Faculty Research Funding

Individual research grants are limited to faculty from the Political Science and International Relations Department specializing in international relations and comparative politics. Faculty specializing in American Politics qualify if they demonstrate a clear IR or CP dimension of their research.

A demonstrated record of participation in CIS programming is also a criteria for qualifying for funding support.

The calls for proposals outline several new restrictions around research travel and the process for hiring suppliers such as independent contractors for research assistance, data purchases, and surveys. Please read the calls for proposals carefully and follow the supplemental links for further guidance. Of most importance is the requirement of applicants to obtain pre-approval from USC Dornsife for all research travel and supplier contracts. CIS will provide preliminary approval of proposals CONTINGENT on applicants obtaining the required pre-approval from USC Dornsife prior to allocation of funding. CIS staff will provide some guidance on expediting this process, but applicants must take the initiative to ensure completion of review by USC Dornsife.

This requirement pertains largely to active engagement in the weekly IR & CP Workshop Series, which takes place throughout the year every Wednesday at 12:30 pm. Your access to funding is contingent on your attendance as both an occasional presenter as well as an active audience member offering feedback to students. The center also hosts several professionalization events for PhD students, including practice job and conference talks that depend on active participation of faculty for critical feedback and mentorship. 

We also encourage you to attend dinners with external guests throughout the semester. 

We understand you have many commitments, including courses that might overlap with the workshop time. We encourage you to contact CIS if you have conflicts that make it difficult to attend the workshops during any particular semester.

Please review the proposals for research funding and URA support and then complete the online CIS Research Funding form and upload a proposal/project description along with a detailed budget proposal (250–500 words).

CIS distributes the call for faculty funding proposals for the new academic year at the beginning of the fall semester each year.

The priority deadline is Sept. 25, 2025. Proposals will then be reviewed on a rolling basis up until Feb. 1, 2026. If your project is time sensitive, we recommend you submit your proposal by the priority deadline. Applicants seeking exceptional funding above $5,000 must submit by the priority deadline. 

The deadline for spending research funds is May 15. This deadline is necessary in order to process all payments and reimbursements associated with the grant by the end of the fiscal year on June 30. We do allow extensions into the summer if you obtain approval at the time of submission.

Applicants cannot rollover funds. In the event of exceptional circumstances, please contact CIS at cis@dornsife.usc.edu. 

Instead of seeking a rollover, applicants can instead apply for funding at the beginning of the following year. Bear in mind that any review of future proposals will consider your past record of managing funding awards and demonstrating an effective use of CIS funding.

Any remaining balance at the May 15 deadline will not be carried over to the next academic year. It is crucial to plan and utilize the allocated funds within the specified time frame.

Tenured and tenure-track faculty can apply for up to $5,000 in funding; RTPC faculty and postdoctoral fellows can seek $3,000 in support. The center will consider awarding 1-2 faculty up to $10,000 for exceptional proposals.

• Travel related to research (airfare, ground transportation, lodging) with pre-approval from USC Dornsife.
• Surveys, experiments, and other types of primary data gathering with pre-approval from USC Dornsife (for guidelines regarding the purchase of surveys, please contact the CIS office at cis@usc.dornsife.edu)
• Research materials (books, etc. that are not available via library or interlibrary loan)
• Hiring PhD research assistants (during winter or summer break) may be possible but under strict guidelines. USC students will be paid bi-weekly through Workday.
• Hiring undergraduate research assistants (must have work-study).

• Attending conferences (applicants must first demonstrate they sought funding through the POIR PhD office; must also provide proof of a designated conference role on program)
• Equipment, computers, cell phones, cell phone plans, etc.
• Course work fees (i.e., language, methods)
• Software
• Labor and service fees (i.e., local guides, translators, editors)
• Gift cards, cash advances, food and meals (please ask CIS staff about the latest guidelines on per diem)

In general, CIS provides funding in support of research, while the POIR department provides funding in support of instruction and any needed enhancements or supplements to the curriculum. Please contact the POIR Department for other funding opportunities.

We recommend submitting receipts as soon as one leg of a trip is complete (one leg is equal to 30 days or less of a trip).

We can review these types of requests on a case-by-case basis. Typically when there is a modest overage of expenses, we can allocate expenses to another PPGG.

We can review these types of requests on a case-by-case basis. Typically when there is a modest overage of expenses, we can allocate expenses to another PPGG.