The Asian American / Asian Research Institute’s Faculty Research Support Program is designed to support CUNY faculty in conducting research that seeks to answer critical questions about Asian American and Asian diasporic communities. The program is open to research across all disciplines, including the social sciences, humanities and arts, health sciences, public health, etc. Priority will be given to research that supports a work in progress (e.g., book project, article, major proposal submission, creative work, etc.) and research that has relevance to current policy questions concerning Asian American communities. AAARI aims to fund research on a diversity of Asian ethnic communities.
Funding Available: AAARI will make up to five (5) awards of up to $10,000 per award. Funds must be spent by the end of the Spring 2026 semester.
Eligibility: CUNY full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty members and full-time Doctoral Lecturers are eligible to apply.
Commitments: Applicants who are selected for an award must agree to:
- Produce a white paper (or equivalent for creative works) by June 3, 2026, and allow AAARI to post it on the AAARI website. (We would also like to include white papers in AAARI’s publication, CUNY FORUM: Asian American / Asian Studies, but this can be negotiated if it will jeopardize publication in another academic journal.)
- Deliver an in-person presentation on their research at an AAARI-sponsored event in the Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 semesters.
Use of Funds: Funds are intended to support research in progress and can be paid out in two ways:
- Summer salary or faculty stipend paid directly to you (please note that these payments are subject to payroll taxes)
- Released time: up to $7,000 can be used to support a course release; however, receiving an award does not guarantee your college will approve a course release. If you plan to use funds for a course release, you must provide written confirmation from your campus Provost (after consulting with your department chair and/or dean) confirming that they will support a Spring 2026 course release at a cost of $7,000, or the standard rate set by your college if lower.
Review Process: Applications will be reviewed by a panel of 3-5 CUNY faculty with expertise in Asian American or Asian diaspora studies. The following factors will guide the review process:
- The degree to which the research supports a work in progress (e.g., book project, article, major proposal development, creative work, etc.).
- Relevance of research to current policy questions concerning Asian American communities.
- The significance of the proposed project’s contribution to existing knowledge and literatures.
- Innovativeness of the project in terms of topic or ethnic communities studied.
- Rigor of the research approach or design.
- Feasibility of the work proposed.
- Appropriateness of the budget proposed.
- Prior work that demonstrates scholarly achievement commensurate with rank/title.
- The overall quality, organization, and clarity of the proposal.
- Whether the proposal narrative conforms to format and word limits. Proposal narratives that exceed the word limits outlined below will not be reviewed.
How to Apply:
- Deadline – Applications must be submitted by: Monday, November 3, 2025, 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time.
- Proposal narrative – your proposal narrative should include the following:
- Proposal title
- Abstract (up to 150 words maximum)
- Project description (up to 1800 words maximum, not including references). The project description should include the following components:
- Project background, significance, and innovativeness
- Project approach and/or research design
- Description of the final product that will be produced by the end of the Spring 2026 semester, using the funds awarded (e.g., scholarly book, major grant proposal, etc.). The final product should be clearly defined and achievable in one semester. It can be an intermediate step towards a longer-term objective.
- Budget and budget narrative – in a separate file or section of your proposal narrative, indicate which of the following categories you will use the funds for: (1) summer salary or faculty stipend, or (2) course release (up to $7,000 with Provost approval). The total budget, including anticipated payroll taxes, may not exceed $10,000. Budgets should be calculated on a gross basis (before taxes).
Although the award can only be used for these categories, please provide a brief budget narrative explaining how the funding will support the proposed research (e.g., “Summer salary will allow me to dedicate six weeks to drafting two dissertation chapters” or “Course release will enable me to complete data analysis and prepare a journal article”).
- Curriculum Vitae – upload your CV through the online application.
- Writing sample or creative work – upload a writing sample or creative work through the online application.
- Online application form –
- When you are ready to apply, please complete the online application form here: https://forms.gle/XbvgJcEqmcVcuc4n7
- Upload files – In the online application form, you will find a Dropbox link for uploading required application files. Please ensure that all filenames start with your last name, and then first name, plus a brief description of the file. Application materials can be uploaded as a single combined PDF file, or as separate PDF files. Uploaded materials should include only the following:
- Proposal narrative
- Budget and budget narrative
- Your Curriculum Vitae
- A writing sample or creative work
- If applicable: written consent from your Provost to allow funds to be used for a Spring 2026 course release
Deadline/Timeline:
- Applications must be submitted by: Monday, November 3, 2025, at 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time.
- Decisions will be communicated in late November or early December 2025.
