Dean's Research Initiative

The Dean's Research Initiative (DRI) is a competitive grant program that aims to stimulate research, experiential learning, and graduate student research and professional development. Tenured/Tenure Track, Research, Teaching, and Clinical Faculty in BSOS are eligible for faculty awards. All graduate students enrolled in a BSOS program are eligible to apply.

Guidelines

Requirements vary slightly by proposal type; please refer to the full RFP for specific information. All proposals must include a narrative, a budget, and a budget justification which explains the relevance of the proposed costs to the scope of work, a Current and Pending Support form (in any approved Federal sponsor format), and a cover sheet (provided) signed by the Chair and Director of Administrative Services. The period of performance should be 12 months long and begin on or around July 1, 2026.

All proposals must be submitted in InfoReady by 12 pm (noon) on Friday, February 27, 2026. Proposals will be considered late if received after this time. No extensions will be granted, and late proposals will not be accepted. By 5 pm on Friday, February 27, 2026, applicants will be sent a notice that their application has been received. Award notices will be made on or before Friday, April 10, 2026.

The 2026-2027 RFP for DRI will be available in InfoReady by January 6, 2026.

Questions regarding scientific or technical details of proposals can be directed to Dr. Meredith Kleykamp at kleykamp@umd.edu. Questions regarding eligibility, proposal assembly, and submission should be directed to bsosresearch@umd.edu.

Review Criteria:

Other considerations equal, funding priority for faculty awards will be given to applicants who have not recently received DRI funding, and early-career faculty researchers. 

Your application will not be considered for funding if you have received a prior DRI award and have any reports outstanding at the submission deadline.

For detailed information on budget criteria, proposal types, and proposal requirements, see the RFP in InfoReady.