Research Impact and Enhancement Grants

The CAS Research Impact and Enhancement Grant supports faculty in elevating the quality, visibility, and impact of their research and creative work. This program helps scholars advance projects that enhance their research trajectory, expand the reach of their scholarship, and strengthen the national and international reputation of CAS research.

What We Fund

This grant supports a wide range of activities that enhance and increase the impact of research or creative work. We encourage applications that align with your research goals. Eligible activities include:

Publication and Dissemination

• Finishing costs for publications (indexing, copy editing)
• Open access author fees, publication subvention, rights clearances
• Digital humanities tools or specialized database access

Research Development

• Pilot data collection or preliminary studies
• Research assistance, transcription services, or data analysis support
• Archival research or materials access
• Specialized software or instrumentation

Skill Building and Collaboration

• Training or course fees to learn new research methods or techniques
• Collaboration or networking with scholars at other institutions
• Workshop or symposium participation that advances your research

Grant Development and Public Engagement

• Activities that directly support the development of competitive external funding proposals with clear potential to secure funding
• Public engagement or community-based research activities
• Creative work development and presentation

This is not an exhaustive list. If your proposed activity enhances your research quality or expands its impact and reach, we encourage you to apply.

How to Apply

Application Deadline

Applications are due December 1 or April 1 each year and must be submitted through NuRamp.

To Submit Your Application

1. Access NuRamp at https://nuramp.nebraska.edu/login
2. Select "Internal Competitions" from the upper left menu
3. Select "Applications" and "Add a New Application"
4. Search for "CAS Research Impact & Enhancement Grants"
5. Complete the application pages
6. Route to your department chair for endorsement
7. Application will be automatically routed to the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education

Application Components

Submit the following materials as one combined pdf:

1. Description of Proposed Activities (Maximum 1,000 words)

Write for a general academic audience. The review committee may not have specialized expertise in your field, so use clear language while providing enough detail to evaluate the merit of your work.

Your description should include:

a. Brief description of the proposed activity

• What will you do with this funding?
• What are the key components or phases of your project?

b. Rationale for the activity

• Why is this activity important now?
• How will this activity enhance your research or creative work?

c. Significance to your career development

• How does this fit into your overall research goals?
• What opportunities does this create for you?

d. Timeline and expected outcomes

• When will activities occur?
• What scholarly outcome(s) do you expect? (e.g., manuscript submission, grant proposal, creative work presentation, dataset development, conference paper, external funding application)

2. Abbreviated CV or Biosketch

May be in any format, but must include:

• Summary of education
• Current and prior support (internal and external funding)

3. Budget and Budget Justification

• Provide a clear dollar amount and a brief justification for all requested expenses  
• If relevant, review NU Travel Policy: https://nebraska.edu/travel
• Budget may not exceed $5,000
• Note, in addition to including your budget and budget justification in your combined pdf, there will also be a place to enter basic budget information on the NuRamp budget page 

If You're Awarded

Setting Up Your Grant

Work with your department business manager to set up a cost object for your grant expenses. Contact Vanja Flachsbart (vflachsbart2@unl.edu) with questions about the business aspects of your grant.

Timeline

All activities, including travel, must be completed within one year of your award notification date.

Travel Requirements

All university travel policies apply. Key requirements:

• Pre-trip authorization required for all travel
• International travel requires electronic pre-trip authorization
• International airline reservations must be made through Fox World Travel

For international travel, follow the International Travel Registry – Professional (ITRP) process.

Full travel policy.

Final Report

A brief report summarizing your activities and accomplishments is due no later than four weeks after your grant end date. This report is required to complete reimbursement of expenses. A Microsoft Form with report requirements will be provided to all awardees.

Important Policies

Funding Restrictions

• Faculty may submit only one application as Principal Investigator per fiscal year
• Faculty may accept only one internal grant per fiscal year (if you apply for multiple internal funding opportunities with the same project, you may accept only one award)
• Funding is valid for one year from notification date

Questions?

Research and Grant Questions 

Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, associatedeanbrank@unl.edu

Business and Budget Questions 

Vanja Flachsbart, vflachsbart2@unl.edu