Research Incentive Funds

Page last updated on December 11, 2020

In an effort to promote increased submission of grant and contract proposals to external funding entities, the Office of the Provost has established a research incentive funds program. The program began on a trial basis during the 2014-15 academic year and is continuing. A decision about whether to continue the program beyond the current year will be based on (a) continuing good results obtained through this effort, and (b) availability of funds to support the incentive awards.

Criteria for receiving incentive funds are as follows:

Only full-time continuing faculty and staff are eligible for the incentive funds.
Eligible faculty and staff members must submit a competitive grant proposal to an off-campus grant/contract agency. This excludes pre-proposals and letters of intent, non-competitive renewals, and non-competitive contracts and sub-awards.
Applicants may receive the incentive funds for two different proposals each fiscal year.
Grant proposals developed and/or written with the assistance of an outside grant writer and/or hired agents receive half of the amount noted for the level of incentive funds.
To receive the incentive funds, the applicant must have followed existing proposal submission guidelines and policies as set forth by the Office of the Provost.
Co-principal investigators will split the incentive fund amount (adjunct faculty are eligible to split an incentive fund amount if the proposal was developed in collaboration with a full-time faculty member).
Incentive funds will be placed in a restricted user account to be used for professional development activities.
Incentive funds will carry over from one fiscal year to the next for up to three years.
All relevant UMW and Commonwealth of Virginia expenditure policies will apply to the use of these funds.
Awards are made periodically after the Provost contacts the Director of Accounting to make necessary arrangements to allot the funds. Persons receiving incentive awards are notified by email when funds are available.

Incentive Funds Available

Grant/Contract Proposal Amount*	Research Incentive Amount
$15,000 – $74,999	$250
$75,000 – $149,999	$500
$150,000 – $249,999	$750
$250,000 and up	$1,000

*The total amount of the grant proposal submitted. Any grants awarded where the application amount was under the minimum threshold will receive the $250 incentive once evidence is provided that the grant was awarded.