faculty Research and creative activity awards (RCAA)

The J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts (TCVPA) is committed to advancing faculty excellence in research, scholarship, and creative activity. The Faculty Research & Creative Activity Awards (RCAA) program provides internal funding to help faculty support continued research, develop innovative projects, establish a plan to collaborate with a community partner, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and strengthen future opportunities for external funding.

Whether launching a new initiative or bringing an important project to completion, RCAA funding supports the visibility, impact, and success of TCVPA faculty.

The 2027 Faculty Research & Creative Activity Awards offer four funding opportunities designed to support faculty at various stages of research, scholarship, and creative activity. In addition, faculty pursuing community-engaged research or creative activity may apply through the Engaged Option available within select award categories.

Program-Wide Eligibility & Application Information

• All full-time faculty who have completed one or more years of full-time teaching are eligible to apply.
• Individual faculty members, or teams with Co-PIs may apply. 
• First-time RCAA applicants will receive priority consideration.
• Previous RCAA recipients must have completed and submitted all required reports from prior award cycles to be eligible.
• Faculty who received a Category 2 RCAA award in Spring 2026 are ineligible to apply.
• Tenure-track faculty with available startup balances must provide the current balance and a brief rationale explaining why additional funding is necessary.
• Award funds must be fully expended by the end of the applicable fiscal year associated with the award category.
• At the end of the award period, a report on completion of the project and its outcomes must be submitted. 
• For travel funding, faculty should first pursue travel support through school faculty development funding, TCVPA Supplemental Travel funding, and other university travel resources. If travel funding is requested via the RCAA application, include a justification statement as requested on the application. 

Interested in Applying?

Contact the Director of Grants & Innovation

For questions about eligibility, project planning, proposal development, or budgeting, contact the Geneva Aragon-Allen, Director of Grants & Innovation, for guidance, support, and additional information.

Annual Timeline & Procedures

November 19: Application portal opens in InfoReady.

February 22: Proposal submission deadline (11:59 p.m. CT).

Spring 2027: Applications are reviewed by the RCAA Review Committee and award recipients are announced.

April 1: Every Spring, RCAA Recipients are announced and are required to attend the annual TCVPA Research & Creative Activity Colloquium as part of their acceptance of the award. All faculty are encouraged to attend. This year it will be held on April 1, 2027, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

September 1: RCAA recipients who have completed their funding cycle must submit a report of project outcomes to Associate Dean Ivy Walz.  Communication with instructions will be sent to recipients in advance.

Review Process

Applications are reviewed by a committee of past RCAA recipients from across the college using published evaluation rubrics. Recommendations are forwarded for final review and approval. The identities of applicants and reviewers remain confidential throughout the review process.

Application Components

• Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Investigator (Co-PI) information, including CVs or resumes for each participant.
• Project title and abstract (250-500 words).
• Project narrative (≤ 2,500 words).
• Detailed Budget and budget justification.
• Project scope and timeline.
• Community engagement materials and support letters, if applying through an Engaged Option.
• Optional supporting materials and examples of related work.
• Additional requirements as outlined in applicable award guidelines and rubric.

A definition of engaged scholarship, examples, and metrics for measuring impact are in the downloads folder. Please use the budget template located in the downloads folder.

Need Additional Guidance?

The Office of Faculty, Research, Creativity & Outreach is available to assist faculty throughout the application process. For support with project planning, proposal development, budgeting, and application preparation, contact Geneva Aragon-Allen, Director of Grants & Innovation.

For questions regarding program priorities, college research initiatives, or award administration, and the overall direction of the Faculty Research & Creative Activity Awards program, contact Ivy Walz, Associate Dean for Faculty, Research, Creativity & Outreach.