Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences

UPCOMING DEADLINES

To continue and accelerate USC’s rise in excellence, the Provost’s Office has expanded the Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences (ASHSS) program to bolster the scholarship of USC’s top faculty in the arts, humanities, and humanistic social sciences.  The underlying principle guiding the expansion and change in the program is to support the university’s most productive faculty at critical moments during the research process so that they can produce high-caliber scholarly work sooner.  After consultation with and feedback from faculty, the ASHSS program now has three distinct funding channels that target faculty in these disciplines at strategic points during their academic careers.

ASHSS SABBATICAL

Through a competitive application process, USC faculty in the arts, humanities, and humanistic social sciences at the rank of full or associate professor can apply for an ASHSS sabbatical.  Applicants must have accrued a minimum of 6 semesters since their last sabbatical or, for RTPC faculty, have served a minimum of 3 uninterrupted years of full-time service.  Successful applications will present a viable and realistic plan to produce leading work, a compelling case for why the ASHSS sabbatical, or paid leave for RTPC faculty, is critical at this moment in the research process, and how the ASHSS sabbatical will accelerate scholarly output. Preference will be given to full professors who already have a proven track record of high-quality productivity.

The Provost’s Office will also provide the applicant’s dean with funds to help defray teaching replacement costs.

Full details and an application for the 2024-2025 competition cycle are available on the page for the ASHSS Sabbatical program.

RESEARCH GRANTS

Through a competitive application process, USC full-time faculty in the arts, humanities, and humanistic social sciences (with the exception of visiting faculty) can apply for research grants of $5,000 – $25,000 to help foster inquiry into a new area of study, further develop current research, produce a creative work, or cover course release to engage in a non-teaching semester.  Successful applications will be able to demonstrate that the grant will support the generation of original scholarship.  Preference will be given to faculty newly promoted to the rank of associate or full professor as an expression of the university’s commitment to their careers, belief in their scholarly promise, and laudatory acknowledgment of having produced a body of work meriting promotion.

Full details and an application for the 2024-2025 competition cycle are available on the page for the ASHSS Research and Creative Grants program.

GRANT WRITING MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Through a competitive application process, USC faculty in the arts, humanities, and humanistic social sciences can apply for help to write strong proposals for fellowships and grants to a preferred list of organizations. Preference will be given 1) to assistant professors and 2) to senior faculty who are changing or expanding their research and want mentoring in the new field of inquiry.

Successful applicants will receive a $2,500 stipend to write a proposal for submission and receive advice and counsel from top faculty in their discipline.  If the proposal results in the receipt of a fellowship or grant, the university will provide an additional $2,500 on top of customary dean’s support for external fellowship recipients.

Full details and an application for the 2024-2025 competition cycle are available on the page for the ASHSS Grant Writing Mentorship program.

Last updated September 2024