Internal Research and Funding Resources  

Information + Applications
All the funds and programs are described on this page.  All applications are also available on this page. Click the links below for information, or scroll the page.
 

School Funding Opportunities
Dean's Faculty Development Fund
HASS Faculty Travel Fund
Kelly/Douglas Humanities Fund
Levitan Prize in the Humanities
SHASS Teaching and Learning Fund
MISTI Global Seed Fund


MIT Funding Opportunities
Alumni-Sponsored Funding Opportunities
d'Arbeloff Fund for Excellence in MIT Education
MISTI Global Seed Fund
MIT-Balliol Faculty Exchange

The School's Funding Opportunities

Dean's Faculty Development Fund

All faculty, permanent lecturers and senior lecturers, and principal/senior research associates are eligible to apply. Visiting faculty and staff are ineligible. Priority will be given to individuals without alternative sources of support (e.g. discretionary funds).

• Proposals requesting up to $2,000 are accepted three times per academic year, October 20, 2009, February 09, 2010 and April 13, 2010. Funding decisions will be made within roughly two weeks following the due date.

• Brief (1-2 pages) requests are invited to support well defined activities related to the professional development of SHASS Faculty, Other Academic Staff, and senior Research Staff. Typical items of support include conference fees, travel costs, student assistant wages, and miscellaneous costs of materials and services. Equipment purchases are not normally supported, but will be considered in rare cases when unusual need and circumstances are demonstrated.

• Proposals should be submitted by the due date to Stephanie Muto in the Dean's office, E51-255. Note that the Application Form must include the signature of the Department, Program, or Section Head.

Download the Dean's Fund Application

HASS Faculty Travel Fund

Members of the faculty may ask the Dean's Office to reimburse the cost of attending one conference per fiscal year. Regular faculty members (assistant professor and above) are eligible. The faculty member must be involved in professional activity at the conference (i.e. presenting a paper or moderating a panel discussion).

• The maximum reimbursement is $1,000 toward airfare/transportation and lodging.

• Prior approval must be obtained from the department headquarters and the Dean's Office. Retroactive approval for expenses will not be allowed.

Download the Faculty Travel Fund Application
Download the Travel Policies

Levitan Prize in the Humanities

The $25,000 Levitan Prize was inaugurated in 1990 and is awarded annually as a research fund to support innovative and creative scholarship in the humanities. All regular SHASS faculty (tenure track) working in humanities fields are eligible to apply.

• Proposals are due February 5, 2010. The request for proposals is sent out 2-3 months prior to the deadline.

• Costs of travel, research assistance, computers, and summer salary are appropriate for inclusion in the budget.

• Proposals should be no more than 10 double-spaced pages, and should contain a description of the research and its significance as well as a budget indicating how the funds will be spent. Proposals should be submitted to Stephanie Muto in the SHASS Dean's office (E51-255) or by email at smuto@mit.edu.
  
  
  

Winners of the Levitan Prize in the Humanities 

MISTI Global Seed Funds 

MISTI (MIT Science and Technology Initiatives) offers seed funds to MIT faculty and researchers to support early-stage international projects and research collaboration. Applicants are encouraged to involve MIT students—both undergraduate and graduate—in their projects.

MISTI GSF includes a general fund for projects in any country and six country funds, each with its own specific set of requirements. Projects that match the requirements of a country fund should apply to that fund; all others should apply to the general fund. Download the PDF application form. 

For more information visit MISTI Global Seed Funds.
Soundings Magazine Fall 08 article on Global Seed Funds.  

MIT Funding Opportunities

Alumni-Sponsored Funding Opportunities

The generous support of alumni from the classes of 1951, 1955, and 1972 provides resources to faculty for educational initiatives.

Class of '51 Fund for Excellence in Education
Class of '55 Fund for Excellence in Teaching
Class of '72 Fund for Educational Innovation

• Proposals should be submitted in the spring to the Dean for Undergraduate Education for projects to be undertaken in the next academic year.

• For more information, visit the alumni fund web site.

The d'Arbeloff Fund for Excellence in MIT Education

Established through a grant from Brit, SM '61, and Alex d'Arbeloff '49 this program funds educational initiatives. A request for proposals is distributed annually in the fall.

For more information, visit the d'Arbeloff Fund.

MISTI Global Seed Funds 

MISTI (MIT Science and Technology Initiatives) offers seed funds to MIT faculty and researchers to support early-stage international projects and research collaboration. Applicants are encouraged to involve MIT students—both undergraduate and graduate—in their projects.

MISTI GSF includes a general fund for projects in any country and six country funds, each with its own specific set of requirements. Projects that match the requirements of a country fund should apply to that fund; all others should apply to the general fund. Download the PDF application form. 

For more information visit MISTI Global Seed Funds.
Soundings Magazine Fall 08 article on Global Seed Funds