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PROMISE AWARD

Promoting Research Opportunities to Maximize Innovation and Scholarly Excellence
College of Liberal Arts Graduate Student Research Support Program

 
Recipients of previous PROMISE awards must submit a brief ½ page report on their scholarly and creative conference/research activities via the submission form in order to be eligible for consideration for new PROMISE awards. These reports should include brief information on the scholarly/creative outcomes of the research or presentation including specific products such as expected completion of degree or publications (in-progress or published).
 
Overview 
The PROMISE Award program enhances institutional excellence and promotes all areas of intellectual inquiry in the College of Liberal Arts. PROMISE promotes research opportunities to maximize innovation and scholarly excellence in graduate education. Building upon the model established with the Aspire Research Enhancement Grants for faculty, PROMISE supports CLA graduate student research, scholarly activity, and conference travel. 
PROMISE Funding is structured in two tiers:

  • Tier 1 will provide funding up to $750 for expenses related to scholarship/creative activity with a domestic focus, including domestic research or conference travel for graduate students to present original scholarship and/or creative works.

  • Tier 2 will provide funding up to $1,500 for expenses related to scholarship/creative activity with an international focus, including international research or conference travel for graduate students to present original scholarship and/or creative works.

The Dean’s objective for the PROMISE Awards is to enhance graduate student research opportunities by supporting a climate that enhances and empowers research and creative activity in the liberal arts. The PROMISE program supplements existing departmental travel funds and other research funds in order to increase those opportunities for graduate students, all in a streamlined and efficient manner.
 
All eligible graduate students in the College of Liberal Arts may apply for (and potentially receive) PROMISE funding a maximum of once each fiscal year. Graduate students who have been with the university (as a graduate student) 10 semesters or more (fall and spring semesters are counted; summer semesters are excluded; undergrad years are excluded) are not eligible for PROMISE, and should seek external funding. PROMISE funds will not be made available for conference presentations by first-year Masters-level students. 
Priority will be given to students who are advanced in their programs, and especially to those presenting original research or creative works or conducting primary data collection. The review process requires approval from the student’s major advisor, department/school head and the Dean’s office. Budget requests should include details of funds needed to support one scholarly conference or research activity.
 
Funds should be spent within the fiscal year of the award (July 1 of the current year through June 30 of the following year). The program will run through the Academic Year (fall to spring). Each department or school of the ten main CLA units will be allocated 10% of entire CLA Promise fund. The money will be put into competition in two, equal-sized rounds, one running from July 1 to to December, 31 2022 and the other from January 1st to July 1st, 2023. If a department exhausts the Promise funds before December 31, 2022, new funds do not become available until January 1st.
Also, funding requests for the first round should be for projects starting at the latest by December 31st, 2022. If a project starts January 1, 2023 or after, applicants should wait to apply until after November 15, 2022. Please submit only one application at a time!
 
Application Process
To receive the available funds for a project, graduate students will be required to fill out a brief application online that will include:

  1. General applicant information such as name, title, department, etc.

  2. Research project/presentation title.

  3. Brief statement of the value of the request to the student research progress from the student’s major advisor.

  4. Electronic signature in support of the request from the department head.

  5. Research or conference travel information (location and dates) and/or description and budget for equipment or other expenses.

  6. Other support received previously or pending for this project/activity.

  7. Brief description of the request (no more than ½ a page) detailing research significance and overall benefits of the project/activity for student degree progress.

  8. Amount of funding request. Note, funding may be used to support travel, per-diem or other research or dissertation writing expenses incurred by graduate student(s), but may not be used as a source of financial support for the student(s).

Once completed the signed application will be electronically routed to the CLA Dean’s Office for review and approval. Notice will be emailed to requestor of the approval or denial, and approved funds will be made available as soon as needed for the required expense. Recipients are required to submit a brief report (no longer than one-half page) on the scholarly outcomes and benefits of the award to CLA by the end of the fiscal year. 
Equipment and/or materials purchased with PROMISE funds become the property of Purdue University unless or until purchased from the university following the proper procedures and policies.
 
The PROMISE Award program will provide CLA graduate students more and better opportunities for research and collaborative partnerships to help advance their scholarship, nurture their careers and foster more national and international recognition for Purdue.