Arts and Humanities FAQs

WHAT IS NEW THIS YEAR?

A new initiative, Reimagining Next Phase Research [https://research.wisc.edu/reimagining-next-phase-research-initiative/], will support researchers in reimagining the next phase of their research and to establish a sustainable path to future extramural support in the current environment. 

Applicants may apply to the Fall Research Competition OR to the Reimagining Next Phase Research Competition [https://research.wisc.edu/reimagining-next-phase-research-initiative/], but not both. Applications to both mechanisms from the same faculty member/permanent PI will result in the withdrawal of both applications.

WHO FUNDS THE FALL RESEARCH COMPETITION?

The Fall Research Competition is funded by a gift from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF).  Since its founding in 1925, WARF has served the UW–Madison scientific community by patenting research discoveries at the UW–Madison and licensing such technologies to leading companies in Wisconsin, the U.S., and worldwide. WARF distributes the income from these commercial licenses in an appropriate manner between the UW–Madison Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR), the inventors, and their departments. The Fall Research Competition is one means by which the OVCR distributes the gift to faculty and permanent PIs on campus.

WHAT IS CONSIDERED ‘RESEARCH’ FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE FALL COMPETITION?

Proposals must be for research, not teaching or service projects. The Fall Research Competition supports the type of research and scholarly activities for which faculty were hired, for which they will receive tenure, or which further new developments in their fields. In the arts, such activities might mean creating original works of art, expanding repertoire for a musical instrument, or developing new methods of set design. In the humanities, it is more likely to involve the research and writing of an article or a book chapter. If you have questions about the appropriateness of your project for the Fall Research Competition, please contact Associate Vice Chancellor Florence Hsia, florence.hsia@wisc.edu.

HOW ARE PROPOSALS REVIEWED?

After the application deadline, your file will be assigned to a member of the Arts & Humanities Research Committee (most likely not an expert in your research discipline), who will contact you or your department administrator about setting up an appointment for an interview. At the interview, your assigned reviewer will seek to clarify any questions they may have about your proposal. The purpose of the interview is not an opportunity for the investigator to fill in missing information on a hastily or poorly written proposal but rather an opportunity to ensure the reviewer is well-positioned to present your proposal to the committee and field members’ questions. In the case of junior faculty, the reviewer will also speak with the department chair.

At the Research Committee meeting, the reviewer will present your proposal and answer questions from other committee members, who will have also reviewed your written proposal. Following discussion, each member of the committee will confidentially score your proposal. You will be notified via email in December whether your proposal has been funded.

When you submit your proposal, you indicate which divisional committee should review your proposal. In a few cases, the committee may move your proposal to a different division, if they believe that committee would constitute a more suitable review panel.

HOW CAN I BEST PRESENT MY PROJECT IN THE LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE ON THE APPLICATION?

In your project description, use these subheadings:

1. Specific aims/research questions
2. Significance (how the research adds to the literature or advances your field)
3. Approach (design, methods, and analysis)
4. Expected products (e.g. grant applications, publications, exhibitions)
5. Future directions

Make a case for the importance of your research for your discipline and how the project further advances knowledge in your field in general, as well as in your own research program. Be sure to describe what you plan to do with the funding requested, when and how you plan to do it, and what product is likely to result. The scope of the work proposed should fall within the 1-year funding period, i.e. July 1 to June 31. Indicate your qualifications to undertake the project and specify your expected outcomes and contributions.

As you write your proposal, remember that it will be read by artists and scholars from a range of disciplines. Many may not be familiar with your field, and it is unlikely that anyone on the committee will be an expert in your particular research area. The proposal should make clear to the reader the value of your research in the context of your field and avoid jargon.

In making budgetary decisions, the OVCR relies on the overall merits of the application and on the strength, clarity, and detail of your budget justification. Explain how specific budget items and amounts are needed for the research you plan. The interviewer and the committee must be able to understand why you need the resources you request.

In your CV, mark peer-reviewed publications with [P]. For publications in languages other than English, provide English translations of the titles of publications related to Fall Competition awards received in the last three years.

HOW CAN I SUBMIT ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION BEYOND THE ONE-PAGE FIGURE OR DOCUMENT PLUS REFERENCES ALLOWED AS PART OF THE APPLICATION?

Please contact Associate Vice Chancellor Florence Hsia (florence.hsia@wisc.edu) for approval and to provide you with a link to a Box folder.

HOW DO I KNOW WHETHER HUMAN SUBJECTS APPROVAL IS NEEDED?

