Pathways to Tenure Grant

The Pathways to Tenure Grant is supported by the Division of Academic Affairs and administered by the Office of Faculty Development. It is designed to assist tenure-track faculty in their first through fifth years in meeting the qualifications for retention, tenure, or promotion. This application is for faculty seeking an award option to receive funding for 3 units of reassigned time for either Fall 2025 or Spring 2026. Funding to support this grant is dependent on final review of the 2025-2026 budget. 

If you have questions, you may contact Faculty Development at facdev@csun.edu

Reassigned Time (3-units)

This option supports faculty members who have a clearly defined research plan, a clear pathway to implement it and can protect and need roughly 8-10 hours weekly to execute their proposed plan. The proposed plan, time off from teaching a course and successful outcome should help tenure-track faculty meet the qualifications for retention, tenure, or promotion. Previous CSUN faculty who earned this award have shared impacts such as:

• “This award provided the time required to research, write, and revise a chapter for publication. I could not do this work while teaching four courses per semester.”
• “Having time to work on new projects and catch up on old projects that are foundational to said new projects, is critical for RTP purposes. Simply having the time helped a lot, particularly in the context of the COVID pandemic. This award allowed me to get back into writing, which feels impossible when teaching a full load.”

Select the arrows at the bottom to flip through the slides.

Tenure-track faculty in their first through fifth years are eligible for this award. Those in their third through fifth years are particularly encouraged to apply. 

Individuals in their first and second years may receive awards, but priority will be given to those in their third through fifth years. Those who have previously won this award are not eligible; however, you are welcome to apply to our Faculty Success Program. 

Proposals will be evaluated by the Faculty Development Grant Selection Committee, consisting of CSUN faculty from each college and former Faculty Success Program awardees. The committee recommends projects for funding to the Director of Faculty Development.

The proposed project should initiate and make progress towards scholarship, research, publications, creative works or any project that the department & college personnel committee will value as an artifact counting towards the area Section 600 describes as Scholarly Contributions to the Field of Study. 

 It must meet one of the following objectives:

• To develop/complete research the applicant has already initiated; or
• To initiate research and publication projects, including pedagogical research.
• Use of reassigned time to develop pilot data and a proposal for a larger extramural grant is also eligible for support through this program.

Significance and broader implications:

• Does the proposal provide evidence that the project will make a significant contribution to the faculty member’s success (i.e. does the faculty member clearly demonstrate how this project with contribute to their RTP)?
• Does the proposal provide evidence that the project will contribute to the applicant’s field of study and/or the field of pedagogy?
• Does the proposal provide evidence on how this project can benefit CSUN students’ learning (directly or indirectly)?

Prospects for success:

• Does the applicant’s submitted CV provide evidence of the applicant’s ability to conduct the project?
• Are sufficient resources available to the applicant to effectively conduct the project?
• Is the methodology and timeline appropriate to achieve the expected outcome(s)?
• Does the project contain adequate dissemination plans?

Presentation:

• Is the problem the scholarship direction address clearly presented (e.g., strong rationale, significance of the problem)? Hint: strong proposals are easily understood by your colleagues outside your department/college/discipline.
• Are the project’s outcomes clearly identified?
• Are the format requirements met?
• Is the application cover sheet complete, including requisite signatures?

Faculty development has several offerings aimed toward faculty grant winners on topics relevant to your work, including writing productivity, grant-writing workshops (for both CSUN and external grants), faculty writing communities, and one-on-one consulting on projects. While not required to attend, grant winners are encouraged to take advantage of the resources we have and will be given “first option” when we are signing up participants.

February 17, 2025

• Application materials must be submitted by email to facdev@csun.edu by 4:00 PM.
• Please send one email that contains two PDF documents:
  • One file containing a completed cover sheet with required signatures
  • One file containing your proposal narrative. This file should contain your Project Title but not your name or any other identifying information.

Early-April 2024     

• Awards announced

Fall 2025 OR Spring 2026        

• Reassigned time used to carry out proposed project, 

June 15, 2026

• Final report due final report due for awardees who chose reassigned time

Sample Proposals (all reassigned time option)

• RFP Sample #1
• RFP Sample #2
• RFP Sample #3

Awardees for 2024-2025 and for 2025-2026

Recipients who received reassigned time are required to complete a final report by June 16, 2025 (for those who were awarded for the 2024-25 year) or by June 15, 2026 (for those who were awarded for the 2025-26 year). 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, February 17, 2025 @ 4:00pm

Please send your application to .

Your email should contain two PDF documents.

• One document containing a completed cover sheet with required signatures
• One document containing your proposal narrative and supporting material. This file should contain your Project Title but not your name or any other identifying information

Late applications will not be considered for funding. Applications that do not meet these formatting guidelines will not be accepted.

Application Documents:

• PDF fillable with directions, cover page, and signature page here
• PDF fillable with cover page and signature page only here
• Word version here [directions only]