Summer Grant Program

The Research & Sponsored Programs (RSP) office is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 2026 Summer Grant Program. The purpose of the Summer Grant Program is to provide summer salary to support the development of a proposal for external funding, to be submitted through RSP as early as July 1, 2026, but no later than June 30, 2027. External grant and contract funds assist the University in advancing its overlapping missions of instruction, research, and community service. Funds from external sources increase faculty scholarship activities, support student training and services, and provide support for community services that otherwise may not be possible.

For this competition, applications must target funding opportunities for grants, contracts, and other sponsored programs from which funds are issued to CSUN as an organization. Opportunities that provide direct pay to individuals, as with most fellowships, will not be considered for summer pay. Applicants are encouraged to explore funding opportunities through city, county, and state sources, in addition to federal sources and private foundations.

Please review the eligibility requirements and application guidelines. The deadline to apply is 5:00 p.m. PDT on Monday, March 30, 2026. Complete applications must be submitted within the InfoReady system by the deadline. Incomplete applications and applications received outside of InfoReady (e.g., via email) will not be considered for funding.

Comparison w-I-FRPDI

RSP is deliberately releasing RFPs for both the 2026 Summer Grant Program and the new Interdisciplinary Faculty Research Project Development Initiative (I-FRPDI) simultaneously as both programs intend to support the development and submission of a full proposal for external funding. Where the I-FRPDI program supports collaborative interdisciplinary teams of faculty who are developing major external grant proposals, the Summer Grant Program remains available for faculty focused on individual proposal development or smaller-scale collaborations. Applicants are encouraged to evaluate the terms of both RFPs to determine which program is better suited to their objectives. Applicants may apply to only one of these opportunities during the spring 2026 application cycle.

Similarities between Summer Grant and I-FRPDI

• Applications are published on InfoReady
• Deadline is 5:00 p.m. on March 30
• Awardees will be announced May 1
• Both initiatives require the submission of an external proposal for sponsored research/projects by June 30, 2027
• Applicants must include a link to the targeted funding announcement
• Applicants may only submit one application between the two initiatives
• Applicants are required to follow the campus process if the identified funding opportunity is a Limited Submission

Differences between Summer Grant and I-FRPDI

• Award amount
  • Summer Grant offers $3,000 in additional pay during summer 2026
  • I-FRPDI offers up to $20,000 per project team; project funds may be used through Spring 2027 for allowable expenses
• Reassigned time
  • Summer Grant does not include an option for reassigned time
  • I-FRPDI offers up to six units per project team for Fall 2026; requested units are deducted from the $20,000 maximum award at $2,500 per unit
• Funding Opportunity
  • Summer Grant requires a funding opportunity that offers an award of a minimum of $10,000
  • I-FRPDI requires a funding opportunity that offers an award of a minimum of $600,000
• Project team
  • Summer Grant allows individual faculty to apply, and may include one co-applicant
  • I-FRPDI requires collaboration between at least two faculty from different academic disciplines
• Application
  • Summer Grant has a maximum one-page limit on the Project Summary
  • I-FRPDI has a maximum three-page limit on the Project Narrative

Please direct any questions regarding the Summer Grant Program to Edgar Lopez or call (818) 677-6776.