Faculty Creative Activity and Research Enhancement (C.A.R.E.) Award
2025-26
The College of Arts & Sciences will provide up to $1500 in funding to support for faculty productivity, as defined in faculty role statements. This funding should help lead to the development of a clearly defined research, creative, or teaching product within 12 months.
Eligibility
Funding is limited and competitive. All faculty in the College of Arts & Sciences are eligible to apply for a C.A.R.E. Award.
- Faculty are eligible for one award per fiscal year (July 1-June 30) in support of their area of excellence as defined on their role statement.
- There are TWO (2) application cycles for 2025-26. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the due date listed below.
- Cycle 1: Due November 1, 2025 (Covers July 1 – December 31, 2025)
- Cycle 2: Due April 1, 2026 (Covers January 1 – June 30, 2026)
- The committee will review applications received once per month. It is possible that funds will be depleted by each cycle’s due date. Therefore, faculty should apply early.
- There are TWO (2) application cycles for 2025-26. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the due date listed below.
- Faculty who hold an active Office of Research New Faculty Start Up (NFSU) Package are not eligible.
- Faculty who offer matched funding through other sources such as returned F&A accounts, external grants and awards, other USU center awards, and private funds will be prioritized.
- Faculty may only be the primary investigator on one C.A.R.E. award at a time. Faculty teams may apply for 1 award per project, per fiscal year. Regardless of the number of faculty on a research team, the maximum funding per award is $1500. Faculty may be co-Is on multiple awards per fiscal year but can only be listed as PI for one project (either individual or team).
- Graduate and undergraduate students are not eligible to apply for C.A.R.E. awards as PIs but faculty may pay graduate and undergraduate students through received funds.
Products & Expenses Covered
Products
A “research, creative, or teaching product” must advance the faculty member’s main area of excellence as outlined in their role statement (research, creative, or teaching). This product may include (but is not limited to):
- Creation of data sets or findings that lead to publications in high quality, peer-reviewed venues
- Submission of a journal article to a peer-reviewed journal
- A performance or recording
- An exhibit or show
- Development of a patent application
- An artistic piece
- Creation of a community guide or practice manual
- Scholarship of teaching and learning products (articles, guides, tools)
- Creation of a creative work for publication, performance, or exhibit
- Submission of a book proposal or book draft to a reputable press
- Creation of a critical translation or edition of a book or other research resource
Expenses
Approved expenses include (but are not limited to):
- Field research
- Conference presentations (registration fees and travel for faculty)
- Student (graduate or undergraduate) research assistants
Note: Students may be hired as assistants to assist faculty, but the project must be in support of the faculty member’s research, not the student’s individual research. - Funding collaborative co-locating sessions
- Translation services
- Select editing services (indexing, copyediting, figures/tables creation)
- Art and creative supplies and materials including recording time and sheet music
- Lab supplies and specialized equipment including software.
Note: Purchases of equipment will remain the property of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Utah State University, not the PI.
This award does NOT cover supplemental (summer) faculty salary or memberships in professional organizations.
Instructions
Please fill out the corresponding online form and upload documentation:
- Narrative (2-pages maximum; 12pt font, single spaced): This narrative should be organized in the following format and in the following order:
- Part I: Overview of Project & Product: Briefly describe the proposed research, teaching, or creative project. Identify the product(s) that will emerge from this award. Be specific.
- Part II: Innovation & Impact: In a few paragraphs, explain the innovative methods employed, significant impact, and/or importance of the project to your specific field and to the College of Arts & Sciences. Explain the importance of this project to your research, creative, and/or teaching trajectory as outlined in your role statement.
- Part III: Timeline: Provide a timeline for completion.
- Detailed Budget & Justification: Provide brief justifications for each line item.
- Works Cited/Bibliography (maximum 1 page)
- Updated Watermarπk Faculty Success (in lieu of a C.V., please update WFS)
Application Review
The College of Arts & Sciences Associate Deans review applications, score each according to a rubric, and make recommendations to the Dean for support. Please direct questions about this program to Associate Dean Julia Gossard (julia.gossard@usu.edu).
Receiving Funds
Funds are transferred to your Business Services manager in your home department who will create an index for you. Any travel that this award covers must adhere to Utah State University’s travel policies and procedures. Many expenses covered with C.A.R.E. awards will come through reimbursement, meaning the faculty member will need to save and submit all receipts to be reimbursed for costs up to the approved award amount listed on the award letter. Expenses beyond the approved award amount are the applicant’s responsibility. For student salaries or other expenses internal to the University, different procedures may be followed. Please contact your department’s business manager for questions related to index numbers, direct purchasing, and reimbursements.
Final Report
A final report at the end of your award period is required. You will also need to submit evidence of your final product to the Associate Dean for Faculty Success.