FASS funding

FASS is launching a new grants programme, Breaking Barriers, to encourage interdisciplinary scholarship. For this competition, the Dean’s Office seeks interdisciplinary grant applications from teams led by FASS researchers. As prioritized in What’s Next: The SFU Strategy, the research proposed by these teams should aim to deepen our understanding of the world’s most pressing issues or aim to create solutions or otherwise address these problems. Teams should explain how their research advances the strategic priorities of FASS and/or the University as a whole. For a non-exhaustive list of ideas about what kinds of topics might be strategic priorities for the University, see SFU’s Strategic Research Plan, the President’s What’s Next: The SFU Strategy, or propose another area of research and explain why it makes sense for FASS/SFU to develop that area of research.Proposals should draw on research from at least two disciplines, and ideally will also involve a faculty member or members from outside FASS.

See the following attachments for additional Breaking Barrier Interdisciplinary Incentive Grant criteria:

Research travel funding

The FASS Dean's Office will consider funding requests between $500 and $1,000 CAD for travel to a conference or competition where the student is performing or presenting research; to a library, archive, research centre, or other research-related resource; or to another activity which requires travel and which is directly related to the student’s research project or course of study. Support from this fund is not available for participation in co-op, internship placements, or field schools.

Students may apply only once per academic year. Before applying for FASS research travel funding, graduate students must first apply to the following potential sources of research travel support, and provide evidence of having done so:

1. Dean of Graduate Studies (GPS). See Graduate Travel and Research Award (TARA)
2. Graduate Student Society (GSS) Professional Development Grants
3. Home department or school
4. Faculty supervisor’s grant funds (Tri-Council or other)

Please direct questions about the FASS Graduate Student Support Fund to the Associate Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, fasssec@sfu.ca.

Please use the FASS Graduate Student Support Fund application form to apply.

FASS is launching a new, one-time grant program to support faculty members in advancing their research to achieve greater visibility and/or external support. The competition is open to any FASS faculty member who submits a proposal. Up to $10,000 per faculty member will be awarded over a period of up to two years. If more than one faculty member is involved, the maximum amount awarded is $15,000 over two years. Support is available for a wide variety of scholarly purposes (but not teaching buyouts), which should be closely tied to the research objectives.

Budget will be governed by the usual SFU Budget Guidelines and Travel and Business Expenses policy— see Research Personnel costs, Research Travel and Subsistence, and the Award Management Guidelines for eligible expenses. Priority will be given to those projects that bring greater visibility and external engagement to FASS research and/or that cultivate projects that are likely to secure external funding. Examples of possible expenses include (but are not restricted to):   

• Open Access Publication Fees
• Travel Costs 
• Seed money for creating a partnership or collaboration
• Funds to purchase or gather data
• Funding for student training and support
• Funds to run a workshop or conference at SFU
• Funds to develop translational materials bringing your research to a wide audience

See the following attachments for additional Kickstarter Seed Grant criteria:

NOTE: this fund is on hold for fiscal 2025

A maximum of $5,000 will be available once every 24 months for a retired FASS faculty member. Funding is for research activities only; support to attend conferences, for example, will not be provided.

Applications may be submitted at any time to the Associate Dean, Research; support is contingent on availablility of funds in the Dean's Office. A brief report must be provided to the FASS Dean’s office after the research is complete; recipients are expected to work with the FASS Communications Officer to share the results of their research.

The following criteria will be applied in decisions regarding the funding request.

1. Priority will be given to those retirees who have not yet received a FASS Retiree Grant. Retirees applying for a second (or third) Retiree Grant will be asked to wait until January of a fiscal year to submit their application, to ensure that there are funds available for Retirees submitting their first  request for support.
2. Normally, FASS will not approve applications for a second (or third) Retiree Grant in support of a project that has already received the maximum amount of support from FASS.
3. Budgets in applications should be reasonable, reflect an efficient use of resources, and provide as much detail as possible. FASS is unlikely to provide support for meals or per diems.

Please direct questions about the FASS Retirees Research Fund to the Associate Dean, Research.

Please use the FASS Retirees Research Fund application form to apply.