Grants Aren’t Just for Faculty: Staff Can Also Apply for Funding

Road sign that says "Grants"Road sign that says "Funding"

The Office of Research and Creative Scholarship (ORCS) serves the Emerson community by providing information, assistance, and services to those who seek financial support for scholarly endeavors and College projects, including support from foundations, government agencies, and the for-profit sector.

The office also provides College-wide leadership in the development of research and sponsored program activities, and works closely with faculty, staff, and senior administrators in shaping the effort to build a more robust program of grants and sponsored research at Emerson.

Although ORCS primarily serves faculty, the office supports an increasing number of staff members who are working on College projects. Over the past several years, staff from many departments have received external funding through ORCS, including Ploughshares, WERS, ArtsEmerson, HowlRound, Social Justice Center, Bright Lights Film Series, the Center for Spiritual Life, Emerson Urban Arts, and Facilities Management/Office of Sustainability.

  • Melanie Matson, director and advocate of the Healing and Advocacy Collective in the Social Justice Center, has received a number of grants from the Avon Foundation for Women through its Speak Out Against Domestic Violence initiative. The grants funded the efforts of the Healing & Advocacy Collective to activate bystanders to reduce sexual assault, dating abuse, and stalking.
  • This year, Anna Feder, director of programming for the Visual and Media Arts Department, received a grant from the Boston Cultural Council for “Conversations on Immigration and Migration,” a new film and discussion series on immigration that will be incorporated into the Fall 2019 Bright Lights Film Series. Bright Lights is a twice-weekly free public film screening committed to showing current films and crafting a diverse program including filmmakers of color, queer cinema, and films dealing with disability.
  • Kevin Cooney, director of development for WERS, received a festivals grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the 2019 Radio Community Service grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting distributes community service grants to noncommercial public television and radio stations that provide significant public service programming to their communities.

External funding can be used to support program needs, capital projects, and College initiatives. Funding for supplies, to hire additional staff, pay student workers, or travel to conferences are all types of support that ORCS can help identify. ORCS staff also edit and assist with application preparation and submission.

If you are a staff member working on a College project in need of external funding, please contact ORCS at orcs@emerson.edu or visit emerson.edu/research-creative-scholarship.

Diana Potter (ORCS)