SMALL RESEARCH GRANT

Purpose 

The Small Research Grant (SRG) Program supports research, scholarly, or creative projects that require relatively small infusions of funding for well-specified research-related expenses, short-term hourly research assistance, or both. The program supports projects in any discipline and at any stage of development, with emphasis on projects that can be significantly advanced through an SRG investment. Early-stage projects are especially welcome. Priority is given to projects for which other funding is not available.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from August through May and reviewed in monthly batches.

Eligibility

All full-time tenured, tenure-track, and continuing non-tenure-track faculty are eligible to apply, subject to the following limitations:

• Faculty members are eligible for one SRG award every 24 months, counted from the submission date of the last successful proposal.
• Faculty members may hold an SRG at the same time as a University Summer Grant, Research Catalyst Grant, Unitas Grant, or Veritas Grant, provided that they have exhausted funds awarded for reasonable research-related expenses (RRRE) and research assistance (RA) through those grants. Applicants seeking concurrent SRG support must contact the ORDSS Director for approval before applying and must explain the need for additional funding in the SRG application.

Award Amounts, Uses, and Restrictions

The maximum award is $3,000. Awarded funds may be used only for the items or purposes in the approved budget and only during the award period specified in the award letter. The award period varies according to project needs and the fiscal-year calendar. Award periods are typically two to five months but may be as long as 12 months within a single fiscal year, which runs from June 1 through May 31.

Allowable budget requests fall into two categories: research assistance (RA) and reasonable research-related expenses (RRRE). Proposals may request any combination of RA and RRRE that does not exceed $3,000. Details and restrictions follow.

Research Assistance (RA)

Funds may be used to pay Villanova graduate or undergraduate students an hourly wage to assist a faculty member with the proposed research. Funds may not be used for graduate or undergraduate students to conduct their own thesis or dissertation research unless that work is integral to the proposed research.

Funds to hire research assistants who are not affiliated with Villanova must be requested as RRRE, as described below.

Reasonable Research-Related Expenses (RRRE)

Funds may be requested for eligible expenses related to conducting research. These include, but are not limited to, travel to research sites, libraries, and archives; equipment, supplies, and books; data sets, software, transcription, and translation services; payment for research assistance provided by individuals who are not affiliated with Villanova; and other reasonable needs.

Excluded Expenses

The following expenses are not eligible: faculty salary, childcare, professional society fees, student stipends, and travel and expenses for workshops or conferences that are not convened specifically for the SRG project. This list is not exhaustive. Retroactive expenses are not permissible. Applicants with questions about allowable expenses should contact the ORDSS Director.

Research Compliance

Research involving human subjects requires approval from Villanova University’s Institutional Review Board. IRB approval must be in place before awarded funds can be disbursed.

Research involving vertebrate animal subjects requires approval from Villanova University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. IACUC approval must be in place before awarded funds can be disbursed.

Application

Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed in monthly batches during the academic year. See Submission and Decision Timeline, below.

Applications must be submitted through InfoReady and must include all components listed below. Applications that do not follow these guidelines, including the page limits, will be returned.

1. Basic information form (via InfoReady)

2. Proposal narrative (maximum two pages)

The proposal should clearly explain the project’s question or purpose, motivation or rationale, method or approach, and planned activities. It should identify the accomplishments or outputs that the SRG investment is expected to make possible, such as research, scholarly, or creative milestones, manuscripts, or publications. The proposal should also discuss any challenges or limitations in securing funding from other sources.

Audience: SRG Committee members will be peers who may not have expertise in the applicant’s field. Proposals should minimize jargon and define discipline-specific terms when they cannot be avoided.

The proposal narrative may not exceed two double-spaced pages with one-inch margins and 11-point font. This format generally corresponds to approximately 550 to 600 words.

3. Cited literature (no page limit)

4. Abbreviated resume or CV (maximum one page)

5. Budget with proposed expenditure period (no page limit)

The budget should be specific and detailed and should distinguish between requests for reasonable research-related expenses (RRRE) and research assistance (RA). If the budget includes funds to hire a research assistant who is not affiliated with Villanova, the expense must be requested as RRRE, and the applicant must explain why hiring outside the institution is necessary.

The budget must identify the months during which all proposed expenditures will be made. This proposed expenditure period must fall entirely within one fiscal year. Villanova’s fiscal year runs from June 1 through May 31—for example, June 1, 2027, through May 31, 2028. Proposals with expenditure periods spanning more than one fiscal year are not permitted and will be withdrawn from consideration. Applications submitted during Spring 2027 may not propose expenditure periods beginning before June 1, 2027.

Applicants should propose a realistic expenditure period. For example, an applicant planning two weeks of international research travel might request a three- or four-month period in which to arrange and complete the travel. An applicant requesting research-assistant wages might request a nine-month period. Questions about appropriate expenditure periods may be directed to the ORDSS Director.

For approved applications, the SRG Committee will use the proposed expenditure period to determine the award period. The award letter will state the approved award period.

Peer Review and Evaluation Criteria

Each application is evaluated by at least two members of the SRG Committee, which includes Villanova faculty from several disciplines. Because reviewers may be outside the applicant’s field, proposals should be written for a broad faculty audience. Applications are evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. Proposal clarity: Does the proposal clearly explain the project’s question or purpose, motivation or rationale, method or approach, and planned activities?
2. Impact of SRG funding: To what extent is an identified resource gap impeding the project’s progress, and to what extent would SRG funding resolve that gap?
3. Budget reasonableness and feasibility: Is the budget reasonable and well justified? Is it likely that the proposed expenditures can be made within the requested time frame?

Submission and Decision Timeline

Rolling Submissions

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from August through May each year. For the Spring 2027 transition, applications will be accepted beginning late March.

Monthly Reviews

Applications are grouped into monthly review batches. Applications submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the 15th of a month are included in that month’s review batch. Applications submitted after that deadline are included in the following month’s review batch.

The Spring 2027 transition will include two monthly review cycles.

• April review cycle: Applications submitted by 11:59 p.m. on April 15
• May review cycle: Applications submitted from April 16 through 11:59 p.m. on May 15

Decisions

The committee strives to make decisions promptly. Depending on monthly submission volume, decisions may take up to four weeks after the applicable submission deadline. Applicants should plan accordingly.

Annual Hiatus

The SRG Program will not accept applications after May 15 or before July 15. Monthly batch reviews will resume in August with applications submitted by 11:59 p.m. on August 15.

Post-Award Requirements

All SRG expenditures must be made during the award period specified in the award letter. To remain eligible for future awards, awardees may be required to submit a final report by the deadline stated in the award letter. The deadline is typically one month after the award closes. Instructions will be provided with the award.

Contact

Questions about proposal preparation, review, and budget may be directed to the ORDSS Director. Questions about proposal format, submission, and use of InfoReady may be directed to the ORDSS Assistant Director.

SRG Committee Members

• Heidi Grundetjern, PhD, Sociology and Criminology
• Tracy Oliver, PhD, RDN, LDN, Nursing
• Rachel Smith, PhD, Theology and Religious Studies
• Peter Zaleski, PhD, Economics
• Janice Bially Mattern, PhD, Office of Research Development and Scholarly Support