MPower Early Scholars Investment Fund

Overview: Pivot funding of up to $50K will be made available for approximately 7 tenure-track faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor.  Funding will be prioritized for faculty whose areas of research were impacted by shifts in the federal funding environment. This could include, for example, research in the fields of health disparities, environmental justice, climate science, or other disciplines). Junior faculty who were leading or were part of grants that were recently terminated, paused or reprioritized for other areas of funding are encouraged to apply.  

Requirements: A two-to-three page proposal is required.  The narrative must describe why the funding is critical for the faculty member; how the funding will be used to strategically pivot or pilot new lines of research into more sustainable funding pathways. Identifying specific funding programs is required at the time of submission.  The proposal must identify why this bridge funding is critical to support the faculty member’s ongoing scholarly or research activities. The narrative should explain how the temporary support will sustain or advance their work and demonstrate the likelihood that the faculty member will secure new external funding, establish a stable funding stream, or achieve a key milestone in their academic career by the time the funds are spent. Proposals that promote interdisciplinary research across departments, schools, and universities (UMB and UMCP) are encouraged.

Budget: A maximum of $50K will be provided.  A detailed budget of how the funds will be used must accompany the narrative.  Recipients are required to provide semi-annual progress reports on the use of funds as well as planned proposal submissions. 

Submission: All application materials must be submitted through the Infoready portal no later than January 9, 2026. Proposals will be evaluated based on the need for funding in light of the new funding environment, the proposed impact/use of the funding, and the likelihood to secure additional funding. Funding decisions are expected in late January 2026. 

Award Requirements: Recipients are required to provide semi-annual progress reports on the use of funds as well as planned external funding submissions. Specified metrics on the usage of funds that must be followed will be shared in the award notification letter.  Faculty are strongly encouraged to consult with central or school-based proposal development resources to enhance proposals to external funders prior to submission.  

Submission Link for MPower Early Scholars Investment Fund – Track 1: Junior Tenure-Track Faculty
https://umd.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/2000155

Overview: This track is intended to provide temporary funding to graduate students whose assistantships were impacted by grant pauses, terminations or executive branch reprioritizations in the federal funding landscape.  Up to $30K in funding per graduate student will be available. Approximately 25-30 stipends in total will be made available for this year. 

Requirements: A 1-2 page narrative describing the need for the funding is required. The narrative must highlight why the funding is critical to support the graduate student, how the temporary funding will be used, and the likelihood that the graduate student will either complete their doctoral degree or be supported by a new funding source by the time the funds are spent. 

Provide a detailed budget of requested GA stipend, fringe for health insurance (22.1%), actual tuition costs (in-state or out-of-state; 899 flat rate). Ask for what you need so we can support as many students as possible. This is not requesting a typical assistantship but instead requesting the support needed for the student per the guidelines of the award.

A support letter from the doctoral advisor shall be included with the nomination outlining the eligibility, need, academic progress, and trajectory of the student. If applicable, the letter should also reference a lack of other funding sources that can support the GA. 

Submission: All nomination materials must be submitted through the TerpEngage Awards Portal (https://terpengage.umd.edu/gsawards/s/) for the “MPower Early Scholars Investment Fund - Track 2, PhD Students” no later than January 9, 2026. The program’s DGS/CGS should submit the nomination materials through the awards portal. Nomination materials submitted by programs will be reviewed and prioritized by the Dean of the School/College and shared with the Dean of the Graduate School for funding decisions.

Award Requirements: Departments are required to track and provide metrics of the awardee, including the number of graduate students supported, the number of graduate students retained or funded on new projects, the number of graduate students who complete degrees following use of this funding and the number of research outputs that occur during or after the bridge funding.  Outputs include publications, presentations, patents, submitted proposals. 

Overview: Funding will be made available for postdoctoral fellows impacted by grant pauses and terminations, new executive branch program priorities, and related hiring shifts directly tied to those grant pauses/terminations and new priorities.  Up to six-months of temporary, one-time funding (at a maximum cost of ~$37.5K, inclusive of fringe) will be provided for 4 candidates. 

Requirements: A 1-2 page narrative describing the need for the funding is required, as is a letter of support from the Department Chair and supervisor (co-signed) of the applicant. The narrative shall describe how the funding will be used and leveraged to pursue additional funding and/or new employment opportunities. 

Submission: Postdocs shall submit the application through the TerpEngage Awards Portal (https://terpengage.umd.edu/gsawards/s/) for the “MPower Early Scholars Investment Fund - Track 3, Postdocs” no later than January 9, 2026. The Department Chair will be notified to upload their co-signed letter of support no later than January 20, 2026. Application materials submitted by postdocs will be reviewed and prioritized by the Dean of the School/College and shared with the Dean of the Graduate School for funding decisions.

Award Requirements: Departments are required to track and provide metrics of the awardee, including the number of postdocs supported and the placement of the funded postdoc in position, postdoc productivity during the awarded bridge funding (presentations, publications, proposals submitted), and other metrics upon request.