Faculty Opportunities

Annual Opportunities

Every year, APU awards more than $2 million in grants and scholarship opportunities on campus.

Doctoral Scholarship Funding

The Office of the Provost has $80K in the budget specifically designated for faculty research activities within the doctoral programs. Each year, this money is dispersed to doctoral faculty for research through a competitive process carried out by the Faculty Research Council (FRC).

Sabbatical Awards

Sabbatical awards provide faculty the opportunity to enhance their teaching effectiveness, pursue professional development, and conduct scholarly research and writing. Refer to the Faculty Handbook for more information or contact your dean.

Travel Funding

This money supports faculty scholarly presentations and attendance at professional conferences. Contact your dean for more information.

Creative Teaching Grants

Offered by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment, Innovative Teaching Grants (PDF) are awarded each year to promote the development of creative teaching projects that would improve skills, enhance the instructional program, or expand resources to students.

Office of Institutional Research Mini Grants

These grants encourage initial assessment planning and creative approaches, and address unique one-time needs.

Faculty Research Council (FRC)

Approximately $160,000 in faculty research grants is awarded annually to support the ongoing research and scholarly activities of current full-time APU faculty who teach at the undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral levels. Such grants are intended to fund pilot studies that may lead to a larger study or to external funding; research or scholarly activity that fits a faculty member’s ongoing research agenda, but is not currently financed by any other source; and research or scholarly activity that will be the beginning of a more comprehensive research agenda for that faculty member.

School-Specific Scholarships and Grants

Contact the dean’s office in each of the schools listed for more information.

School of Education (SOE)

• Dean’s Scholar Award ($1,500) - faculty
• Excellence in Research Award ($3,000)—awarded twice a year - faculty
• Excellence in Teaching Award ($3,000)—awarded twice a year - faculty

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Grant

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) offers a competitive grant for faculty who are working on an advanced research project in the humanities. Specifically, the summer stipend program provides $6,000 in support of full-time work on the research project for two consecutive months in the summer. In order to apply for the NEH grant using the on-line “grants.gov” process by the specified deadline, faculty must first be nominated by their home institution. Contact the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Programs for more information on the nomination process. Learn more about the summer stipend program.

Educational Programs

Honors College

The Honors College offers an academically enriched plan of study developed for talented and motivated students. Learn more about the college.

Special Collections

APU’s Special Collections consist of more than 6,500 holdings, ranging from presidential signatures to cuneiform tables to historical citrus crate labels.

Western Conservancy of Nursing History

The Western Conservancy of Nursing History seeks to preserve the history of nursing, primarily on the West Coast, for the sake of current and future generations.

Faith Integration Courses

• GRAD 501 Faith Integration and Curriculum Development
• GRAD 521 Faith Integration Writing and Publication

Educational Assistance for Faculty

This program provides faculty of all ranks an opportunity for educational assistance for academic credit from an accredited college or university. Refer to the Faculty Handbook for more information.

Faculty Seminar in the Liberal Arts

This annual event promotes a shared understanding of the Liberal Arts through the study of great works of art, music, science, literature, philosophy, and theology. Contact the School of Humanities and Sciences Dean’s Office for more information.

Fulbright Program

Fulbright awards include grants for lecturing, research, or a combination of lecturing and research to more than 125 countries. Each year, 500 American scholars go abroad as part of the Fulbright Scholar Program. Learn more about the program.

Writer’s Retreat

The Office of Research and Grants hosts two off-campus Writer’s Retreats each year. The retreat provides faculty with an opportunity to read, research, write, and fellowship with colleagues. Contact the Office of Research and Grants for more information.

Faculty Research Council (FRC)

The Faculty Research Council is an elected body of faculty representing each school, as well as non-classroom faculty. Its purpose is to promote and support a culture of scholarship at the university through the following activities:

• Awarding internal research funds for faculty research
• Advocating greater institutional support for faculty, graduate, and undergraduate student research
• Promoting safe and ethical conduct of research
• Affirming and encouraging scholarly activities of the highest quality
• Providing funding for planning grants to prepare large external grant requests

Approximately $160,000 in faculty research grants is awarded annually to support the ongoing research and scholarly activities of current full-time APU faculty who teach at the undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral levels. Such grants are intended to fund pilot studies that may lead to a larger study or to external funding; research or scholarly activity that fits a faculty member’s ongoing research agenda, but is not currently financed by any other source; and research or scholarly activity that will be the beginning of a more comprehensive research agenda for that faculty member.

For grant proposal deadlines and information, refer to the Faculty Research Council site.