Faculty Research Committee

The Faculty Research Committee (FRC) administers grants programs each year that provide support for faculty research and creative activities. The committee comprises six elected members of the faculty, with at least one member from each disciplinary group—natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics; social sciences; humanities; and arts—and no more than one from any department, as well as Sarah Raskin, Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Charles A. Dana Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, and Terri Williams, Director of Faculty Grants and Sponsored Research.

The FRC provides research support programs for faculty and students, as well as lecture series each academic year, described briefly below and in greater detail within the links for each program.

Programs for Faculty Members

The Faculty Research Committee administers funds available through the Dean of Faculty’s budget to aid faculty in their scholarly endeavors. Such aid is available for all stages of research, from inception to the final push to publication or performance. [NB: as used here, “research” also includes creative activities in the arts intended to lead to public performances or exhibitions, or publication.]

The FRC considers faculty requests for research support under two programs:

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Faculty Research Expense Grants

These grants are intended to help begin new scholarly projects or to support work already in progress. Proposals are considered twice yearly and may request support of one or two years’ duration.

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Faculty Completion Grants

These grants are designed to provide faculty members with funds to defray the costs of bringing their scholarship to the public arena.

Support for Student Research

The Faculty Research Committee has long provided support for research experiences for Trinity undergraduates. The programs outlined below are intended to provide flexibility in accommodating the research needs of both faculty members and students.

The FRC considers student requests for research support under two programs:

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Summer Research Program

The Summer Research Program (SRP) supports intensive student involvement in ongoing faculty research. Students receive a stipend for 10 weeks’ of research work on the Trinity campus during the summer. The program’s benefits include on-campus housing as well as a schedule of weekly lunches featuring speakers and panels.

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Student-Initiated Research Grants

Student-Initiated Research Grants (SIRG) are reimbursement grants intended to defray the costs of student-initiated, faculty-mentored research projects. Of particular interest to the committee are proposals for research leading to a senior thesis.

Faculty Lecture Series

The Faculty Research Committee invites members of the faculty to present on recently concluded research projects each semester. These lectures showcase faculty excellence in specific areas of study. Typically three per semester, lectures take place during common hour and are open to all.