2025-2026 Multidisciplinary Programs

The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences announces the 2025-2026 Multidisciplinary Seed Grant Program for its faculty to tackle complex topics by collaborating across disciplines in research and teaching and in the process engaging with students, scholars, stakeholders, and decision-makers. This program responds to the need for new paradigms that shape future research, life-long learning, public discourse, service and dynamic entrepreneurship. It also positions Franklin College to develop transcendent pathways at the forefront of research and instruction. The program is partitioned into two tracks: Rapid Interdisciplinary Proposals (RIP) and Innovation in Interdisciplinary Instruction (I-Cubed). Awards will be announced within 30 days of the proposal deadlines.

Track 1: Rapid Interdisciplinary Proposals (RIP) Program

The RIP program seeks to accelerate new or existing interdisciplinary projects within the College. It is designed to augment and complement existing institutional seed grant efforts and is intended to foster rapid idea generation, data collection, or team building. RIP grants should lead to pursuit of external research funding and/or other forms of external support or recognition within 6 months of funding. In some cases, specific joint projects with other colleges may be considered, pending available funding. 

Logistics For Track 1/RIP projects

RIP proposals require a FCAS-based Principal Investigator (PI) and at least two Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI). Any faculty as well as post-doctoral scholars within the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences can serve as PI. Any tenured, tenure-track, research, or research faculty as well as post-doctoral scholars at the University of Georgia can serve as co-PIs. Each of member of the proposing team must represent a distinct disciplinary unit. Demonstrated engagement of graduate students is also encouraged. 

Expected deliverables for funded RIP projects include a 2-page report identifying key accomplishments, challenges, and opportunities; a 1-page highlight slide; and confirmation of intent for a next-phase grant submission or external recognition or support. These will be due in January 2027.  

Support for Track 1/RIP projects 

Project budgets are expected to range from $3,000 to $10,000 (These funds cannot be used for course buyouts). Up to $50,000 in funding will be available. Projects will be selected on the basis of compelling cross-disciplinary vision, potential impact, and likelihood of securing future funding.  

Applications for Track 1/RIP Program

To apply for the Rapid Interdisciplinary Proposals Program, please fill out the RIP Multidisciplinary Seed Grant Program form by January 30, 2026.  This form includes a space to upload your application.  The application should include:   

• Cover letter with a 250-word popular summary of the project
• Documentation within 6 months projecting termination identifying relevant external grant programs or other external recognition or support opportunities. Such examples might include federal, private or foundation grants, residencies, prizes, sabbaticals, travel or research fellowships, monograms, or other scholarly pathways for advanced studies.
• 2-page narrative with a project description, elements of interdisciplinarity, innovative or novel aspects, why the RIP is essential for advancing the project, and specific work plans over the funding period that culminates in submission within 6 months of project termination
• 1-synthesis figure, graphic or table
• 1-page budget with justification
• 2-page CV for each PI and Co-PI (noting relevant qualifications, publications, and synergistic activities) 

Unsuccessful Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grant Proposals that were submitted within the previous 12 months are eligible for submission.  

Contacts

Please contact Dr. Marshall Shepherd or Leslie Morrow with any questions about the Track 1 or Track 2 Multidisciplinary Seed Grants.

---

Track 2: Innovation in Interdisciplinary Instruction (I-Cubed) Program. 

The I-Cubed Program seeks to enable faculty to collaborate on cross-disciplinary course development. Pairs of faculty members, representing two different disciplines per pair, will spend AY 2026-2027 developing two new courses or substantially revised courses, then teach them in AY 2027-2028. We particularly encourage collaborations that cross the five conventional divisions in the college (that is, arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, mathematical and physical sciences, and biological sciences). We also encourage consideration of honors course development or vertically integrated projects and research (VPR).

Logistics for Track 2/I-Cubed projects

Each faculty member participating in this program will develop one course with a prefix appropriate to their discipline and home department/s — but this course will include a significant component of interdisciplinary subject matter and expertise, designed in collaboration with their faculty partner. This course will also include two weeks of guest instruction, distributed throughout the semester, by this interdisciplinary partner.  

For example: a faculty member in Genetics paired with a faculty member in History would develop two new or revised courses: one HIST XXXX course with a significant Genetics component, including two weeks taught by the faculty member in Genetics; and one GENE XXXX course with a significant History component, including two weeks taught by the faculty member in History.   

Please note that participation in this program will not involve course buyouts or reduced teaching loads; interested faculty members should consult with their respective heads/directors to discuss how to take advantage of this program while meeting the instructional needs of their home units. Any new courses developed under the aegis of this program should be submitted for curriculum review in time to offer them in 2027-2028; both courses should be taught in that academic year. 

Expected deliverables for funded TAP projects include completed syllabi for both courses (due at the end of AY26-27), a one-page report from each faculty member reflecting on the experiences in the course (due at the end of AY27-28), and a set of learning outcomes. 

Support for Track 2/I-Cubed projects 

Faculty members selected for participation in this program will receive a support account of $1,000 to use in FY27. Faculty pairs will also be matched with an associate dean to serve as a sounding board and mentor during the course-development phase. The College will sponsor up to six pairs of faculty, who will be selected on the basis of compelling cross-disciplinary vision and anticipated outcomes.  

Applications for Track 2/I-Cubed Program

To apply for the Innovation in Interdisciplinary Instruction (I-Cubed) program, please fill out the I-Cubed Multidisciplinary Seed Grant Programs form by January 30, 2026.  This form includes a space to upload your application.  The application should include:   

• Names, home departments, and contact information for both faculty members
• Statement of support from both respective department heads or institute directors, including information about how each unit will promote the courses or help ensure that they meet enrollment minimums
• Narrative of the cross-disciplinary rationale, the proposed courses, and the anticipated outcomes of bringing a cross-disciplinary perspective to each (< 500 words) 

Contacts

Please contact Dr. Marshall Shepherd or Leslie Morrow with any questions about the Track 1 or Track 2 Multidisciplinary Seed Grants.