You must indicate if your proposed project involving human participants will require human subjects approval (Human Research Protection Program). In most cases the IRB must decide whether a project is exempt; you cannot make this decision. Do not assume that existing/secondary or purchased data sets, data from social media, or other sources of data are exempt from IRB approval. Contact the IRB to get a preliminary assessment before you check this box. If you receive a Research Committee award, award activation will be contingent on your obtaining any required approvals.

HOW DOES THE RESEARCH COMMITTEE SUPPORT LONG-TERM RESEARCH PROJECTS SUCH AS SCHOLARLY MONOGRAPHS?

The Research Committee prefers to fund ambitious projects, such as monographs, that will have a major impact on the applicant’s field of research. For monographs, the application should describe the book project as a whole and then specify what is to be completed during the 1-year award period (July 31–June 30). Provide a chapter breakdown and bibliography. Please make sure your interviewer understands what has been accomplished already and what remains to be done. Bear in mind that the Research Committee is unlikely to fund two long-term projects simultaneously: it is necessary to finish one project before requesting funding for another.

HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR THE INTERVIEW?

Review these FAQs. Have ready any publications or other materials that might help explain your project available to show your reviewer, who may share some of these materials with the entire committee. Be prepared to explain your budget and your priorities. If you have submitted a proposal for external funds for which the Fall Research Competition proposal is insurance, provide your reviewer with a copy of the external application. Remember that your reviewer’s job is not to serve as your advocate on the committee but to accurately summarize your project for other committee members. Equip your reviewer with the information needed to present your proposal as clearly and concisely as possible. The interview is not meant to correct for a hastily written proposal. In evaluating your proposal, the committee will give the greatest weight to the written application.

SHOULD I PLAN TO APPLY FOR EXTERNAL RESEARCH FUNDING?

The Research Committee expects applicants to investigate and pursue other sources of funding and to make applications for external support whenever possible. Be knowledgeable about what is available and be prepared to speak with your reviewer about the opportunities you have explored.

The Research Committee particularly welcomes proposals for pilot studies or exploratory research that will strengthen applications to external agencies. In addition, you should be aware that programs are in place to supplement external fellowships and artists’ residencies.

WHAT IS ‘INSURANCE’ FUNDING FOR AN EXTERNAL PROPOSAL?

Asking for ‘insurance’ funding through the Fall Research Competition commits you to apply for funding from an external sponsor. If your external application is not successful, your Fall Competition ‘backup’ award will be activated. If your external application is successful, you do not need any backup funding and your Fall Research Competition award will not be released. You may only ask for insurance funding if you will have a funding decision about the external proposal before the Fall Competition award would begin, that is, by July 1. In most cases, this means that your external proposal must be submitted by this summer or fall. In your Fall Competition application, you must enter the dates of the expected submission and decision for your external proposal. If you do not submit the external proposal, your ‘insurance’ award will not be released.

THE APPLICATION ASKS HOW I HAVE USED RECENT RESEARCH COMMITTEE AWARDS. WHAT SHOULD I PUT IN THIS SECTION?

The Committee wants to know what was accomplished with previous awards and what outcomes ensued. For each Fall Competition award that you have received in the past three years, list outcomes directly relevant to the award, such as conference presentations, papers published, in press, or under review, performances or exhibitions, and any grants that have been awarded or submitted. Full citations must be provided for publications, performances, and exhibitions.

WHAT IS AN AVERAGE AWARD IN THE FALL RESEARCH COMPETITION?

Award amounts vary greatly. For the 2024 Competition, the average award was $23,000, including amounts for fringe benefits for salary and tuition remission for graduate student assistantships.

CAN I ENTER THE COMPETITION IF I HAVE A PREVIOUS AWARD FROM THE OFFICE OF THE VCRGE THAT I HAVE NOT YET SPENT (START-UP, RETENTION, ROMNES/KELLETT/NAMED PROF) OR A VILAS AWARD?

The Research Committee typically does not support Fall Research Competition requests made by faculty who have a substantial balance (more than 25% of the original award) in an existing start-up, retention, Named Award, or Vilas account unless they have specific and realistic plans for spending those balances down within a limited time period. The committee will evaluate the feasibility of the spend-down plan. At its discretion, the committee may review the status of start-up funding before activating an award. If you are a new faculty member who started after July 1, 2025, please contact Associate Vice Chancellor Florence Hsia (florence.hsia@wisc.edu) to discuss whether you should apply to this year’s competition.

Faculty in the first or second year of a Vilas Associate Award should not apply to the Fall Research Competition for salary support; in extraordinary cases, applications for a graduate PA or RA will be considered.

