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 the diversity of Asian ethnic communities.
Funding Available: AAARI will select five (5) applicants to receive up to $10,000 per award. Funds must be spent by the end of the Spring 2027 semester.
Eligibility: CUNY full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty members and full-time Doctoral Lecturers are eligible to apply.
MANDATORY Deliverables/Requirements: Awardees must comply with two (2) mandatory deliverables by the stated deadlines, which are as a requirement for receiving funds:
- Submit a white paper (or equivalent, for creative works) by Wednesday, May 5, 2027 at 11:59 PM EST, and allow AAARI to post it on its website.
*We would also like to include the white papers in AAARI’s publication, CUNY FORUM: Asian American / Asian Studies.
- Deliver an in-person presentation on their research at an AAARI-sponsored event in the Fall 2027 or Spring 2028 semesters.
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH MANDATORY DELIVERABLES MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION FROM FUTURE AAARI GRANTS/FUNDING.
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) OR
- 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 2027 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 AAARI staff and CUNY faculty with expertise in Asian American or Asian diaspora studies. Selection criteria include:
- The degree to which the research supports a work in progress (e.g., book project, article, major proposal development, creative work, etc.) on Asian American communities.
- The contribution of the proposed project’s contribution to existing knowledge and literature
- Innovativeness of the project in terms of topic or ethnic communities studied.
- Rigor of 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: Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 11:59pm EST. Everything must be uploaded as a single PDF.
- Proposal Narrative – Should include the following:
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- 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:
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- 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 2027 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.
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- Budget and Budget 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
- Writing Sample or Creative Work
- If Applicable: Written consent from your Provost to allow funds to be used for a Spring 2027 course release.
- Online Application Form – https://forms.gle/6ALuwfdpmWbgP2JF6
- Upload files – In the online application form, you will find a section for uploading required application files. Please ensure that the filename is titled with your last name, followed by first name. Application materials must be uploaded as a single combined PDF file. Please do not include any other materials.
Deadline/Timeline:
- Applications must be submitted by: Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 11:59pm EST
- Decisions will be communicated in mid-October 2026.
