The Humanities and Arts Research Program (HARP) Development program provides funds to support faculty who are conducting important research leading to creative and performance projects or activities in the arts and humanities. This limited funding is designed to support faculty in the development of projects that seem likely to enhance the reputation of the faculty member and the university. 

Within the Development program, there are two panels that conduct the reviews: the Humanities Research panel and the Exhibition and Performance panel. The Humanities Research panel will review applications that are supporting research projects and scholarship broadly related to the humanities. The Exhibition and Performance panel will review proposals that support scholarship and creative activities leading to an exhibit or performance. See the FAQs for clarification.

The deadline for HARP Development applications will be in early-October, with awards announced in February. Funding will be available for a two year period beginning on March 1. 

What types of projects are eligible?

• HARP development projects should:
  1. produce results or a product that is likely to receive external recognition (e.g., through a publisher's interest or through available distribution or exhibition venues) or be used beyond MSU.
  2. ultimately lead to a scholarly or creative product (e.g., book, CD, musical composition, play, artwork) with the potential for significant impact in the discipline or related areas. 

Who is eligible?

• Tenured and tenure-track faculty
• Faculty with uninterrupted, multi-year, fixed term appointments
• Faculty with one-year appointments who are able to obtain written confirmation from their department chair of pending appointment through the duration of the grant (letters from the chair should be uploaded as part of the project description)
• Academic specialists in the continuing appointment system who have the majority of their effort in the research category
• Part time faculty who 1) have had an appointment for two consecutive years prior to the date of their submission, 2) have a commitment from their department chair indicating that their appointment will continue through the duration of the granting period, and 3) have an appointment of at least 50% with MSU
• Faculty from Arts and Letters, Communication Arts and Sciences, James Madison, Lyman Briggs, Music, Social Science, and the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities are eligible to apply for HARP funding.
• NOTE: Faculty emeriti are not eligible to apply for HARP funding.
• NOTE: Faculty rank and proximity to promotion and tenure decisions will not be considered in the evaluation of proposals. All applications will be evaluated on the merit of the work being proposed. 

For more information or to apply, visit the MSU Research and Innovation website