Faculty Focus Grant Program

Program Overview

The Faculty Focus Grant Program provides faculty with additional protected time to pursue research, scholarship or creative activities. Support may take the form of either (1) a workload adjustment during an academic or summer term that falls within a faculty member’s regular appointment or (2) summer compensation for a faculty member with a U-year appointment.

Eligibility

Faculty members with faculty and administrative appointments that total to full time, and whose appointments include an expectation of research, scholarship or creative activity, are eligible to apply for a Faculty Focus Grant. Applicants must also meet the following eligibility requirements.

  • Faculty receiving a Focus Grant to shift workload toward increased research time may not concurrently receive or participate in any other grant, award, course release, workload adjustment or similar arrangement that reduces teaching, service, clinical or administrative responsibilities to create additional research time. The Focus Grant must be the faculty member’s sole workload-shift mechanism during the award period.
  • Faculty receiving a Focus Grant may not have duties that constitute an overload during the award period (including summer).
  • Summer compensation may only be requested by faculty with U-year appointments.
  • Faculty should not have any unmet final reporting requirements from previously completed internal research support programs (such as a Faculty Research and Creative Activity Award).

Support

Faculty with U-year appointments may request support either in the form of a workload adjustment or in the form of summer compensation. Faculty with calendar-year appointments may only request support in the form of a workload adjustment.

Funding for either form of support will be provided from current-year (nonrecurring) funds in the Office of the Provost. This program is initially planned to be offered during the fiscal years ending June 30, 2027, and June 30, 2028. Program continuation will depend on fund availability. An individual faculty member may request support once during the initial two fiscal years.

Workload Adjustment

Faculty requesting a workload adjustment should specify the term for which the workload adjustment is requested. Faculty with U-year appointments may request a workload adjustment in either the fall or winter term. Faculty with calendar-year appointments may request a workload adjustment in the fall, winter or summer term. The workload adjustment will most typically be in the form of a course release. Other workload adjustments may be considered if supported by the department chair, provided the effort adjustment is equivalent to a course release.

Summer Compensation

Faculty with U-year appointments may request the equivalent of one month of summer salary to support summer research effort. The summer research effort may occur and be compensated in one month (100% effort), be divided across two months (50% effort each month) or be divided across three months (33⅓% effort each month). Summer research effort may not occur or be compensated in months that include any assignments that constitute an overload.

Award Criteria

Applications will be scored in each of the following categories using a 5-point scale (with 5 representing the most positive rating). Each category will have equal weight in award decisions.

External Funding Strategy

The proposal presents a clear, feasible strategy for leveraging the Faculty Focus Grant to strengthen the applicant’s competitiveness for external funding. The applicant identifies discipline-appropriate and strategically aligned funding opportunities and explains how the protected time will support concrete steps toward developing and submitting a strong proposal or application.

Significance/Potential Impact

The proposed research, scholarship or creative activity addresses an important question, challenge or opportunity within the relevant field or area of practice. The project has the potential to advance knowledge, influence future inquiry or practice, foster creative innovation or generate meaningful benefits for relevant communities or audiences.

Approach/Research Design

The proposal presents a clear, rigorous and feasible plan for advancing the research, scholarship or creative activity within the award timeline. The methods, activities and use of protected time are well aligned with the project’s objectives and likely to produce meaningful outcomes (even if the outcomes will take time beyond the award period to fully realize).

Contribution to Applicant’s Program of Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity

The proposed project is clearly situated within the applicant’s broader program of research, scholarship or creative activity and represents a meaningful step in its development. The proposal explains how the grant will advance the applicant’s scholarly or creative trajectory by generating new knowledge or work, strengthening expertise, supporting future projects or creating opportunities for broader recognition and impact.

Review Process

The review process will be managed by the Office of Research on behalf of the Office of the Provost, using the same peer review process used to review Faculty Research and Creative Activity (RCA) proposals.

