The Legacy Grants, established by the College of Arts and Letters Alumni Board, support compelling teacher-scholar projects. Teacher-scholars are actively engaged in advancing their fields of inquiry and are committed to blending teaching and scholarship into a single endeavor. Legacy Grant applications should articulate how the proposed project advances knowledge and enhances student learning and discuss how students will be involved in the project.

Award Amount: Up to $7,000

Deadline: Friday, February 6, 2026

Eligibility and conditions of acceptance:

• Full-time faculty members (tenured, tenure-track, and renewable-term appointments) in the College of Arts and Letters who have not received a Summer Grant, Shaeffer Award, or Legacy Grant in the past three years. Faculty are eligible for a maximum of five Legacy Grants.
• Awards cannot be used to support the completion of degree requirements.
• Recipients agree not to teach or take on other significant paid employment in the summer of the award.
• If projects involve research or data collection using human subjects, the applicant must acknowledge that Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval is required of all awarded grants. See Policy 1104.
• If projects involve research or data collection using live, vertebrate animals, the proposer must acknowledge that Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval is required. See Policy 2202.

Application components:

• To be considered, individuals must submit the following materials as a single pdf:
• A proposal for a project that advances knowledge and enhances student learning that is no longer than three, single-spaced pages.
• 1-page bibliography
• Budget
• Curriculum Vitae
• E-mail from Academic Unit Head indicating support for the application

Evaluation process:

The CAL Research, Awards, and Development Committee, comprised of a representative from each academic unit, will consider all eligible proposals. The Associate Dean for Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities is a non-voting committee chair. Grants will be awarded based on the quality of the proposal; however, applicants should recognize that funding is limited. When considering proposals with similar ratings, the committee will first prioritize proposals from assistant professors and then from associate professors and then from full professors. It will also prioritize proposals from faculty who have not received previous funding. The committee’s recommendations are not subject to appeal; however, the committee maintains minutes and, upon written request by an applicant, will provide a summary of discussion of the applicant’s proposal after the announcement of awards.

Review criteria:

• Significance: Describes why the project is important and how it advances knowledge and/or meets a need in a way that is accessible and compelling to non-specialists.
• Clarity and quality of the proposal: Clarity of expression and organization of the proposal.
• Feasibility of the project goals and proposed plan of work: Work plan is appropriate for achieving project goals. Timeline is feasible.
• Significance of the proposed project for the applicant’s broader scholarly/creative agenda: Responses should address how this funding will support the project in the short term and how it will enhance applications for external grants in the long term.
• Record of (or potential for) scholarly and creative productivity relative to rank: Evidence of a scholarly/creative agenda or high potential for scholarly/creative productivity (e.g., past funding and results; completion of projects; publications).
• Need for funding: Discusses how CAL financial support will advance the project; applicant has not received recent funding for the project.

Notification and timing of award:

The CAL Research, Awards, and Development Committee will forward proposals recommended for funding to the dean. The dean of the College will notify grant recipients in writing by the end of March 2026. The award will be distributed during the summer 2026. Please note that awards are contingent on funding.

Reporting requirements and acknowledgements:

At the completion of grant-funded activities, a written report of accomplishments must be submitted to the Academic Unit Head and Dean by Monday, October 5, 2026. The report should include a description of contributions of the grant to the faculty member, department/school, and the college/university. For projects requiring IRB or IACUC approval, grant recipients must include with the report a copy of the appropriate approval form. Failure to file this report may impede the award of a future grant. Recipients of Legacy Grants are expected to present their project at a CAL Alumni Board meeting.