The Office of the President, in partnership with the Office of the Provost and the Office of Research and Innovation, invites proposals for Graduate Student and Faculty Research Continuity Support, to help offset specific funding disruptions due to executive orders, grant cancellations, and stop-work orders. This initiative is designed to provide strategic, targeted, time-limited assistance to graduate students nearing degree completion and to faculty experiencing disruptions in research funding. A total of up to $5 million annually will be allocated for this purpose over each of the next three years. There are three categories of funding that can be requested. A single proposal could request from more than one category. If faculty have access to discretionary funds (e.g. startup accounts), they must provide a strong justification for why they are seeking support from the Jenison funds.
I. Graduate Student Completion Support
Support (in the form of a Jenison Fund Fellowship) may be provided for graduate students who are nearing the completion of their target degree program. This assistance is intended to help students reach completion of their degree or serve as a bridge to new research or funding opportunities for up to one year. Eligible expenses may include fellowship stipends, research-related support, and costs associated with education and professional development. A faculty mentor must submit the application and will need to have oversight responsibilities to route the support through the financial system.
Criteria
- Those who have lost funding directly (e.g., termination of fellowships, canceled research grants/programs), or indirectly (e.g., mentor's loss of funding).
- Those whose degree progress is at risk without interim support.
- Those with viable plans to complete or transition within the funding period.
- Priority may be given to students:
- Whose research is expected to result in scholarly contributions (e.g., publications, presentations).
- Who are near (or within one year of) degree completion.
- Whose advisor does not have access to discretionary funds that could be used to fund the student.
II. Pre-Tenure Faculty Funding Recovery and Retooling Support
Support may also be made available for pre-tenure faculty who have lost key research funding or who need to retool their research due to loss of funding opportunities. Funding cycle is a maximum of one year and can include: 1.) Course buyouts for study leaves (approx. $15,000 per faculty member) to provide time for research reorientation; 2.) Small grants (up to $50,000) to sustain research partnerships and facilitate new funding opportunities, especially for international collaborations, or to provide short-term funding for a post-doctoral research associate.
Criteria
- Pre-tenure faculty
- Impacted by change in federal funding with a clear connection to tenure progress
- Clear evidence that the project has potential for new funding or to advance the career goals of the applicant.
- Feasibility within the proposed timeline and budget to be realistically completed.
- Faculty who do not have access to sufficient discretionary funds that could be used to fund the project.
III. Support to complete partially complete, or paused research
Proposals may also be considered to support projects that are deemed of high importance with respect to the university mission and are nearing completion, or can be brought to a stage where they can be meaningfully paused in order to secure additional funding at a later date (e.g., completing surveys), or where a partial completion will allow for preliminary or partial findings to be disseminated to the scientific community.
Criteria
- Any faculty or academic staff impacted by a change in federal funding.
- Initiatives that can reach a natural pause point—either by generating preliminary results that are valuable to the scientific or scholarly community, or by positioning the project for future funding.
- Should provide meaningful momentum and sustainability, even if external funding is temporarily unavailable.
- A plan for meaningful scholarly output or future external funding.
- Faculty who do not have access to sufficient discretionary funds that could be used to fund the project.
IV. Funding Parameters & Application Guidelines
- Deadline: initial deadline is August 29, 2025 with a second deadline of November 17, 2025.
- Subject to the number of applications, additional information may be requested from colleges and/or departments.
- Review Rounds: Initial review after August 29; second review after November 17, 2025.
- First Year Budget: up to $5 million total
Funding will be provided at the minimal level necessary to support the proposed objective. Full backfilling of lost funding should not be expected. No faculty salaries (though course buy-out is an option) or sub-contracts will be funded. Priority may be given to proposals with unit matches.
Reporting by those receiving awards on the use of funds and results or progress made is expected at end of the period.
V. Proposal Review Committee
Proposals will be reviewed by a committee co-chaired by representatives from the Provost’s Office and the Office of Research and Innovation. The committee will be comprised of representative from:
- Office of Research and Innovation
- Provost’s Office
- Graduate School
- Council of Research Deans (CORD) – 3 representatives (will rotate annually)
Funding recommendations will be made to the President for consideration and decision.
VI. Program Evaluation
The initiative will be evaluated after the Year 1, second allocation to inform planning for years 2 and 3. Additional insights from Year 1 final reports may also influence future allocations.
