Internal Funding Opportunities

The following program have open calls for proposals:

  • Commercialization & ENTR REsearch (CENTRE) Funding Initiative
    • CENTRE funding is an initiative of the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship at UMBC and provides funds for research that leads to potential commercialization of a product or service. Any UMBC faculty, full time or adjunct, conducting research in either technical fields (technical entrepreneurship), or social/humanities fields (social entrepreneurship) is encouraged to apply for funding. Faculty who receive funds through this initiative are encouraged to file for a patent, expected to publish their research results and be involved in commercializing the research outcomes. CENTRE funding prepares faculty for TEDCO MII funding (State of Maryland), Catalyst Funds, or possible awards from NEA, NSF, NIH, etc. Interdisciplinary collaborations (e.g. from humanities and technology) with faculty from different UMBC departments are strongly encouraged.
    • Award Size: up to $15,000
    • Deadline: April 1, 2024
    • Contact Professor George Karabatis (georgek@umbc.edu) with any questions
  • RCA Strategic Award Supplement
    • Sponsored by the Office of Research and Creative Achievement (ORCA), this program provides internal funding, up to $15,000, to supplement externally funded grants or fellowships from agencies and organizations of strategic importance to UMBC, in order to further support and propel the proposed research or creative achievement initiatives.
    • For the FY24 funding cycle, this program is designated to supplement UMBC researchers with active Research Grant (R-series) awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
    • Funding will not provide salary support or course buyouts for the PI(s). Funds must be utilized during the active period of the external award. Award amounts are subject to availability of funds and the securing of relevant approvals at departmental and college levels.
    • Applications may be submitted on a rolling basis via this Google form.
  • Faculty Entrepreneurship AcceleraTor Fund (FEAT)
    • With support provided by the Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA) and the Office of Research and Creative Achievement (ORCA), we are happy to announce a new funding initiative called FEAT. The program is designed to help broaden the technology pipeline, while also assisting with later stage technology commercialization. It is available to UMBC’s entrepreneurial PIs to advance their idea or technology towards commercial success, and out to meet societal needs. FEAT is flexible to assist UMBC in broadening the technology pipeline, obtaining additional commercialization funding, and providing mentorship services. FEAT will support things like prototype builds, market surveys, business plans, CEO support, mentoring assistance, special facility or equipment access -whatever your specific needs are to obtain your next commercialization funding (MII, MIPS, SBIR/STTR, Momentum Funds, etc.). This program will also enable UMBC, through OTD and bwtech, to identify for faculty existing resources, as well as provide new resources (like Market databases) based on faculty requests.
    • Deadlines: Rolling submission, due the first Monday of the month, monthly reviews. Submit your one-page proposal to Wendy Martin at wmartin@umbc.edu. Reviewed monthly, proposals are funded at the level deemed necessary to achieve the goals outlined in the proposal.

The programs listed below currently do not have open calls for proposals, but some may be repeated again in the future.

