With the spring semester on the horizon, the Office of Research is announcing new internal funding programs to drive innovative faculty and student work. These opportunities align with Research2030 goals that are advancing UC as a leading R1 urban university in the nation. By investing in top talent, enhancing research infrastructure, and fostering excellence, we aim to transform society with impactful discoveries. Below are key details and dates for each funding opportunity. Together, we’re solving real-world problems and making research a cornerstone of UC’s mission. More information on each program, including the full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), will be released via our Internal Funding Opportunities page on January 10th.

Office of Research Conference Hosting Support Program

What it is: The UC Research Conference Internal Funding Program provides supplemental support to UC researchers who wish to host national research conferences, focused symposia, or other forms of convenings around strategic research areas at UC. The event must be held at UC or in Cincinnati to be eligible for support.

Who this is for: This funding program is intended to enhance our faculty’s ability to bring together researchers, community members, practitioners, policymakers, and other important collaborators whose expertise, substantive knowledge and practice, theoretical insight, or methodological expertise can be engaged in ways that help to build upon and advance research at UC.

Amount: Up to $1,500 may be requested.

Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted at least 4 months before the event date.

Coalition for Change (C3) Program

What it is: Building upon previous investments in arts, humanities, and social sciences and growing out of UC’s Next Lives Here Urban Futures Pathway: Society & Culture Initiative, the Office of Research seeks to incentivize novel research, exceptional scholarship, and the production of creative and performing art works that creatively address issues of increasing societal significance.

Who this is for: This opportunity is for UC faculty whose proposed activities can be defined or characterized as arts-based, human-centered, or social, behavioral, and/or economic research that seeks to advance society and culture.

Amount: Varies

Award Project Period: Summer 2025

Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with a cutoff of March 27, 2025.

Core Facilities Support Program

What it is: As part of UC’s Research2030 investments in infrastructure and growing our research impact, we seek to support and enhance our research community whose activities are aligned with the Armstrong Institute for Space, Technology, and Research (ASTRO). The goal of this funding support mechanism is to enable investigators whose research interests are aligned with ASTRO to use the Advanced Research Computing Center (ARCC), UC’s high-performance computing services or the Digital Futures Virtual Environments Lab to obtain critical data for submission of a competitive extramural proposal, patent application, commercialization agreement, or peer-reviewed manuscript.

Who this is for: This opportunity is for ASTRO-aligned faculty who have need of the ARCC.

Amount: Varies

Award Project Period: Varies

Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Learn about a past awardee here!

AI Enrichment Pivot Program

What it is: The AI Enrichment Pivot Grants Program, formerly the Faculty Research Pivot Grants Program, is for faculty who wish to support their graduate and/or professional students who are seeking to integrate AI into their work to pursue transformative new approaches to their research, scholarship and creative activities.

Who this is for: This program is intended for faculty and students who are not AI researchers but rather seek to explore the benefits of AI in advancing their own activities. All areas of research, scholarship and creative activities across UC are eligible.

Amount: Each grant will be up to $10,000.

Award Project Period: Varies

Letter of Intent Deadline: February 13, 2025 at 5:00 pm EST

Learn about past awardees here!

Fall Semester 2025 ASTRO Discovery Fellowship - Undergraduate Students

What it is: The process of discovery contributes to our nation’s prowess in space exploration. In the Age of Discovery (circa 15th – 18th century), the leading nations of the day set out to explore what was unknown to them. The exploration of space will lead to greater understanding of the Earth and its place in the vastness of space. Humans living in space or on other celestial bodies will encounter new challenges in building societies. This includes not only sustainable physical structures, but other critical aspects such as the formulation of exploration policies and new forms of civil society and governance in space.

A prime directive of the Armstrong Institute for Space, Technology, and Research (ASTRO) at UC is to foster growth in career paths that are aligned with our regional and national interests to discover and explore our universe with an emphasis on space travel and habitation. The Institute has established an undergraduate fellowship program, the ASTRO Discovery Fellowship – to support students who show potential in advancing new ideas related to space discovery and exploration.

Who this is for: The ASTRO Discovery Fellowship is for undergraduate students of all majors in the last year or two of their academic programs with cumulative GPAs of 3.0 or higher.

Amount: Up to four $5,000 fellowships each academic semester

Award Project Period: Fall Semester 2025

Application Deadline: February 20, 2025 by 5:00 pm EDT

Learn about past awardees here!

ASTRO Exploration Fellowship - Graduate Students

What it is: A prime directive of the Armstrong Institute for Space, Technology, and Research (ASTRO) at UC is to foster growth in career paths that are aligned with our regional and national interests to discover and explore our universe with an emphasis on space travel and habitation. The Institute has established a graduate fellowship program, the ASTRO Exploration Fellowship – to support students who show potential in advancing new ideas related to space discovery and exploration.

Who this is for: The ASTRO Exploration Fellowship is for graduate students pursuing their Master's or PhD degrees. There are no limitations to the discipline or background of graduate students – applications from all areas are strongly encouraged.

Amount: Up to six $35,000 fellowships each academic year

Award Project Period: 2025 Fall Semester – 2026 Summer Semester

Application Deadline: February 20, 2025 by 5:00 pm EDT

Learn about past awardees

OoR Society & Culture (formerly AHSS) Program

What it is: Building upon previous investments in arts, humanities, and social sciences (AHSS) and growing out of UC’s Next Lives Here Urban Futures Pathway: Society & Culture Initiative, the Office of Research seeks to incentivize novel research, exceptional scholarship, and the production of creative and performing art works that creatively address issues of increasing societal significance.

Who this is for: This program is open to UC faculty whose proposed activities can be defined or characterized as arts-based, human-centered, or social, behavioral, and/or economic research that seeks to advance society & culture.

Amount: Up to four $25,000 grants

Award Project Period: Varies

Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Learn about a past awardee here!