Request for Proposals: Tenured Associate Professor Growth Grants

The Associate Professor Growth Grants provide funding for projects that will assist in advancing the careers of tenured Associate Professors on the CU Boulder campus. Multiple awards will be given in amounts up to $12,000 each. In order to fund as many deserving projects as possible, the evaluation committee reserves the right to make partial awards. Funding will be granted for one year and funded projects must be completed by June 1, 2026. 

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

  • Hold the rank of tenured Associate Professor;
  • Not be currently under review for promotion to Professor;
  • Have not previous received an Associate Professor Growth Grant;
  • Have earned tenure at least 4 years ago; and
  • Have had substantial service responsibilities since tenure, as made evident in the applicant's CV and personal statement.

All projects also must meet the following criteria:

  • Seek funds for expenses not funded in other ways;
  • Include work that cannot be completed without this support;
  • Create opportunities that take the individual’s work in a new direction;
  • Reflect the individual’s academic goals;
  • Have a broad impact;
  • Advance the career of the individual so as to prepare them for promotion to Full Professor;
  • Focus on a topic that is less likely to receive external grant funding.

Submit Application

For technical issues/assistance, please email OFAFDS@colorado.edu.

Proposal Format

Please pay close attention to the format. The description and purpose should be easily understood by scholars outside your disciplinary expertise.

Proposals should be no longer than 1,500 words and include the following:

  1. Project title;
  2. Name, phone number, and email address of applicant;
  3. Project description and purpose. It is very important that the project description be easily understood by scholars outside your disciplinary expertise.
  4. Statement of the project’s intended impact and outcomes;
  5. Statement of how this project will help advance the applicant towards promotion to professor;
  6. Timeframe;
  7. Amount requested, not to exceed $12,000, and an itemized budget.

In addition to the project proposal, you must include the following as part of the application packet:

  •  A three-page CV that lists major publications, courses taught at CU, and service responsibilities since tenure;
  •  An itemized budget page (see Budget & Department Chair Approval Form below);
  • Applicants requesting course release must submit a completed and signed copy of the Department Chair Approval Form (see Budget & Department Chair Approval Form below)

Budget & Department Chair Approval Form

Submission Deadline

Proposals and all supporting documentation should be submitted as one PDF document by no later than January 15, 2025 at 3:00pm MST.

Notice of Award

Award recipients will be notified in March 2025.

Funds will be available by July 1, 2025.

Summary Report

A written summary report will be due by June 1, 2026, to be submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs. This summary needs to address the following:

  1. Provide a short summary of the proposal and the outcome for you;   
  2. In what ways has this had an impact on your career?
  3. Will you be submitting any grants as a result of this work?
  4. Do you have any publications or products as a result of this grant? If so, please list.

Contact

Questions? Please email the Faculty Development & Support Team at OFAFDS@colorado.edu.