Research, scholarship and creative activities are an integral aspect of California State University, Los Angeles. Campus research enhances one's field of study, educational experience and helps prepare one—whether an educator or student—for the future work environment.
Research Development Faculty Liaisons Services
ORSCA Faculty Liaisons support your research development and provide the following services:
- Connect faculty members with others with similar research interests
- Support in conceptualizing research ideas
- Brainstorm ideas to create logic models and conceptual frameworks
- Assist with identifying grant/ foundation opportunities
- Investigate the grant opportunity's eligibility and submission requirements
- Assist with grant development
- Edit proposals for clarity
- Secure letters of support Monitor compliance
- Assist with revision and re-submission
Internal Campus Funding
Internal funding opportunities, also known as the Research, Scholarship & Creative Activities Awards (RSCA), support faculty and student engagement in research, scholarship and creative activities.
Provost’s Seed Grant Award
Call for Proposals: 2025 date to be determined
Deadline for Submissions: 2026 date to be determined
Funding Period: July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027
Seed Grant Award Description: The Seed Grant Award provides funding from the Provost for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities (RSCA), with the goal to support new RSCA projects which will be competitive for extramural funding.
Eligibility: All full-time Cal State LA faculty are eligible to apply for a Seed Award, however, faculty who will use sabbatical leave during the funding year or who have received a Seed Grant during the previous year, are not eligible for this award. Part-time faculty and emeritus faculty are not eligible.
Cal State LA faculty members are limited to one submission per call-for-proposals (CFP). Cal State LA faculty who meet the eligibility standards stated may propose a collaborative project with other university personnel; however, the principal investigator (PI) will receive the funds and the PI will be responsible for the expenditure of the funds for their own use. Faculty who submit a proposal to the Seed Program should also apply for the Grant Writing Faculty Learning Community (FLC), which takes place during spring semester. The FLC is an intensive eight-week workshop that assists faculty in taking a proposal from outline format to a finished proposal adhering to the guidelines of an external funding agency. Faculty can participate in the FLC even if not funded. The PI must have a project outline and must have identified the external agency and program to which they intend to submit their proposal. The Faculty Learning Community is designed to match the proposal content and design to agency guidelines and review criteria, thus making the proposal highly competitive for funding.
Duration of Awards: Awards funded in fall academic year (AY) 2026-27 will have a start date of 1 July 2026 and a close date of 30 June 2027 to produce a full draft of the proposal. The final deliverable deadline is 30 December 2027 with a successful submission confirmed.
Funding: Three units release time for targeting a grant with funding $30K or higher with an additional $1K to be paid upon proposal submission.
The Seed Award Application Process:
Project Description: Please include a description of the proposed project and the methodology involved. It must include project objectives, background, project plan, timelines, and key references. Address the significance of the project, the relevance of your project to your field(s) of study or area(s) of expertise, and how this project will advance your discipline(s) or field(s) of work. Also, include the targeted extramural agencies or source(s) to which you intend to apply. The proposal text should not exceed four double-spaced pages using 12-point font and one-inch margins.
An additional one-page budget and budget narrative should accompany the proposal text along with a one-page reference list.
Experience and Qualifications: Please provide a 2-page CV using the required format of your targeted agency and a one-page list of all of your past external proposal submissions that were and were not funded including proposal title, agency, date of submission if applicable. This demonstrates your past effort and motivation for seeking external grant funding.
Submission is via InfoReady under “Seed” Application, the 2026 deadline is to be determined, 11:59 PM (PDT).
Application Review: The Awards and Leaves Committee will review the applications and make recommendations for funding.
Deliverables: A fully composed proposal successfully submitted and accepted by an external agency of the PI's choosing must be done by December 30, 2026. The PI needs to send an email to Haley Ye ([email protected]) with submission confirmation info.
Other Guidelines:
1. Priority will be given to faculty who have submitted external proposals during the last three years without success.
2. If you accept this award, you will be unable to qualify to receive other internal awards from ORSCA during the overlapping award period.
Evaluation Criteria:
1. Overall quality of the project and the proposal. (10 points)
2. Contributions to the faculty member’s field or discipline of study. (10 points)
3. Likelihood for success and completion of the goals of the project. (10 points)
4. Likelihood that the project will contribute to: (10 points)
- The strategic mission of the University, including its commitment to inclusivity and diversity
- A sustained program of scholarship or creative activity by the applicant
- The publication of a book, monograph, or major article(s)
- Linkages between research, creative and scholarly activity, and student learning outcomes.
- Following Instructions. (10 points)
5. Priority points (have submitted relevant external proposals in the past) (5 points)
Questions about this program may be directed to ORSCA ([email protected]).
Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Awards
Awards and Leaves
2026-2027 Academic Year
Deadline for submissions: 2026 date to be announced PDT
Please note: late submissions may be penalized or not considered
The goal of the Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (RSCA) Awards is to support faculty and student engagement in research, scholarship, and creative activities, furthering the mission of the University.
