Faculty Research Opportunities
Calvin faculty enjoy many opportunities for research funding from a variety of internal sources.
Opportunities are listed below; click on each item for basic information and a link to apply.
View current Calvin Research Fellowship and Sabbatical award recipients
Internal funding resources
Calvin Center Working Group is composed of 8-15 participants, from a variety of academic disciplines or professional fields, who meet monthly for one year to discuss common readings and to explore from interdisciplinary perspectives a particular issue, problem, or topic.
When: Early October
What is offered: Partial funding for rigorous interdisciplinary scholarship of a distinctively Christian nature on important theoretical or practical issues.
Who is eligible: Calvin faculty as individuals or in self-selected groups of two or more, with other scholars as appropriate.
Program description and online application
The Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship is inaugurating a Small Grants program to encourage the initiation, continuation, and completion of scholarly projects related to the mission of the Center. These grants are in addition to the Major Grants and Working Group programs, which remain intact. Faculty are invited to apply for grants of up to $5000 in several different categories.
When: April 15
Calvin Research Fellowships are intended to help faculty pursue projects of independent scholarship and to aid them in ongoing, continuing, independent research.
When: October 2
What is offered: A reduction of faculty teaching load.
Who is eligible: Faculty members with a record of solid scholarly or artistic achievement (or unusual promise of such achievement).
All sabbatical proposals should be creative and/or scholarly, have a public benefit, and be a project of sufficient size and worth to merit a full semester's work.
When: September 21
What is offered: Leave of absence to engage in creative, scholarly, or professional activities of demonstrable worth to the applicant and the university.
Who is eligible: Full-time faculty, rank of assistant professor or higher, with at least 6 years full-time service.
Calvin schools, academic departments and programs, faculty committees, and ad hoc groups of faculty may apply for grants up to $7000 for projects that involve conversation about Christian faith in relation to teaching, curriculum, group culture, and research. The spirit of this opportunity is something like this: "This activity will help our school/department/program/research group/steering committee to have a conversation which is fundamental to our mission and well-being but which is often hard to organize or prioritize or fund or find time for."
When: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but funds for each academic year are limited.
Who is eligible: Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary faculty
Individual project proposals from faculty (with or without a student) are accepted. Funding requested can vary according to the proposal's needs. Proposals should include a clear focus on contributing to or resourcing our understanding of how Christianity intersects with teaching and learning.
The purpose of this endowment fund is to facilitate the development of international programs at Calvin University. Specifically, this endowment allows Calvin to enhance existing international programs and launch new and creative international programs and initiatives. A major focus of such programs and initiatives should be on partnering with other educational institutions and with agencies of the Christian Reformed Church. These programs should benefit Calvin—its programs, students, and faculty—as well as institutions abroad.
When: Applications are considered on a rolling basis as funds allow
Who is eligible: All faculty
McGregor Fellowships have been established to support summer research by students working with faculty partners in the arts, humanities, and the social sciences. Funding is available for both the student and the faculty mentor.
What is offered: Faculty may receive a stipend and the assistance of an undergraduate Fellow for a summer research project in the humanities and social sciences.
When: Early February
Who is eligible: Full-time faculty in the humanities and or social sciences.
These grants exist to support scholarly work that addresses at least one of the major aims of the Nagel Institute. Scholarly aims of the Nagel Institute, include conducting a study of some aspect of world Christianity, partnering with Christian scholars and study centers in the global south or east on a project of Christian scholarship, or turning the attention and commitments of northern Christian scholars toward the priorities of Christianity in the global south and east.
What is offered: Research awards between $2,000 and $6,000 to support faculty scholarship pertaining to the study of world Christianity.
When: November 15
Who is eligible: Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary tenure-track and term-appointed faculty.
Calvin's Science Division offers student/faculty summer research fellowships for scientific research. Funds from a variety of sources support enhancing and expanding inquiry-based learning opportunities for undergraduate students in the sciences.
When: Faculty applications are due in early February. Once all faculty projects are collected, students apply to work on the proposed faculty projects.
What is offered: Stipend for faculty supervision undergraduate summer research in the sciences.
Who is eligible: Full-time faculty in the sciences
The Mellema Program provides grants for research and course development by faculty in departments such as History, Literature, Religion, and Geology. The Mellema Program also funds and hosts annual lectures, purchases library materials, and sponsors cultural events such as concerts, film series, readings by writers, and dance recitals.
When: April
Who is eligible: All faculty
Calvin faculty across the disciplines have a unique role to play in strengthening and nurturing the life of Christian worshiping communities. Faculty should consider applying for a Vital Worship Teacher-Scholar Grant through the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. This stream of grants supports teacher-scholars as they do scholarly research that shows promise to serve worshiping communities by strengthening Christian public worship practices.
When: April and October
External Funding
Learn about Calvin’s externally funded programs and how to apply through Calvin's Grants Office.