Cottrell Scholar Award Grant

The Cottrell Scholar Award supports early career faculty at U.S. and Canadian research universities, fostering innovative research and teaching in Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy. This prestigious recognition emphasizes the importance of impactful research plans and educational strategies, aiming to enhance undergraduate and graduate science education. The award also encourages academic citizenship and collaboration within institutions, providing funding for three-year projects up to $120,000, thereby promoting excellence in both research and education.

The Cottrell Scholar Award honors and helps to develop outstanding teacher-scholars who are recognized by their scientific communities for the quality and innovation of their research programs and their academic leadership skills. The Cottrell Scholar Award provides entry into a national community of outstanding scholar-educators who produce significant research and educational outcomes.
Research Plan
Successful research plans identify relevant problems of high scientific significance and describe innovative and feasible approaches toward solutions. Each research plan may or may not describe a new scientific thrust for the applicant, but new creative directions and outcomes (different from what is already funded by other sources) need to be clearly highlighted. A winning proposal must convince external reviewers and the RCSA Cottrell Scholar Selection Committee that the applicant is pursuing an important and independent program of research that is likely to have significant impact.
The primary criterion for the Cottrell Scholar Award is that the proposed research will add to fundamental scientific knowledge in one of the three core disciplines (Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy), and hence, applied research without a significant fundamental component is not funded. "Applied research" is interpreted as any type of research aimed at developing known science into new technology, methods, or techniques, or the applications of methods and techniques to topics in disciplines other than the three core disciplines. Furthermore, as applications must include both research and educational plans, applications are not accepted if the research plan itself would be on science education. If unclear on whether a particular research area fits programmatic guidelines, please contact Program Director.
Educational Plan
The educational plan should identify a significant problem in undergraduate or graduate science education and offer a feasible strategy to address it.
Main criteria for evaluating the educational plan include:
The originality of the proposalThe potential impact in undergraduate or graduate science coursesThe potential impact in student demographicsThe applicant’s commitment to excellence in educationKnowledge of current science education literatureAssessment of the proposed educational planDepartmental buy-in (shown by participation of departmental and/or institutional colleagues)Suitability and sustainability within the institutional setting
A letter of support from a Departmental Chair, Dean or Provost that endorses the educational proposal and indicates why the applicant is the appropriate faculty member to undertake the project is required.
Because each institutional setting is unique and has different needs, the components of a successful educational plan vary widely. Goals and desired outcomes that will help enhance the applicant’s institutional educational environment must be clearly stated. Prior accomplishments in STEM higher education enhance the case for the applicant's commitment to education.
Academic Citizenship
The academic citizenship statement should concisely outline how engaging in institutional service activities contributes to the applicant’s professional growth, fosters valuable professional relationships, and enhances research and teaching efforts. Additionally, it should highlight how the Cottrell Scholar Award will play a crucial role in honing the applicant’s teacher-scholar skills, which are essential for future leadership positions within the institution. Applicants may strengthen their statement by referencing past or ongoing service activities within their academic institutions.
Budgets
Cottrell Scholar Awards are for three-year projects in the amount of $120,000 for the entire project. CSA funds may be used to support both the educational and research projects of the Cottrell Scholar. Budgets are not required, and no budget page is included in the proposal. CSA funds are used at the discretion of the Scholar for most direct costs, including equipment and supplies, undergraduate and graduate salary/wages/stipends, graduate student tuition and fees, postdoctoral salaries, and travel to attend the annual Cottrell Scholar conference and other conferences/workshops. Salaries/wages/stipends and graduate student tuition are only allowed if prorated to percent effort. Faculty summer salary is an allowable expense, but only for faculty in non-doctoral departments. No funds are to be used for indirect costs or overhead, academic-year faculty salaries, routine administrative institutional services or salaries, books and journals, or building construction or renovation.

Eligibility

The Cottrell Scholar Award (CSA) is available to early career faculty at U.S. and Canadian research universities and primarily undergraduate institutions. Eligible applicants are tenure-track faculty who hold primary or courtesy appointments in chemistry, physics, or astronomy departments that offer bachelor's and/or graduate degrees in the applicant's discipline.
For the 2025 proposal cycle, eligibility is limited to faculty members who started their first tenure-track appointment anytime in calendar year 2022. Accommodations are made for faculty who have taken maternity or paternity leave, or who have experienced medical conditions or research delays that prompted a tenure clock extension.