  • UMBC Summer Research Faculty Fellowship (SURFF)
    • Supports tenure-track UMBC faculty members who have not yet received tenure in pursuing research and creative achievement projects during the summer. Priority will be given to faculty members who have not previously received SURFF/SFF funding.
    • Award Size: up to $8,000
    • Deadline: February 16, 2024
    • Contact donengel@umbc.edu with any questions
  • UMBC Strategic Awards for Research Transitions (START)
    • Supports full-time, PI-eligible members of the UMBC faculty, at the assistant rank and above, to advance their research and creative achievement endeavors, to compete more effectively for external support, and to pursue new areas of inquiry.
    • Members of the faculty who have received prior START support are ineligible to apply for three years after the end date of the prior grant.
    • Award Size: up to $25,000
    • Deadline: February 16, 2024
    • Contact donengel@umbc.edu with any questions
  • UMB ICTR Community Engagement Research (CEnR) Voucher Award
    • For developing successful and sustainable community partnerships in the Maryland and/or D.C. area which enable recipients to prepare for a future, competitive ICTR CEnR proposal or other extramural CEnR-type grant applications.
    • Eligibility: Faculty members at the level of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor with a minimum 51 percent FTE appointment from UMB, UMBC, or UMCP.
    • Award size: up to $10,000
    • Prior Deadline: Friday, December 1, 2023, 5pm
    • Contact ICTR-Navigator@umaryland.edu with any questions
  • UMB ICTR Accelerated Translational Incubator Pilot (ATIP) Pilot Grant Program
    • For projects focused on innovative translational research.
    • Eligibility: Faculty members at the level of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor from UMB, UMBC, or UMCP.
    • Award size: up to $50,000
    • Deadline: Friday, Nov 10, 2023, 5pm
    • Contact ICTR-Navigator@umaryland.edu with any questions
  • UMB ICTR Community Engagement Research (CEnR) Pilot Grant Program
    • For projects specifically focused on innovative Community-Engaged Research (CEnR), testing novel approaches to addressing health problems through community-engaged implementation.
    • Eligibility: Faculty members at the level of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor from UMB, UMBC, or UMCP.
    • Award size: up to $50,000
    • Deadline: Friday, Nov 10, 2023, 5pm
    • Contact ICTR-Navigator@umaryland.edu with any questions
  • UMBC Supplement for Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE)
    • Supports the inclusion of undergraduates in faculty-led research during their first four semesters at UMBC.
    • The application form is combined with the Federal Workstudy (FWS) program, which enables SURE applicants to request the creation of an FWS-funded position as part of a single, short application.
    • Award Size: up to $1,500
    • Deadline for FWS: July 28, 2023 (later submissions will receive lower priority)
    • Deadline for SURE: August 25, 2023
  • Cybersecurity Leadership – Exploratory Project Grant
    • The Cybersecurity Leadership at UMBC Task Force is pleased to announce a call for innovative,
      exploratory projects on cybersecurity education and research focused on enhancing UMBC’s role a source of thought leadership and leaders in cybersecurity.
    • Award Size: up to $25,000
    • Prior Deadline: March 27, 2023
    • Award Period: May 1, 2023 through January 31, 2024.
    • Contact: Office of Research Development <ord@umbc.edu>
  • UMBC Charlesmead Initiative for Arts Education
    • Proposals should be tailored to the needs and interests of the K-8 students in Title I BCPSS classrooms to increase arts engagement, build interest and skill in creative processes, and cultivate confidence and efficacy in entering higher education. Proposals should leverage the strengths of arts-related departments at UMBC, and reflect the vision of all children having equal access to quality arts programming in the full spectrum of artistic disciplines, such as Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts.
    • While proposals do not need to support the development of research papers/books, artistic works by UMBC faculty/students, or performances by UMBC faculty/students, such research and creative achievement (RCA) activities are allowable parts of a project’s scope.
    • Submissions accepted on a rolling basis for projects up to $1,000.
    • Prior deadlines for projects over $1,000 were November 18, 2022 (fall) and March 1, 2023 (spring)
    • Contact: David Demarest <davidd4@umbc.edu>
  • UMB ICTR CTSA TL1 Pre-Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Clinical Research Training Award
    • Supports the training of biomedical, behavioral, and clinical researchers through individual pre- and postdoctoral research training within the schools of Dentistry, Graduate, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Social Work on the UMB campus and the UMCP campus. The Request for Application (RFA) is attached to this note.
    • Prior Deadline: February 27, 2022 at 5:00 PM EST
    • Contact: ICTR-navigator@umaryland.edu with any questions
  • Sherman Center Faculty Research Award
      • Supports research about policies and practices that enhance the learning of young children, ages three through eight, in urban communities like Baltimore.
      • Award Size: $50,000 for 12-24 month awards
      • Prior Deadline: January 25, 2023
      • Contact Dr. Jennifer Mata-McMahon <jmatamcm@umbc.edu> with any questions
  • Center and Institute Departmentally-Engaged Research (CIDER) Grant Program
    • This pilot funding program is primarily aimed to increase inter-unit collaboration, particularly between researchers whose appointments are not primarily in an academic department (e.g., including, but not limited to Hilltop, CSST, JCET/GESTAR, GPHI/PHaSER, CADVC, IRC, CAS) and researchers within academic units.
    • Award size: up to $50,000
    • Prior Deadline: December 9, 2022
    • Contact Dr. Don Engel <donengel@umbc.edu> with any questions
  • UMB ICTR Community Engagement Research (CEnR) Pilot Grant Program
    • Provides starter funds for projects specifically focused on innovative Community-Engaged Research (CEnR). This round will test novel approaches to addressing health problems through community-engaged implementation that involve faculty from the Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing, Law, Social Work, Graduate School, UMBC, UMCP, and UMB-community partnerships.
    • Award size: up to $50,000
    • Prior Deadline: November 11, 2022
    • Contact ICTR-Navigator@ umaryland.edu with any questionsProposals should be tailored to the needs and interests of the K-8 students in Title I BCPSS classrooms to increase arts engagement, build interest and skill in creative processes, and cultivate confidence and efficacy in entering higher education. Proposals should leverage the strengths of arts-related departments at UMBC, and reflect the vision of all children having equal access to quality arts programming in the full spectrum of artistic disciplines, such as Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts.
  • UMBC Technology Catalyst Fund
    • Supports the advance of innovations originating from UMBC research to more commercially viable technologies, i.e. proof-of-concept studies, extending data collection and prototype development.
    • Award Size: up to $25,000
    • Prior Deadline: September 22, 2023
  • ICTR Community Engagement Research (CEnR) Pilot Grant
    • Supports the testing of novel approaches to addressing health problems through community-engaged implementation that involve faculty from the UMB Schools of Dentistry, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, or Social Work; UMBC, UMCP, and UMB-community partnerships.
    • Up to $35,000 in direct costs
    • Prior Deadline: Monday, April 11, 2022
    • Contact ICTR-Navigator@umaryland.edu with any questions
  • The Eileen and Jerry Carroll Faculty Research Fund
    • This fund is intended “to support faculty in cross-disciplinary research and creative achievement that encourages civic engagement. Faculty from any discipline will be eligible, and special consideration will be given to projects that encourage collaboration with faculty from other disciplines, departments, and/or colleges at UMBC or across the University System of Maryland. Projects funded will support research, scholarship, and creative activity conducted by faculty. Funds can be directed to research-related travel expenses, materials, and other activities not easily funded via existing institutional resources.”
    • Award Size: up to $2,000
    • Prior Deadline: March 1, 2022
    • Contact Associate Dean Preminda Jacob (pjacob2@umbc.edu) with any questions
  • Accelerated Translational Incubator Pilot (ATIP) Grant Program
    • The University of Maryland, Baltimore Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (UMB ICTR) is a campus-wide clinical and translational research initiative supported by the UMB campus and the University of Maryland Medical System.
    • Details on this solicitation are available here
    • Prior Deadline: due to UMB by November 12, 2021