The Office of Research Development (ORD) offers several internal funding opportunities to support UMass Lowell faculty in advancing their research and scholarship.

ORD-Sponsored Funding - Information Sessions

ORD hosts regular information sessions about open internal funding opportunities. We review the funding mechanisms, discuss guidelines regarding all ORD-sponsored funding, and provide tips for your proposal. Check back about upcoming opportunities after calls for proposals have been announced.

View recordings of previous sessions:

Man and woman in lab gear work with testtubes

Internal Seed Grants

Supports faculty in developing multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborative efforts leading to sustainable research and scholarship.

Learn more about Internal Seed Grants.

Professor and student review artwork in a UMass Lowell art studio

Researchers and Scholars Investment (RSI) Fund

Supports faculty in their professional trajectory by providing immediate assistance for short-term projects and goals.

Learn more about the RSI Fund.

Mechanical engineering student Alana Smith helps plant 1 of the 1st fruit trees in the food forest. Image by Brooke Coupal

Community-Engaged Research and Scholarship Fund

Supports the creation and sustenance of strong, mutually beneficial relationships with the greater Lowell community.

Learn more about the Community-Engaged Research and Scholarship Fund.

  1. Lead principal investigators (PIs) can only hold one award sponsored by the Office of Research Development at a time. PIs may only apply for awards with project periods that do not overlap with the project period of their current award. If consecutive funding is awarded, no extensions on the prior award will be allowed.
  2. Applicants may only serve as a PI on one application for an award sponsored by the Office of Research Development per academic semester. If multiple applications are received that include the same PI in the same academic semester, only the first submission will be considered for funding.
  3. Final reports are due within twelve months of the award period or extension period end. The Office of Research Development will provide instructions for submitting reports at the end of your award. Please refer to the sample reporting form (reporting data may be subject to change; specific instructions and requests for your report will be provided at the end of your award).
    • Note: PIs will not be eligible for future funding until ORD receives the report. Extensions will be allowed if needed to capture return on investment (ROI).
  4. Publications, presentations, and other outputs from these awards should include this acknowledgement: “This project was supported by funding from the Office of Research Development at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.”
  5. Any overspending on these internal awards will be charged against the PI’s Research Investment Funds (RIF) account.
  6. Extensions may not overlap with new awards. However, to request an extension, please email: RD@uml.edu as soon as possible, but prior to your project end date. The request should be sent in one PDF document including the following:
    • Statement about the purpose of the extension
    • Revised project timeline (no more than one year)
    • Description of work to be completed during the extension

The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) is committed to equal opportunity for all persons, without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected categories. UML seeks as diverse a pool of award nominations as possible from a wide range of disciplines and topical areas that adopt a diversity of approaches, methodologies, and paradigms.

All awardees are expected to meet the commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity. Breaches of professional ethics might include bullying, sexual misconduct, racial discrimination, and/or other ethical violations. Sexual and/or racial harassment or retaliation for declining, objecting to, or reporting harassment or other sexual conduct may constitute a serious breach of professional ethics.