Search Tools
Pivot-RP
Research and Sponsored Projects has implemented Pivot-RP, a web-based tool that provides access to a “global source of funding opportunities” and allows users to connect with potential collaborators at CSUCI, across the CSU and beyond. Pivot-RP is available to all faculty, staff, and students.
Pivot-RP Start Guide (PDF, 864KB)
CSUCI Sponsored Subscriptions
The services listed below are password protected and offer searchable funding opportunities and other services. If you would like information on how to access these database subscriptions, please contact Research & Sponsored Programs.
American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Grants Resource Center
External Funding Opportunities
Federal Grants
Federal Grants Notification Service: Grants.gov
State of California Funding Opportunities
California Grants Portal: https://www.grants.ca.gov/
California State University (CSU) Affinity Groups
https://www.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/research/Pages/campus-research-collaborations.aspx
List of Institutional, HSI/MRI*, Faculty/Student Success, Workforce Development Funding Opportunities
Updated list of external funding opportunities maintained by RSP
RSP, Grant Opportunities Posting
For information about any of the programs listed below, please contact Research and Sponsored Programs (rsp@csuci.edu)
Internal Funding Opportunities
Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (RSCA) Awards
The RSCA program supports Faculty research, scholarship, and creative activity with funds from the Office of the Chancellor's and the Office of the Provost. This support for faculty scholarship raises the visibility of the California State University as an institution that values faculty RSCA.
2027-2028 CSUCI Competition for RSCA
- The 2027-2028 RSCA competition opens for application on September 11th, 2026 in InfoReady.
- DEADLINE FOR RSCA PROPOSALS is 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11th, 2026
- Award Cycle: 2027 - 2028
- Project Timeline: July 1st, 2027 - June 30th, 2028
- Discipline/Subject Area: All disciplines
- Progress Reports: 6-month, 12-month, and 18- month progress reports will be due in December 2027, June 2028, and December 2028. Progress Reports are required to be submitted in InfoReady and progress report notifications will be sent out via email.
All members of Unit 3 - Faculty, Librarians, Coaches, and Counselors are eligible to apply for and receive RSCA awards.
RSCA awards are intended as one-time grants, not as a sole or continuing source of support for a particular line of professional activity. Higher priority will be given to:
- Individuals who have not received RSCA funding in the past three years;
- Probationary, tenure track faculty at critical stages of their careers, during which research support is essential;
Please note that all RSCA grant funds awarded are Research & Sponsored Programs (Stateside) funds and awardees are responsible to ensure that funds are spent by fiscal-year-end. Funds not expended by the fiscal-year-end date are forfeited and returned.
The RSCA Request for Proposals and RSCABudget Template can provide vital information to support the application process. Both are also available within the InfoReady application. The budget template may be used for planning purposes and is not required.
InfoReady Review Portal for the RSCA and PDCG Programs
Provost Direct Cost Grant Program
The Office of the Provost is pleased to provide funding through the Provost’s Direct Costs Grants (PDCG) Program to help defray one-time, direct costs associated with research and creative activities; specifically, costs related to the dissemination of completed work.
Eligible expenses may include translation, indexing, article processing charges (APCs), submission fees, and other one-time costs associated with sharing completed scholarship or creative work, such as videos, recordings, shipping, payments to collaborators, sound editors, and similar services. When requesting publication fees, the applicant must indicate whether they are the primary (usually first) or senior (usually last or corresponding) author. Expenses related to the continuation of research or creative activities are not eligible. Costs that require ongoing investment, maintenance, or upkeep are not considered one-time expenses and will not be funded.
DEADLINE FOR INITIAL REVIEW is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, October 26th, 2026.
DEADLINE FOR ROLLING APPLICATION is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, January 25th, 2027.
Applications received by 11:59 p.m. on October 26th, 2026, will be included in the initial review cycle and considered together for the first allocation of available funds. Following the initial review deadline, applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis through January 25th, 2027. Rolling applications will be reviewed approximately every two weeks and considered for funding in the order received, subject to the merits of the proposal and availability of funds. This extended application period is intended to provide faculty with flexibility when eligible dissemination costs arise later in the academic year while allowing sufficient time to process and expend awards before the end of the fiscal year. If funds remain after that time, additional applications may be considered if the timeline for expending the cost is feasible.
The PDCG Quick Guide can provide vital information to support the application process.
InfoReady Review Portal for the RSCA and PDCG Programs
CSU Systemwide Funding Opportunities
CSU Learning Innovation for Future Forward Teaching (LIFT)
The CSU Learning Innovation for Future Forward Teaching (LIFT) program is a competitive, one year funding opportunity that supports faculty in designing and testing teaching innovations that integrate durable skills into undergraduate education.
Open to individual faculty or teams across the CSU system, the program offers approximately 30 awards ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 based on project scope. Projects focus on helping students connect academic learning to real world applications while developing transferable skills such as critical thinking, communication, and adaptability.
Proposals are due June 1, 2026, with funded projects implemented during the 2026 to 2027 academic year.
For additional information and RFP go to the following link: https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/faculty-staff/Institute-for-teaching-and-learning
Please reach out to RSP to apply.
CSU Growth in Undergraduate Innovation, Discovery and Engagement (GUIDE)
The CSU Chancellor’s Office has released the 2026CSU GUIDE (Growth in Undergraduate Innovation, Discovery and Engagement)Request for Proposals to support faculty-led research, scholarly, and creative activities that provide transformative, faculty-mentored undergraduate experiences. This internal competition will identify and nominate up to three proposals from our campus through a limited competition.
Funding is available across three tracks:
- Track 1: Multi-campus collaboration (up to $80,000)
- Track 2: Single-campus (up to $40,000)
- Track 3: Mid-career research resilience (up to $40,000)
Key requirements include:
- Eligibility: Faculty (permanent or temporary). The PI must be a CSU tenured or tenure track faculty member.
- All proposals must include a plan for the active participation of undergraduate students both through direct participation and by embedding the contents of the research as an experiential component in the curriculum. A substantial portion of the budget should be devoted to student engagement.
- Projects should lead to a submission-ready extramural proposal within 12 months.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the full RFP for complete eligibility requirements, proposal guidelines, and review criteria before applying.
Internal submission deadline is May 3, 2026. Selected proposals will move forward to full submission due June 1, 2026.
STEM-Net is providing a Grant Writing Webinar Series for GUIDE on April 28, 2026 and May 5, 2026 from 11 am to 12:30 pm. Register via this link.
To apply, please go to: https://csuci.infoready4.com/.
CSU Biotechnology
Biotechnology improves our lives and our planet. It’s used to develop technologies and products such as biofuel, medicine and vaccines. CSU Biotechnology (CSUBIOTECH) is a committed network of faculty, deans and presidents representing the CSU’s 22 universities*. Together, their work champions biotechnology innovation and helps students embark on life science careers through experiential learning opportunities.
CSUBIOTECH is dedicated to developing a diverse and professional biotechnology workforce for California and the global economy.
For more information including grant opportunities, go to: https://www.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/research/csubiotech.