For questions or to submit proposals, please contact the Office of Research and Innovation at proposal@msu.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Eligibility of Projects and PIs
Are fixed-term faculty eligible to apply for Jenison funding?
Fixed-term faculty eligibility varies by category:
- Category 1 (Graduate Student Completion Support): Fixed-term faculty serving as advisors can apply on behalf of their graduate student mentees.
- Category 2 (Pre-Tenure Faculty Support): Fixed-term faculty are not eligible for this category, which is specifically designed for pre-tenure faculty in the tenure system.
- Category 3 (Research Completion/Pause Support): Fixed-term faculty are eligible to apply, as are any academic staff.
Is Graduate Student Completion Support limited to cases with grant termination, or does it also cover students whose grants finished normally but are within a year of graduation?
Graduate Student Completion Support is limited to cases involving unforeseen funding disruptions (such as grant terminations, cancellations, or stop-work orders). Students whose grants ended under normal, anticipated circumstances are not eligible, as regular grant endings should have been planned for in advance. The Jenison funds are specifically meant to address unexpected funding disruptions. (See also next question regarding denial of no-cost-extensions.)
If our NIH No Cost Extension (NCE) request was denied, would this qualify under Category III (Support to complete, partially complete, or pause research)?
Yes, denial of a No Cost Extension request may be considered under Category III if it meets the other criteria, as this could represent an unanticipated change in federal funding policy. Each case will be reviewed individually to determine if the NCE denial represents an unforeseen policy change that impacts the research.
What does "impacted by a change in federal funding" mean for Category III eligibility?
"Impact" can take various forms, and applicants should make their case for how they've been affected. Examples include:
- Reduced funding support
- Terminated funding support
- Increased costs imposed on PIs/grantees
- Changes and limitations on what is permissible under existing grants
- Other funding-related changes that affect the ability to conduct or complete research
The specific impact should be clearly explained in the proposal, demonstrating how the change in federal funding affects the research project.
Eligible Expenses
The announcement states "No faculty salaries (though course buy-out is an option) or sub-contracts will be funded." Does this restriction apply to all faculty types, including fixed-term faculty and staff whose salaries were supported on terminated grants
This restriction primarily applies to tenure-system faculty salaries (such as summer salaries). However, if fixed-term faculty or staff need to be hired or retained to continue work that was disrupted by grant termination or funding changes, salary support may be considered. The key factor is whether the personnel are essential to completing the proposed work.
Are administrative staff and specialists who have been impacted by funding disruptions eligible for salary support under this program?
Yes, salary support may be considered for administrative staff and specialists if they are essential to completing the proposed work . This extends beyond the postdoctoral research associate support specifically mentioned in the announcement to include other categories of personnel necessary for project completion.
Can faculty in Categories I and III request course buyouts, or is this option limited to pre-tenure faculty in Category II?
Course buyouts are limited to pre-tenure faculty under Category II (Pre-Tenure Faculty Funding Recovery and Retooling Support). This option is not available for Categories I or III, as Category II is specifically designed to provide time for research reorientation, while the other categories focus on completion or bridging support rather than retooling.
Are travel costs for professional conferences permitted under this funding mechanism?
Travel costs may be considered if applicants can demonstrate that the travel is essential to the project goals. Examples of potentially allowable conference travel include:
- Major conferences that are primary means of disseminating research findings
- Conferences essential for connecting with collaborators on the project
- Professional development conferences that are part of research retooling efforts
Applicants must provide clear justification for how the travel supports the specific objectives of their funded project.
Project Start Date
What is the preferred start date for funded projects?
Start dates vary by category:
- Category I (Graduate Student Support): Projects may begin at the start of the Fall semester, but the faculty/department must be prepared to fund the student if not selected.
- Categories II and III: A start date of late September is suggested, after application review is completed. Applicants may choose an earlier start date, but they must fund any gap period if their proposal is not selected for funding.
Are multi-year requests permitted (e.g., 18- to 24-month projects)?
Applicants should make their case for longer project timelines. If a project involves longitudinal research or other work that only makes sense with extended funding (such as 18-24 months), this may be considered. Applicants must provide strong justification for why the extended timeline is essential to the project's success or completion.
Jenison Research Continuity Fund: Apply for Support Today
The Office of the President, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost and the Office of Research and Innovation, invites proposals for strategic, targeted, and time-limited support through the Jenison Research Continuity Fund. This initiative is intended to assist graduate students nearing degree completion and faculty facing disruptions in research funding due to executive orders, grant cancellations, or stop-work orders.