All Unit 3 faculty may compete for funding, including Instructional Faculty, Librarians, Coaches, and Counselors. In order to provide support to the largest number of Cal State LA faculty, we are asking individuals to apply for one category: either a Minigrant Award or an Assigned Time Award. Faculty may not apply to both or submit multiple applications for a Minigrant or Assigned Time Award.
Minigrants
Minigrants (up to $5,000) allow faculty to test promising ideas. Funds may be used for undergraduate and/or graduate assistants, clerical assistance, travel and supplies necessary for the activity. Minigrants may not be used for faculty release time from teaching assignments. Minigrants must be expended by the end of the 2026-2027 fiscal year (please ask your Resource Manager for a specific date). Note: if funded, proposed expenditures must be approved by your Resource Manager.
A summary progress report of your funded project must be submitted via InfoReady to the Chancellor's Office and the Office of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities at the end of the academic year. Note: you may be asked to submit a six-month progress report.
RSCA Assigned Time Awards
Assigned Time awards provide faculty with a one-course release--three units--to develop or complete a research, scholarship, or creative activity. RSCA Assigned Time awards must be taken during the fall 2026 or spring 2027 term and with approval of your department chair. A summary report must be submitted via InfoReady to the Chancellor's Office and the Office of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
Evaluation of Proposals:
Proposals will be reviewed by the Awards and Leaves Committee--an Academic Senate appointed committee--based on the criteria outlined below. Upon the Committee’s recommendations, awards will be made by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
RSCA Awards and Leaves Evaluation Criteria:
1. (10 points) Overall quality of the project and proposal
2. (10 points) Contributions to the faculty member’s field or discipline of study
3. (5 points) The degree to which the project encourages and supports faculty in disciplines with few outside
resources to support RSCA activities
4. (10 points) Likelihood for success and completion of the goals of the project
5. (10 points) Likelihood the project will contribute to:
- the strategic mission of the University, including its commitment to inclusivity and diversity
- a sustained program of scholarship or creative activity by the applicant
- the publication of a book, monograph, or major article(s)
- linkages between research, creative and scholarly activity, and student learning outcomes
6. (5 points) Following Instructions
Final Report:
A final report summarizing the outcomes of project must be submitted to the Chancellor's Office and the Office of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities.
Award recipients must expend all funds by the end of the 2026-2027 fiscal year--please check with your fiscal officer/resource manager for the exact date.
Deadline for Online Awards and Leaves Application Submission: 2026 date to be announced (PDT).
Online Submission:
Applications will only be accepted through InfoReady. You are required to upload an Approval Page, Narrative, Curriculum Vitae (CV), Budget Page--if applying for a Minigrant--and complete an online InfoReady application by, or before, the submission deadline.
Please download the provided templates on InfoReady under the program.
Proposal Format:
The Narrative section should address the listed evaluation criteria in the following format:
1. Project Description
If this proposal is a continuation of a previously funded RSCA proposal, please provide justification for continued funding.
2. Project Significance
3. Results: Evaluation, Dissemination
If you received RSCA funding for the 2025--2026 academic year, you are asked to provide a brief discussion of your progress in this section.
Proposal Submission Checklist:
The submitted proposal must include all of the following:
1. Approval Page: requires both the signature of your Chair and your Dean
2. Narrative section to be no more than five double-spaced pages in length--including diagrams/figures but excluding references--using at least 12 pt. type font and one-inch margins all around
3. Two-page curriculum vitae, using 12 pt. type font and one-inch margins all around
4. Budget Page only if applying for a Minigrant--use the form on InfoReady
5. Complete online InfoReady application
If you have any questions, please email: [email protected]
- Approval Page 2025-26
Download and save the file to see all signature lines.
- Budget Pages 2025-26
- Curriculum Vitae Pages 2025-26
External Funding Opportunities
External funding opportunities include federal, state, and private foundation support. Cal State LA has numerous resources to help search for external opportunities.
Pivot combines the most comprehensive, editorially maintained database of funding opportunities worth an estimated $33 billion with our unique database of 3 million pre-populated scholar profiles, drawing from Community of Scholars and Community of Science profiles. Its proprietary algorithm compiles pre-populated researcher profiles unique to our organization (and others) and matches them to current funding opportunities in the expansive COS database. This allows users to search for a funding opportunity and instantly view matching faculty from inside or outside your institution. Conversely, a search for a scholar will link to matching funding opportunities.
Grants.gov includes all discretionary grants offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies, including Department of Education, NSF, NASA, Department of Defense, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Department of Health and Human Services (including NIH), Department of Homeland Security, and many more.
GrantSearch is part of the Grants Resource Center, developed to make finding federal and private foundation grant information accessible and convenient by allowing the user to search the funding opportunity database using five criteria: academic subject, activity, funding sponsor, deadline month, and text. This is a subscription database, accessible from campus computers. If you are off campus, you may obtain the required username and password by logging in here with your NIS account and password. You may also request this information by email, using your campus email address.
Fulbright offers U.S. faculty, administrators and professionals grants to lecture or do research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields, or to participate in seminars.
National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities.
The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education.