The Office of Research uses the university’s competition space, InfoReady, to invite U-M faculty (across all three campuses) to anonymously evaluate submissions. Subject matter expert feedback (much like the peer review process) is the main source of feedback. Applicants may recommend independent peer reviewers during the application process.

Application Process and Deadlines

Deadlines

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis starting Nov. 1, 2026, and running through at least Aug. 1, 2027. Applications are expected to be submitted early enough to allow review and award decisions to occur before course schedule due dates (approximately six weeks before course schedule due dates). An exception will be made for Summer 2027, as detailed below.

  • Summer 2027: Applications will be accepted until Dec. 1, 2026, from faculty who would need to modify existing teaching assignments to be eligible for the program. Faculty who are eligible without modifying Summer 2027 teaching assignments may submit applications until March 1, 2027.
  • Fall terms: Applications should be submitted no later than the first business day of January in the same calendar year.
  • Winter or Summer 2028: Applications should be submitted no later than the first business day of August 2027.

Support Option

Candidates will indicate which of the two support options they are requesting:

  • Workload adjustment: Specify the term and year.
  • Summer compensation: Specify the summer months and year in which research effort and compensation will occur.

Required Approvals

Associate dean, chair or director approval should be provided that articulates:

  • Approval of the workload adjustment or summer effort
  • Certification that the applicant will not be in an overload situation
  • Certification that the applicant does not have any other reduction in teaching, service, clinical or administrative responsibilities for the award period

Dean approval should be provided that articulates:

  • Support for strategic alignment between the proposed work and college/school research, scholarship and creative activity priorities

Project Narrative

A project narrative should be submitted with sections that correspond to the award criteria. Each section has a one-page limit (font no smaller than 11 point and margins no smaller than 0.5 inches).

  • Significance/Potential Impact: Discuss the important question, challenge or opportunity within a relevant field or area of practice. Articulate the project’s potential to advance knowledge, influence future inquiry or practice, foster creative innovation or generate meaningful benefits for relevant communities or audiences.
  • Approach/Research Design: Present a clear, rigorous and feasible plan for advancing the research, scholarship or creative activity within the award timeline. Illustrate alignment of the methods, activities and use of protected time with the project’s objectives. Articulate meaningful outcomes the work aims to achieve (even if the outcomes will take time beyond the award period to fully realize).
  • Contribution to Applicant’s Program of Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity: Explain how the proposed work is situated within your broader program of research, scholarship or creative activity. Discuss contributions of the project to the continuing development of that broader program. Explain how the grant will advance your scholarly or creative trajectory by generating new knowledge or work, strengthening expertise, supporting future projects or creating opportunities for broader recognition and impact.
  • External Funding Strategy: Present a clear, feasible strategy for leveraging the Faculty Focus Grant to strengthen your competitiveness for external funding. Identify at least one discipline-appropriate funding opportunity and explain how the protected time will support concrete steps toward developing and submitting a strong proposal.

Reporting Requirements

Initial Report

An initial report must be submitted in InfoReady within 30 days after the award period end date. The initial report must include:

  • A summary of progress implementing the proposed external funding strategy
  • A description of impact realized in terms of advancing knowledge, influencing future inquiry or practice, fostering creative innovation or generating meaningful benefits for relevant communities or audiences
  • A summary of progress toward meeting the project’s objectives and producing meaningful outcomes
  • A discussion of how the Focus Grant advanced the applicant’s scholarly or creative trajectory by generating new knowledge or work, strengthening expertise, supporting future projects or creating opportunities for broader recognition and impact

Final Report

A final report must be submitted in InfoReady within 30 days after the application deadline for the external funding opportunity identified in the application. The final report must include:

  • An indication of whether a proposal/application was submitted
    • If submitted, the PAF ID for the submitted application in the eResearch system
    • If not submitted, an alternative discipline-appropriate funding opportunity and a description of plans to apply