below.

 

Faculty Research Project Development Initiative (FRPDI) - Due October 10, 2025

The Research & Sponsored Programs office would like to invite faculty initiating new lines of inquiry to apply for funding that promotes fostering a vibrant culture of discovery, artistic expression, and intellectual curiosity. The FRPDI program embodies RSP’s commitment to the teacher-scholar model and a shared vision of academic excellence and transformative student learning.

The program offers:

• 1 to 6 units of reassigned time (to be used between Spring 2026 and Spring 2027), and
• Up to $5,000 in project development funding (eligible for use on data collection, student wages, additional pay, or materials).

Reassigned time and additional funds will be awarded based on established review criteria and available resources. Please review the Request for Proposals (RFP Links to an external site.) for details on full eligibility and application guidelines.

 

Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity (RSCA) Awards

Each year, the CSU Chancellor's Office provides funding to each campus to support faculty research, scholarship and creative activity, interpreted broadly to mean the disciplined quest for broadening human understanding. There are two categories of awards: 1) mini-grant, not to exceed $5,000, or 2) 3 units of reassigned time (to be utilized during the academic year). Proposals are usually due each Spring, sometime around Feb 20th. 

 

Research & Sponsored Project (RSP) Summer Grant Program

The Research & Sponsored Programs (RSP) office is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 2025 Summer Grant Program. The purpose of the Summer Grant Program is to provide summer salary to support the development of a proposal for external funding, to be submitted through RSP as early as July 1, 2025, but no later than April 15, 2026. Visit the Funding Opportunities page at the Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP) office website for more details.

 

Pathways to Tenure Grant Program (formerly known as the Probationary Faculty Grant)

The Pathways to Tenure Grant Program is supported by the Division of Academic Affairs and administered by the Office of Faculty Development.  It provides funding for 3 units of reassigned time to assist probationary, tenure-track faculty in meeting the qualifications for retention, tenure, or promotion. While tenure-track faculty members in their third through fifth years and those who have not previously received awards under this program will be given priority, all probationary, tenure-track faculty can apply. 

Due to the current CSU budgetary constraints, this grant has been temporarily paused for the 2025-2026 academic year. While it is unknown when this grant will be made available again, we will update this page when funding becomes available again.

 

Community Engagement Grant Programs

The Office of Community Engagement also offers a set of grants that you might be able to connect to your scholarly agenda if your research and teaching involves service learning. For instance, in the Grant Cycle announcement (due in April), the following grants are listed as options: Pedagogical Grant ($2,000), Seed/Research or Creative Project Startup Grant ($500 maximum), and Student Scholar Grant ($500).

The deadline for applications for the 2025-2026 grant cycle is Friday, April 4 at 11:59pm. Please contact communityengagement@csun.edu with any questions.