Research Support

Supporting & Accelerating Applied Research

GRI provides significant support for research that serves the university, researchers, and students.

For W&M: We support a research ecosystem that breaks silos, generates external funding, expands the university's reputation, and produces graduates ready to lead.

For researchers: We offer seed funding, grant development support, project management, communications and media strategy, connections to policymakers and practitioners, and a community of peers working on similarly ambitious problems so good ideas don’t die on the vine.

For students: We create genuine research partnerships, mentorship, professional development, and opportunities to contribute to work that matters, so students leave W&M ready for their next chapter.

On this page, we outline the tiers of support available for projects at every stage of the research lifecycle. Applications for the 2027-2028 funding cycle will open in Spring 2027.

Funding Opportunities

There are three kinds of funding available: Pathfinder Groups and Seed Funding will help faculty and staff explore new and developing research pathways. Accelerate Funding represents GRI’s most significant investment in applied research. The overview of the available pathways (pdf) can help faculty and staff select the program that matches their research and goals. Applications for the academic year 2026-2027 are now closed.

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Pathfinder Groups

Best for: Exploring broad research interests/themes with collaborators
Award: $1K stipend ($1.5k for facilitators)
Staff Support: Support from the Director of Research and a dedicated Senior Research Manager
Duration: 9 months (one academic year)
Format: Monthly cohort meetings
Proposal: 2 pages
Deadline: February 15, 2026
Start: September 2026
Number of Awards Anticipated: Up to 4 cohorts

Seed Funding

Best for: Testing ideas with pilot studies in order to seek external funders
Award: Up to $20,000
Staff Support: Support from the Director of Research, a dedicated Senior Research Manager, Grants Specialist and Comms & Finance Team
Duration: 1 year
Format: Early-stage research project with strong potential to attract external funding
Proposal: 3 pages
Deadline: February 15, 2026
Start: September 2026
Number of Awards Anticipated: Up to 3 projects

Accelerate Funding

Best for: Scaling proven research programs
Award: Up to $300,000
Staff Support: Support from the Director of Research, a dedicated Senior Research Manager, Grants Specialist and Comms & Finance Team
Duration: Up to 3 years
Format: Major research program seeking to become a sustainable initiative/project/center
Proposal: 5 pages
Deadline: February 15, 2026
Start: September 2026
Number of Awards Anticipated: Up to 2 projects

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This program allows teams of researchers and students to spend a year considering “big questions” around a core theme, providing space to explore potential research directions and build relationships with other scholars without the pressure of immediate deliverables. This program provides a stipend ($1,000 for faculty/staff participants and $1,500 for facilitators) to participate in these seminars over the course of an academic year.

Application Instructions

Seed Funding awards of up to $20,000 support pilot projects to generate preliminary data, test innovative methodologies, and build the foundation for larger external grants. This funding is flexible and can be used to collect data, fund student researchers, or pay for travel related to the research, among other expenses.

Application Instructions

GRI's most significant investment in research, Accelerate Funding, provides up to $300,000 over three years to grow research projects into sustainable research enterprises. Researchers can use this funding to support course buyouts, research team salaries, travel, and other expenses.

Application Instructions

Applications for the AY26-27 funding cycle are now closed. Thank you for your interest in GRI’s next chapter and for your applications. We anticipate the next funding cycle for the AY27-28 funding cycle will open in the fall of 2026.

We’re grateful to the individuals listed below for their time in reviewing applications for this funding cycle. Decisions will be announced in late March or early April.

Elyas Bakhtiari, Associate Professor of Sociology; Director of the Schroeder Center for Health Policy
Evan J. Criddle, Law School Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development; Ernest W. Goodrich Professor of Law; and Director, Center for International Law and Policy
Daniel Cristol, Chancellor Professor of Biology
Cristiano Fanelli, Associate Professor of Data Science
Iria Giuffrida, Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs & Development; Professor of the Practice of Law
Graham Henshaw, Assistant Provost for Entrepreneurship; Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship Hub
Audrey Horning, Arts & Sciences Vice Dean for Research & Graduate Studies; Forrest D. Murden Professor of Anthropology
Megan La Peyre, Professor and Batten School/VIMS Associate Dean of Research & Advisory Services
Scott McCoy, Mason School of Business Vice Dean for Faculty & Academic Affairs; Richard S. Reynolds, Jr. Professor of Business
Siddhartha Mitra, Professor and VIMS Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Jeffrey Nelson, Professor and Chair of Physics
John Parman, Thomas Arthur Vaughan Jr. Memorial Professor of Economics
Denys Poshyvanyk, Chancellor Professor of Computer Science
J.C. Poutsma, Professor of Chemistry
Greg Conradi Smith, Professor of Applied Science
Sarah L. Stafford, CSX Professor of Economics and Public Policy
Jennifer A. Stevens, Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences
Elizabeth Talbott, School of Education Associate Dean for Research & Faculty Development; Professor of Special Education
Silvia Tandeciarz, Arts & Sciences Vice-Dean for Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Studies; Chancellor Professor of Hispanic Studies
Mike Tierney, George & Mary Hylton Professor of International Relations; Director Global Research Institute
Emily Wilcox, Professor of Chinese Studies; Chinese Studies Program Director
Alyson Wilson, Vice Provost for Research; Professor of Data Science

For more specific inquiries, to schedule an individual consultation, or to request a GRI staff member visit your department meeting, please contact GRI Associate Director [[dmtrichler, David Trichler]].

FAQs

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