Purpose: 

To provide tenure-line faculty who are one year post tenure with discretionary funds to invigorate their research program, allowing them to branch out into new areas and develop some preliminary results leading to funded proposals, new collaborations, etc.

Eligibility:

One-year post-tenure faculty who:

• Received a successful tenure review and were promoted to the rank of associate professor after going through no less than five (5) years of the tenure cycle, OR
• Were hired without tenure at the rank of associate professor and received a successful tenure review after going through no less than five (5) years of the tenure cycle.

Applicants are not eligible if they:

• Received a retention package in the past five years,
• Have unspent start-up funding.

Discretionary funds will not be awarded during a sabbatical year, nor are they permitted to be used for sabbatical leave activities.

Application Process:

Eligible newly tenured associate professors are invited to apply for up to $50,000 in discretionary research funding to be awarded at the beginning of the second or third year after receiving tenure. 
The application must include a two- to three-page proposal outlining the scope of activities, a detailed budget and spending plan, and a letter of support from the faculty member’s department head. 
It is expected that the proposals will focus on new research directions, though other proposed emphases may include novel educational, outreach and service activities. 

Deadlines: 

Proposals should be submitted electronically to the dean, with a copy to Nicola Kiver (nmk17@psu.edu), via the faculty member’s department head on or before March 31 in the first or second year following tenure approval. 
For example, if the faculty member was awarded tenure effective July 1, 2025, the deadline to apply would be March 31, 2026, or March 31, 2027, in order to receive funding for FY2026-27 (the beginning of the second year following tenure approval) or FY2027-28 (the beginning of the third year following tenure approval).

Sabbaticals:

A sabbatical (either for a semester or an academic year) offsets the application process by one year. For example, if the faculty member was awarded tenure effective July 1, 2025, and then was granted a sabbatical for FY2026-27, then the deadline to apply would be March 31, 2027, or March 31, 2028, in order to receive funding for FY2027-28 or FY2028-2029.

Awarding:

Discretionary funds will be housed in a college account. The Dean’s Office will provide 50% ($25,000 maximum) of the funding and the department / EMS institute (for internally co-funded faculty, in the salary proportion) will provide 50% ($25,000 maximum) of the funding. The college will request the funds from the department / EMS institute in two increments ($12,500 in year one and $12,500 in year two).

These funds may be used to support graduate research assistantships. However, this funding may not support teaching releases. 

• Pump-up funds are expected to be fully spent in two years, and the approved spending plan must be closely followed in order for the college to budget appropriately.
• Funds may be used to cover regular research-related expenses including travel.
• Funds may not be used for meals with Penn State employees or for entertaining Penn State employees.
• Funds also may not be used for supplemental (summer) salary.
• There will be no extensions given.

Updated: October 6, 2025