Research Corporation for Scientific Advancement
/OVERVIEW: RCSA’s runs signature scholars and fellowoship programs to support scientific research and teaching in chemistry, physics and astronomy.
IP TAKE: Tenure track faculty in chemistry, physics and astronomy at colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada can secure funding and opportunities for collaboration, networking and publishing through the Research Corporation for Scientific Advancement’s Cottrell Scholars and scialog programs. The ideal candidate can demonstrate a promising research trajectory as well as excellence in scholarship and teaching. All programs accept applications and/or nominations, but eligibility, guidelines and requirements vary significantly by program and subprogram. Prospective fellows should explore the options carefully before taking the next step.
PROFILE: Founded in Tuscon, Arizona in 1912 by inventor Frederick Gardner Cottrell, the Research Corporation for Scientific Advancement (RCSA) is an independent, privately endowed foundation. Its mission is “to advance early stage, high-potential, basic scientific research.” It supports scientific research and STEM education via its Cottrell Scholars and scialog awards programs.
Grants for Science Research and STEM Education
RCSA’s Cottrell Scholars program funds three types of awards.
The Cottrell Scholars Award recognizes “early career teacher-scholars in chemistry, physics, and astronomy by providing significant discretionary awards for research.” The award targets tenure track faculty at predominately undergraduate colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada. Awards consist of $120,000, disbursed over a period of three years, and more than twenty scholars are chosen for awards each cycle. Scholars are selected “through a stringent peer-review process based on their innovative research proposals and educational programs.” Cottrell scholars also participate in an annual networking event and join a community of researchers who are eligible for continued support throughout their careers.
The Robert Holland Jr. Award, “welcomes outstanding senior scientists with diverse perspectives and backgrounds into the Cottrell Scholar community.” The award is open to tenured faculty in chemistry, physics or astronomy at colleges and universities in the U.S. or Canada who have established “a strong record of impact and leadership in their field and their institution.” The award consists of a cash prize of $5,000 and multiple networking opportunities within the Cottrell Scholars community.
Cottrell Plus Awards represent the RCSA’s commitment to support Cottrell Scholars throughout their careers. Three separate awards “are aimed at advancing the skills, knowledge, and experience of Cottrell Scholars and Holland Award recipients toward attaining leadership roles in their institutions, and support the research and training of students working in their labs or groups.”
The Cottrell STAR Award recognizes “the outstanding research and educational accomplishments of members of the Cottrell Scholar community, including Holland Award recipients.” A $5,000 cash prize is accompanied by an invitation to “to give a plenary talk at the summer Cottrell Scholar Conference.” RCSA also “promotes the award in professional journals.”
The Cottrell IMPACT Award recognizes “he work of a Cottrell Scholar or Holland Award recipient who has had a national impact in science through leadership and service activities.” A $5,000 cash prize is accompanied by an invitation to “to give a plenary talk at the summer Cottrell Scholar Conference.” RCSA also “promotes the award in professional journals.”
A third prize, the Cottrell SEED Award, supports members of the Cottrell Scholars community “as they launch high-impact research activities.” The award supports either new research “with potential to lead to a transformative line of inquiry” or exceptional opportunities “to advance existing research projects to higher levels of innovation and impact.” The award is given “up to $60,000 for research projects, which includes an indirect cost allowance of 10% of modified total direct costs.”
All of the Cottrell programs accept either proposals or nominations through the corporation’s prism application portal. However, guidelines, eligibility and due dates vary significantly by program, so be sure to read relevant program pages carefully before submitting materials. Profiles of past cohorts of scholars linked to the program page.
RCSA’s signature scialog program “seeks to accelerate the work of 21st-century transformational science through research, dialogue and community.” Approximately 50 fellows are selected each year to “participate in intensive discussions to identify bottlenecks and encourage innovative approaches, collaborate in high-risk discovery research on untested ideas, and communicate their progress in annual closed conferences.” The cost of attending scialog events is covered by RCSA, and travel stipends are available. Scialog programs appear to be organized around specific research topics and are “guided by senior scientists recognized as world-leading researchers in the area of focus.” Recent topics have included the advancement of bioimaging, negative emissions science, cellular biology and neurobiology, among others.
Scialog accepts nominations and self-nominations through RCSAs prism application portal. Prospective nominees should note that topics of interest may change from year to year. For additional information, see the the scialog program’s FAQ. Profiles of past fellows are linked to the program page.
Important Grant Details:
RSCA’s Cottrell Scholars Awards include cash stipends in specific amounts set by each award category, while the association’s scialog program covers the costs of participants attendance at program events, and will cover travel expenses in some cases.
RSCA accepts applications and/or nominations for all of its scholar awards programs via the organization’s prism application portal.
In addition to recognizing excellence in research and, in some cases, teaching, RSCA’s programs provide opportunities for networking and collaborating with other scholars.
The Cottrell Program offers continued to support to its scholars throughout their careers.
Questions may be submitted to RSCA via email at awards@rescorp.org or telephone at (520) 571-1111.
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