Provost Mini-Grant

Each academic year, the Provost’s Office provides up to $2,500 in startup funding to support faculty in securing external grants through the Provost Mini Grant program. This program funds preliminary research activities, including refining ideas, testing methodologies, collecting data, and promoting collaboration.

Full-time faculty (tenured, tenure-track, and lecturers) are eligible to apply, and recipients must deliver a draft proposal narrative by the semester’s end. Priority is given to new initiatives aligning with strategic plans. Visit the Academic Affairs Procedural Calendar for deadlines, review the application information below, and submit your application via Watermark. Recommendations from chair and dean levels will be made via Watermark. Final approval from the Provost will also be documented in Watermark and will accompany an email and letter sent from the Office of Faculty Affairs to the applicant.

The Provost’s Office allocates Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Costs Recovery funds to support faculty grant writing to external agencies during the fall and spring semesters.

Funding Details: Up to $2,500 in startup funds are available to support preliminary investigations, such as:

• Refining ideas, creating plans, and trying out new methodologies
• Collecting preliminary data and procuring supplies/equipment
• Seeking fellowships, promoting collaboration, and supporting travel
• Paying students/assistants

Deliverables: Recipients must deliver a draft proposal narrative at the end of the semester, including a list of potential funding agencies.

Important Notes:

• Funds cannot be used for faculty salary supplements.
• This grant is meant for new initiatives, not ongoing programs.
• Repeat applicants must demonstrate why the current funding is for a new initiative or project phase.

Eligibility:

• Open to all full-time faculty (tenured, tenure-track, lecturer/senior lecturer).
• Funding period:
  • Fall: August 1 – December 31
  • Spring: January 1 – June 30

Post-Award Report:

• Submit a 1-2 page summary by the end of the funding period via Watermark.

Application Deadlines:

• For updated deadlines, visit the Academic Affairs Procedural Calendar.

Following review and approval at the chair and dean levels, Provost Mini Grant applications are reviewed by the Provost Mini Grant Committee, a group of faculty members from across the MSU Denver colleges and schools who convene once per semester to use the rubric below to evaluate applications and make recommendations to the Provost. These reviews are then used by the Provost to make final decisions on the PMG recipients for a given semester.