Externally Funded Research

The University and the College of Humanities support faculty who seek grant and contract opportunities with public and private funders to pursue their research interests and enrich student experiences in and out of the classroom. Explore this webpage to learn more about our grant guidelines and find out about grant and contract awards throughout the College.

We look forward to working with you to enhance your scholarly activities, provide outstanding learning experiences for our students, and fulfill the learning-centered mission of the College and the University.

Grant Guidelines

The university can assist faculty in project planning, prospect research, proposal editing, budget development, communication with agencies and foundations, and tracking and management of post-award requirements. New users are invited to review the Cayuse user’s guide for Principal Investigators (PDF).

Once you have identified a grant opportunity—and before you begin work on your proposal—you will need to enter initial details in Cayuse SP, used by CSUN to centrally track campus-wide proposal and grant activity. RSP Humanities grants liaison Adriana Harrington (818-677-7810) can assist new Cayuse users.

If you are submitting a proposal or letter of inquiry to a private foundation or corporation, you must also complete the Proposal Submission Form and obtain review and signatures from your Department Chair and Dean. Once you have signed as principal investigator and obtained your Chair's signature, send the form to the Dean’s office (MD 8252) for further routing.

Foundation and corporate grant awards are administered through the University Foundation and carry an indirect cost rate of 5%. Government grant proposals are administered through the University Corporation and carry an indirect cost rate that ranges from 26% (off-campus activities) to 45% (on-campus activities).

Proposal submissions to private foundations and corporations must be coordinated centrally to avoid competing campus submissions to the same funder without approval. Again, please contact RSP Humanities grants liaison Adriana Harrington (818-677-7810) prior to committing effort to proposals, as some private foundations may already be in solicitation by other CSUN faculty.

All proposals and letters of inquiry must be reviewed and approved by the Dean at least 10 working days prior to submission. Please forward materials needing review to analyst/special projects Jim Lunsford (818-677-4462). Any proposal efforts that are not approved through this process will not be supported by the College or the University if awarded.

On-campus Funding Opportunities and Resources

• Campus Care Recovery Grant (PDF)
• Diversity & Equity Innovation Grant
• University Faculty Development Grants
• Research and Sponsored Programs Grants
• RSCA Success Guide for the Humanities (PDF)

Approval Forms and Links

• Corporate and Foundation Proposal Submission Form
• Cayuse Instructions and Login