---

The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences 
Research-Intensification System for Tenured Faculty

Motivation

Within rapidly emerging and changing disciplines and external funding landscapes, the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences seeks to support a creative inquiry and scholarly environment that fosters innovative, unconventional, and big picture ideas and exploration with transformational potential. New tools are needed to incubate novel or fledgling research vectors or to complete ambitious projects with significant impact. The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences has established a competitive Research-Intensification System (RIS) with the goal of catalyzing deeper scholarship within and across disciplines, forging new collaborative opportunities, exploring innovative concepts or methodologies, and engaging in critical data collection or field work. 

Objectives

• Advance UGA’s and Franklin’s contributions to positively impact societal transformation through the generation of new knowledge
• Enhance stature and recognition by increasing deliverables that speak to the AAU’s Tier 1 Membership criteria: Competitive federally funded research; memberships in National Academies and prestigious societies; # of Citations; and # of Books.
• Support tenured faculty with a demonstrated exceptional research record to pursue ambitious projects that will lead to research acceleration and long-lasting positive outcomes that advance UGA’s strategic priorities
• Strengthen the Franklin culture of collaboration and community across and within disciplines in the college and beyond. 

How the Program Works 

Upon being selected for the RIS, a faculty member is granted resources they have identified as leading to measurable, time-defined, increased productivity in their creative, research, and scholarly activity. The appropriate Associate Dean will work with the Unit as needed to develop a plan to mitigate impacts this program might have on the faculty members’ responsibilities in instruction and service. While most RIS participants will remain in the region, it is anticipated that some recipients will spend time periods away from campus. If that period exceeds standard campus leave policies, additional justification will be required. 

The College continues to encourage faculty to pursue existing internal funding mechanism through the Provost Office, the Willson Center, or other venues; seek external awards, residencies, and fellowships; and to explore effective course banking as per existing policy to complement the RIS program. 

Funding 

Franklin will provide up to $12,000 per recipient for this program. Any additional support will need to be covered by the academic unit or the faculty member. 

Types of Support

The Franklin College recognizes that different types of support may be most beneficial to enhance research intensity under different circumstances, and so RIS funding can be used for the following:

A. Buy out teaching in the form of course releases *
B. Support for travel with specific benefit to research productivity
C. Support for new or additional graduate assistantships
D. Infrastructure, software, computational power
E. Other types of support may be considered, but must be justified in an additional section of the application <1 page.

*Special expectations for the course release option include:

a. RIS recipients must work with the Unit and College to ensure that timely engagement with graduate student committees and mentoring will continue. They are expected to work with their unit leads to identify release from other service responsibilities.
b. The program may support buy-out of no more than half the unit’s normal tenure track AY teaching expectation (e.g., 2 courses from a 2/2 unit, or 1 course from a 2/1 unit).

Eligibility 

All tenured faculty members who have been employed by Franklin for at least five years are eligible to apply. A faculty member is ineligible if they received, within the last five years, an RIS, an internally or externally supported non-FMLA leave or release from teaching, or other internal competitive research funding. Faculty members are not eligible to be considered for this program while serving as associate dean, head/director of a unit, associate head, or an undergraduate/graduate coordinator. However, recently concluded service as a unit head/director, associate head or undergraduate/graduate coordinator will be regarded as a positive factor for re-energizing one’s research following significant leadership service. 

How to Apply 

To apply for the Research-Intensification System for Tenured Faculty program, please fill out the RIS Program Form by January 30, 2026.  This form includes a space to upload your application.  

The application should include:

• Name
• Unit name
• Statement of support (≤1 page) from Unit Head
• 2-page prospectus consisting of recent research productivity, the research that will be conducted, and how it is expected to build on current productivity. Please include specific objectives, timeline of activity and deliverables, and expected outcomes
• <2-page itemized budget and justification. Note that one course release = $6,000
• Statement of 3-5 year record of teaching, and how it meets or exceeds unit expectations for undergraduate credit hour generation by tenure track faculty.
• If requesting release from teaching, desired semester for course-release, and statement of eligibility as it relates to the above indicators
• Current updated Elements record and CV 

Department heads/school directors are expected to submit a ranking of applications if there are multiple forthcoming requests from their units. This ranking will be considered alongside the college committee recommendations. The Associate Dean for Research will administer the process and will submit a ranked list of final proposals for consideration by the Dean. 

Selection Criteria 

A selection committee representing all five divisions of the college, comprised of Department Heads, Associate Deans, and Center/Institute Directors, will review applications once a year based on the following selection criteria: 

1. Extent to which current duties impede, and/or the RIS support will enhance the research to be supported.
2. Where applicable, level of current research funding that maximizes the benefit of the proposed support to the researcher and the institution.
3. History of research productivity
4. Recent history of undergraduate credit hour generation and teaching assignments that meet or exceed unit expectations.
5. Recently concluded unit leadership assignments will be regarded as a positive factor.
6. Unit Heads/Directors will be recused from discussing and ranking proposals from their own units.

Any external grants submitted as an outcome of the program must be submitted through the Franklin REST team. The competitive process will extend across diverse disciplinary research traditions and expectations. The College anticipates awarding 6 RIS awards in AY26-27, but the final number and amount of awards is contingent on philanthropic and other funds available. Award announcements are expected by the end of February, 2026. Upon completion of the RIS, the faculty member will submit a one-page summary of the activities and accomplishments.

Contacts

Please contact Dr. Adam Goodie or John Borowski with any questions about the Research-Intensification System.