Responsible Administrator: Office of the Provost

Date of Last Review: June 25, 2021

Research, creative scholarship, and other scholarly activities are essential functions of a comprehensive university—vital in the professional life of the professor and important in the  education of students.  Research and creative scholarship play important roles in considerations for faculty tenure, promotion, and salary allocation.  The Institutional Review Board should review research involving human subjects.

 University Support of Research  

1. The university provides the use of library space and materials, including efficient interlibrary loan services and digital resources for faculty and student research. 
2. It provides office space, secretarial help, and laboratory facilities and equipment through  the academic department/school.
3. Graduate students and undergraduate and graduate assistants are available in some disciplines.  
4. Selective reassigned time may be arranged to allow a high level of research productivity, with the approval of the department/school chair and dean. 
5. Release from all teaching assignments during the summer terms provides opportunity for full-time research.  Funds for research may be obtained through research grants from  outside sources or through the ACU Research Council. 
6. The Office for Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) provides assistance in the  preparation of research grant proposals to outside funding agencies.
7. College and departmental/school budgets, in some cases, provide support for faculty and student research.  

University research funds are available through application to the Research Council.  Application forms and instructions and deadlines may be obtained from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

Research Council  

The Office of the Provost and the Research Council have the responsibility for establishing  guidelines for allocation of institutional research funds.  Each full-time faculty member is eligible to submit to the Research Council a proposal for research or creative activity and a request for financial support.  Internal grant opportunities are available on the ORSP page.