The Office of Research Development (ORD) at UMass Lowell (UML) is committed to strengthening the university’s role in public service by supporting projects that create new knowledge, approaches, and practices that address regional challenges through collaborative efforts. Funded by The Public Service Endowment, the Community-Engaged Research and Scholarship Fund supports the creation and sustenance of strong, mutually beneficial relationships by supporting work that addresses an urgent problem, need, or opportunity identified and agreed upon by the community, community partners, and UMass Lowell researchers and scholars.

Objectives

  • Capacity Building: Projects must strengthen community capacity and relationships between the university and community partners.
    • Proposals may also include interdisciplinary approaches and/or foster student engagement experiences.
  • Collaborative Approach: Projects must involve significant collaboration between UMass Lowell faculty and community partners. Projects must provide mutual benefit to each collaborative institution and their constituents. All stages of the project including design, implementation, and evaluation must be driven by community input and need.
    • Partnerships may be new, developing, or existing.
  • Knowledge Making: Projects must contribute to the creation or discovery of new knowledge, approaches, practices, or applications for future research and education.
  • Community Impact: Projects must address urgent or overlooked social, economic, environmental, or cultural issues. Projects must produce tangible, measurable outcomes.
  • Sustainability: Project must include plans to maintain relationships with partners and identify long-term goals and potential support for the collaboration after the award period.

Anticipated Funding Amount

The Office of Research Development has allocated $20,000 per fiscal year for this program and plans to fund 2-3 projects of up to $10,000 each.

Proposal Deadline and Process

Proposals will be accepted once per fiscal year in the fall semester and must be submitted through the Community-Engaged Research and Scholarship Fund InfoReady. The deadline for Fiscal Year 26 (FY26) is Monday, October 27, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.

On the Community-Engaged Research and Scholarship Fund InfoReady, you may download the full solicitation under “Supporting Documents.” Please review the solicitation thoroughly for eligibility, guidelines and proposal requirements.

Eligibility

  • Projects must be led by UML tenured or tenure-track faculty. Other UML staff and faculty may be part of the project team.
  • Proposals must include at least one community partner, including non-profits, governmental agencies, schools, or other community-based entities.
  • Proposals are encouraged to address issues related to the greater Lowell region.
  • Lead principal investigators (PIs) can only hold one award sponsored by the Office of Research Development at a time. An exception will be made for PIs seeking bridge funding to continue research from a disrupted federal grant; we may award funding even if the PI currently holds an ORD-sponsored award.
  • PIs may only apply for awards with project periods that do not overlap with the project period of their current award (exception granted for those applying for bridge funding to continue research from a disrupted federal grant).

Guidelines

  • Review the guidelines for all ORD-sponsored funding
  • Funds are awarded for an 18-month period (usually Jan. 1 – June 30 the following year).
  • Applicants may not request more than $10,000 for their project.
  • Funds must not be used for summer salary or other additional compensation for faculty
  • Funds must not be used for salary for external co-PIs. Funds may be used to hire a consultant whose expertise is required to perform an element of the project.
  • Funds must not be used to fund Research Assistants/tuition waivers (funds may support student hourly wages)

Timeline

  • September – Announcement of call for proposals 
  • October 27, 2025 - Proposal deadline
  • November - Proposal review 
  • November 21, 2025 – Notification of decision to applicants 
  • January 1, 2026 – Disbursement of funds (18-month award period)

Deliverables

  • Awardees are required to submit a final report outlining activities and outcomes. Instructions for the report will be provided near the end of the award period.
  • Awardees must serve as a reviewer for at least one future cycle of ORD applications, if asked.
  • Awardees must present at a university-wide forum, such as at the annual Faculty Symposium, or another designated community-engaged event.

Public Service Endowment Fund

The Public Service Endowments are held by the UMass Foundation and disbursed to UMass system campuses each year in perpetuity. The grants are intended to enhance the public service mission of UMass Lowell by bringing the skills and knowledge of faculty and staff to bear on a problem or project identified with community groups, schools, non-profit businesses, health and human service organizations, and more.