ARE COLLABORATORS ELIGIBLE TO EACH SUBMIT A SEPARATE FALL RESEARCH COMPETITION PROPOSAL FOR THE SAME PROJECT?

No. Collaborators may not submit separate Fall Research Competition applications for the same project. Only one application will be accepted per research project. This includes Fall Research Competition insurance funding proposals (see the FAQ about “insurance funding”.)

MAY I REQUEST A PA? RA? HOURLY WORKER?

A Project Assistant (PA), can be requested to help on aspects of the project that require graduate-level training or research expertise. Project Assistants are usually 33.3% or 50% appointments for 4.5 months (one semester), 9 months, or 12 months. A Research Assistant (RA) carries out research that also contributes to the graduate student’s own professional training. An hourly worker need not be a graduate student. Be sure to indicate clearly on the application how the student will contribute to the project.

Annual and academic year PA/RA requests must include the cost of tuition remission.  If you have external funding that will partially support a PA or RA, please contact the Graduate School about possible graduate student fellowship supplementation.  If these funds cannot be made available to you, you may apply for such supplementation.

Summer graduate assistantships are possible but require more attention to details regarding a student’s previous support, level of funding, and enrollment in courses. We strongly advise you to consult with your departmental payroll officer while preparing your proposal so that you understand any requirements or restrictions.

MAY I REQUEST SALARY SUPPORT?

The Fall Research Competition (FRC) cannot be used to buy out teaching a course or to supplement a sabbatical. The FRC sometimes provides one or two months of summer salary support.

However, the Arts & Humanities Research Committee invites applications for one semester of research leave (4.5 ninths salary support) through the Fall Competition. Up to two such awards will be made each year. Proposals should be for ambitious and innovative new projects for which the applicant also seeks major external funding. Senior faculty members with distinguished records of publication, exhibition or performance are particularly invited to apply. Proposals will not be considered without a brief letter from the Chair attesting to the department’s willingness to release the applicant from teaching a semester. Prospective applicants should consult with Associate Vice Chancellor Florence Hsia, florence.hsia@wisc.edu, in advance of the Fall Research Competition deadline.

HOW IS SALARY ELIGIBILITY CALCULATED?

Faculty members and permanent PIs on a 9-month pay cycle are eligible for a maximum of either 1 semester (4.5 months) or 2 summers (4 months) of salary from the OVCR during any 3-year period. If you are on a 12-month appointment, contact the Fall Research Committee Administrative staff to clarify your eligibility. Your eligibility rolls over each year. Consult the Competition Policies for how to calculate your eligibility.  If you received summer salary as part of your start-up package or elected to use a portion of your start-up funds for summer salary, such usage does not count towards your eligibility (start-up funds are “non-prejudicial” with regard to the 4.5 month limit).

The Fall Research Competition cannot be used to buy out teaching a course or to supplement a sabbatical.

WHAT DOES THE POLICY OF PROVIDING SALARY ONLY IF THE PI IS CONDUCTING “FULL-TIME RESEARCH” MEAN?

The policy means that, during a time when you are receiving salary support from the OVCR (i.e., summer or supplementation for a faculty fellowship during an academic term) you must be working on research full time rather than combining research efforts with other obligations such as teaching or administration. Thus, if you are awarded a month of summer salary, it is the expectation of the OVCR that you will not be the instructor of record for a course offered or responsible for duties associated with an administrative position during that month.

DO I NEED TO BE IN RESIDENCE FOR MY AWARD?

Travel away from UW-Madison needed to conduct research is fully appropriate. Remember, however, that Research Committee support is an investment in University tenured or tenure-track faculty and permanent PI development. It is available only for persons who will be UW–Madison staff members in residence on the Madison campus in the semester following that support.

WHAT TYPES OF TRAVEL MAY I REQUEST?

Travel necessary to accomplish the proposed research can be requested. Make clear the role of travel in completing the project in the budget justification section. Travel to present research at conferences or other venues will not be considered. The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) maintains a separate program to support conference travel; please see the OVCR Conference Travel website for further details.

WHAT TYPES OF EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES MAY I REQUEST?

You may request funds to purchase equipment/supplies necessary for the proposed research that would not be purchased in the normal course of your duties. The Research Committee does not fund standard computer packages, which are the responsibility of your School or College, or software that is a normal component of one’s office computer.

ONCE I HAVE WON AN AWARD, CAN I MOVE FUNDS BETWEEN CATEGORIES?

Transferring funds to new categories is sometimes possible, although the Research Committee usually insists that graduate student funding be protected. An early start to an award is also possible. Contact Associate Vice Chancellor Florence Hsia, florence.hsia@wisc.edu, if you are contemplating one of these options.