University of Maryland

Improvement Grant (IG)

Improvement Grant (IG) Proposals

The Improvement Grant (IG) is a competitive internal grant program that provides funding to assist iSchool researchers who could greatly improve their research efforts by means of limited financial support and who have exhausted all other available funding sources. Faculty should consult the Associate Dean for Research for other funding sources prior to Incremental Improvement Grant Submission. Master’s Students pursuing a Thesis option must receive approval from their advisors.

Application deadline dates are September 15th, January 15th, and April 15th of every year.

Eligibility
  • iSchool faculty (professional track faculty) singly or in groups
  • iSchool Master’s Students pursuing a Thesis option with the approval of their advisor
Funding
  • The amount of support will depend upon the nature of the research, the specific needs of the project, and the methods being proposed, but should be less than $1,000.00 per project.
  • Examples of Possible Activities
    • Research-related travel
    • Participant Incentives
    • Supplies for carrying out research activities
    • Special computing needs (e.g., cloud services, software, printing, etc.)
    • Other miscellaneous research expenses clearly tied to the project
Process
  • Applications will be accepted on January 15th, April 15th, and September 15th of every year
  • Proposers will be notified within six weeks of proposal submission about grant winners
Proposals
Grant Winners
  • Recipients must spend funds and complete projects before leaving the University
  • All funds are to be spent and work completed within 2 years of the date of notification
  • Recipients are required to provide an IG Final Report at the end of their projects
  • Final Reports will be posted on the iSchool Research Library

If there are any questions, please contact the Research Team.

Improvement Application (CLICK HERE)