Dean’s Faculty Scholarly Activity Fund/Award

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Faculty Scholarly Activity Fund Guidelines

The College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) provides funding for the purpose of promoting faculty scholarship and creative achievement.

Eligibility: All full-time, continuing faculty members in the College are eligible to receive support from the Dean for up to two scholarly events per fiscal year, provided that they are presenting at a scholarly or professional venue (e.g., serving on a panel as a presenter, discussant, moderator, or chair; presenting a poster; giving an invited lecture; performing or exhibiting in a professional venue). Faculty members on sabbatical are eligible for travel support.

The CAHSS Faculty Scholarly Activity Fund will match a Department’s contribution, up to $1,500, for the purposes described above (i.e., serving on a panel as a presenter, discussant, moderator, or chair; presenting a poster; giving an invited lecture; performing or exhibiting in a professional venue). Expenses for meetings in support of professional service (e.g., as an officer in a professional association, or as an editor for a professional journal) can be funded, also matching a Department’s contribution, up to $500.

Policies and Restrictions: 

  1. Awards from this fund are limited to two scholarly events per year per faculty member.
  2. Arrangements must follow USM and UMBC policy and procedures, including all required forms and protocols. If travel is involved the E-Travel Online Instructions are available here. Please note that you need to be logged into myUMBC and have an active Peoplesoft Finance account; these expire every 6 months if you do not use them, so see your Department Administrative Assistant if you have problems.
  3. Faculty Scholarly Activity Funds may be requested for registration fees, transportation, food, and lodging and travel (when permitted). Amounts requested in each category must not exceed the maximum allowed under State guidelines. (Foreign travel cost reimbursement is also subject to State guidelines.)
  4. Applications for Faculty Scholarly Activity awards must include
  • a brief (1-2 paragraph) justification that explains how the award will substantially enhance the faculty member’s scholarship (including, if appropriate, in the scholarship of teaching and learning).
  • a list of amounts being contributed from all sources toward the request to be supplemented by the Faculty Scholarly Activity Fund. (The Faculty Scholarly Activity Fund is not intended to be used in lieu of other appropriate funds. Other sources may include, but are not limited to, travel allocations in departmental budgets, other departmental operating funds, revolving accounts, and external sources such as grants and Foundation accounts. Normally, it is expected that the faculty member’s department will help defray some of the expenses, and that the faculty member will have made efforts to secure external support if that is a possibility.)
  • a description from the Chair of funds to be provided by the Department and how any missed classes will be covered. (The chair need not attach an additional memo.) Completing the form in full with the chair’s signature indicates support of the request.
  1. Applications for the Faculty Scholarly Activity Fund should be submitted by the Department Chair directly to the CAHSS RT Dean’s Travel queue (menu options: Business Services > Dean’s Travel).
  2. Applications during the current academic year may be submitted at any time and must be received by the Dean’s Office no less than ten (10) business days prior to the start date of the event. (All sections must be completed before the request is processed. Incomplete forms will be returned to the Department and will result in a delay in the approval process.)
  3. Receipts for travel costs must be submitted to the Travel Desk within ten (10) business days following the conclusion of the event, in accordance with USM and UMBC policy and procedures.