The Research Scholarship & Creativity Program provides assistance for research, scholarship and creative activities related to the arts and humanities: computational, formal, natural, or social sciences; education; cyber; and business.
RSCA grants may be used to support projects leading toward the development of a proposal for extramural sponsored funding or other research, scholarship, and creative activities for full-time faculty. Awards are made through a competitive process and funding is not guaranteed.
Late applications are not accepted; applicants would have to resubmit an updated application on the next cycle.
It is recommended that a glossary and/or appendix be included for applications with discipline specific or technical language.
Funding for research projects are limited and awarded competitively. Applications are reviewed on the significance of the individual’s research, the degree to which they extend the profile and prestige of Augusta University, and the likelihood that a subsequent extramural proposal would be funded. Because of the limited funds we are only able to fund a limited number of awards based on the priority scores.
Yes, if you meet the eligibility criteria.
All full-time AU faculty members on academic year contracts are eligible. Part time faculty and faculty with voluntary (“clinical” or “adjunct”) appointments are ineligible.
Faculty who are receiving extramural or intramural funding from any other institutional source must demonstrate that there is no scientific or budgetary overlap with this application.
Award amounts can include up to two months of summer salary and fringe benefits for the PI if he/she is an AU faculty member paid on an academic 10-month contract, in addition for $5,000 for other direct costs to conduct the project, depending upon the nature of the request. A budget detailing the need for the funds must be included in the application. Recipients of the RSCA are advised that these funds cannot be used for any part of projects funded by other Augusta University entities.
Requests for travel needed to conduct the research, purchase of materials and supplies, or hourly support for research assistants (graduate and undergraduate) are allowable. These funds may not be used for conference travel to present findings. Summer salaries are payable during the months of June 2024 and July 2025 only. You may begin expensing funds that are awarded to support your research efforts for materials, supplies, and student assistants effective May 13, 2025, through May 15, 2026.
The required outcomes from the grant award will be: 1) Preparation of a proposal to obtain external funding from a federal agency or national foundation, and/or preparation of scholarly or creative works that will enhance the profile and prestige of AU when disseminated; and 2) Final progress report and annual updates of publications and extramural submissions/awards, and any other relevant project outcomes. Importantly, the expected outcomes need to be explicitly described.
A Research Advisory Council composed of faculty from Augusta University will review and rank the proposals and submit recommendations to the Senior Vice President for Research. The Funding Council (including the Senior Vice President and the Research Associate Vice Presidents) will consider both programmatic needs as well as merit from the recommendations and determine the final awards based on the following priority criteria:
Funded proposals are awarded for one year and typically “No cost extensions” are not allowed. It is recognized that many awards will begin after initiation of the Spring Semester and span two fiscal years. Funded Principal Investigators are expected to be available to serve on the review committee for subsequent cycles of RSCA awards.
If you answered yes on your routing sheet that Wellstar Medical College of Georgia Hospital (WMCGH) resources (which includes patients, facilities, equipment, personnel, and/or medical records) will be involved, then your proposal must be submitted to the Clinical & Translational Sciences Research Development Services (CTSRDS@augusta.edu) for review, if necessary. Approvals must also be obtained from AU oversight entities as appropriate for the project, such as IRB, IACUC, Biosafety, etc.
The Principal Investigator along with the Department Manager will be informed via email of the account number and the project period.
Unexpended funds will not be carried beyond the project period. The award date will be established after all required approvals are in place. All institutional approvals must be in place within two months of receiving notification of the award or the award will be revoked.
Funded proposals should adhere to the budget as approved. Re-budgeting requires written approval of Sponsored Program Administration. Unauthorized charges (any expenses charged to the account that do not specifically relate to the project and are not included in the reviewed budget and justification) must be removed within five business days of notification.
A preliminary report describing how funds have been expended and progress to date is required to be submitted by December 31, 2025. A final report is due by December 31, 2026. Report templates will be emailed to the Principal Investigator before each is due. Both reports should describe progress towards the original goals of the project and include any abstract submissions to national/ international meetings, peer reviewed journal articles (submitted, in press, or published), extramural applications submitted, and awards received that were assisted by the RSCA award. Publications should acknowledge RSCA support. These reports will also be used to assess the RSCA award program’s return on investment. Publications should credit the support of the Augusta University Research Assistance Grants Program.
Applications must be submitted using the InfoReady Portal. If an applicant has multiple documents to upload for a single section, please combine all documents into a single PDF before upload. View this demonstration video.
Links ( link icon ) and downloadable content ( file-download icon ) are indicated by the icons below.
A completed and signed Intramural routing sheet is eSProute is AU's electronic routing system and preferred method for routing proposals. To submit your proposal for review, log in to eSProute and complete all required fields. The system will generate emails to the appropriate financial and administrative leaders for approval. Please note that training and validation are required for use of eSProute routing.
Two page limit
This section should briefly describe in a way that can be understood by faculty members in specialties different from your own:
Four page limit
This section should provide a detailed description of what you propose to do (preferably as a list of Specific Aims) and its purpose and significance; and establish the merit and feasibility of the project. It should describe in detail methods and procedures to be utilized, facilities available, and a timetable for completing the work.
The budget should list in detail the proposed use of funds, including, if applicable, funds to be spent in AU Core Budgets submitted without sufficient detail may be returned for additional clarification.
Applications will be accepted prior to required approvals, if applicable, by the IRB, IACUC, Radiation Safety, Institutional Biosafety, and Institutional Chemical Committees, as well as Augusta University Medical Center (AUMC) approval. However no funds will be awarded until all applicable regulatory approvals are in place.
Guidelines and face page are available on the Tools for Researchers page.
