Multicampus Faculty Working Groups, 2026-27
The Multicampus Faculty Working Group Grant supports UC faculty as they collaborate on innovative agendas in ways that contribute to the advancement of the specific working group topic and the humanities as a whole. Although we will consider all humanistic topics, UCHRI is particularly interested in working groups that approach humanistic problems broadly related to its new theme, Sustenance. The initiative addresses sustenance and sustainability as material and metaphor to better understand the forms and outputs of human community building and disintegration as well as of our planetary predicament. This grant is not meant to support large conferences, but rather to support sustained research exchange among UC faculty through meetings, workshops, and small symposia.
We invite research that examines inclusive artistic and critical practices forging and fortifying new communities; the social, economic, political, historical, cultural, psychological, and environmental aspects of sustenance; and the sustenance required for the university and the humanities to survive the current moment. For more information, please consult the Sustenance initiative page.
UCHRI welcomes explorations of humanistic thought in collaboration with other disciplines to build stronger communities of research across our campuses. If you wish to apply for a one-time renewal after the conclusion of the initial grant period, you may do so by demonstrating outcomes or concrete progress toward your stated goals. Successful applicants from the 2025-26 academic year are eligible to apply for a renewal in 2026-27 (see details below).
We also encourage you to think about productive ways of engaging graduate students in your project and apply for our Graduate Student Supplement. If you are working on topics related to sustenance, broadly conceived, you may also consider our Sustenance Supplement, which can be used to fund public engagement, community collaboration, pedagogical initiatives, or other similar activities. Eligible applicants may apply for both supplements, but please note that supplemental awards are competitive and that the goals of your main grant should be achievable on their own even without supplemental funding.
Applications must be submitted online via Submittable by 11:59 PM (Pacific time) on the deadline date.
Application Details
Faculty organizers must be UC ladder rank faculty members who will be responsible for coordinating all aspects of the working group. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their respective campus representative on the UCHRI Grants Review Committee for guidance in the application process.
Prospective faculty organizers must apply online via Submittable. Required documents include:
- Project Title and Abstract (200 words max)
- Project Description (2,000 words max, see details below)
- Proposed Budget (500 words max, see details below)
- Curriculum Vitae of the Faculty Organizer(s) (2 pages max)
- Applicants requesting a renewal should submit a narrative progress report on their current 2025-26 UCHRI grant. To receive further instructions with a list of questions we would like you to answer, please contact grants@hri.uci.edu.
Successful applications should clearly demonstrate how the topic and activities will contribute to research excellence in the humanities and include faculty participants from at least two UC campuses. Preference will be given to projects that engage three or more UC campuses and those that incorporate broader and more diverse publics in the expressive or interpretive work of the humanities. We also encourage interdisciplinary projects that include faculty from social or natural sciences. All project activities must take place between July 1, 2026 and December 31, 2027.
Project Description
The project description should be a maximum of 2,000 words and include the following elements:
- Problem Statement, including a description of the topic or issue that the working group seeks to address and its short- and long-term significance to the humanities.
- List of Participants, including each participant’s name, campus, department, brief biography, and relevance/contribution to the collaborative project and its stated objectives.
- Proposed Objectives, broadly defined, which may include scholarly publication, digital tool development/refinement, programmatic initiatives (e.g., curriculum development), or the completion of external grant proposals or applications.
Wherever possible, the project description should also address the way the working group plans to engage multiple campuses, disciplines, and publics in their work.
Proposed Budget
The proposed budget is made up of two elements:
- The Applicant PROPOSED Budget Template
- A Budget Narrative (500 words max) that explains how estimates were determined
Budgets may cover travel and lodging expenses for workshop meetings of working group members as well as necessary group-related research expenses. Catered and group meals may not exceed 25% of the total budget. Grant funds do not cover alcoholic beverages.
Please note that restrictions on UCHRI funding do not allow honoraria to be paid to UC faculty. Compensation for invited speakers or working group participants should be in the form of a direct contribution to the faculty member’s research fund and is limited to a maximum of $500 for UC-faculty presenters/panelists. Honoraria may be paid to non-UC presenters/panelists and should also be capped at $500.
Please consider budgeting 15% of the requested amount for administrative assistance from the department or humanities center that will be managing your grant. We recommend that you consult with them ahead of time and get their input on your budget. Since reimbursement policies and admissible research costs vary by campus, your fund administrator can ensure your planned activities can be charged to grant funds.
You can share the project workload and credit with a co-PI from your own campus or a different UC, but please note that for administrative purposes, a single faculty member who acts as the main PI will facilitate the transfer of funds to their campus and be responsible for financial and narrative reporting to UCHRI.
Campuses are prohibited from charging indirect costs (such as those required for federal grants) on funding from the Office of the President.
You may also consider applying for the following supplements:
Supplemental $5,000 Graduate Student Funding
Supplemental $5,000 Sustenance Funding
Funds will be transferred directly from UCHRI to the appropriate campus PI administrative unit.
For program related questions, please contact grants@hri.uci.edu. Please include the name of the grant for which you need assistance.
For technical assistance, please contact Submittable at support@submittable.com.
