Research

RESEARCH BRIDGE FUND

Portland State University (PSU) and the PSU chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) share interests in stability for non-tenure track research faculty, retaining high-quality research faculty, and maintaining productive research programs. Principal Investigators occasionally experience breaks in external funding, which can result in loss of employment to personnel critical to the continuation of research programs and the University. 

Portland State established a Research Bridge Fund of $150,000 for FY 2026. For FY2027 and FY2028, the Bridge Fund amount will be no less than $75,000 and no more than $150,000. These funds are to be used, at the discretion of the Vice President of Research & Graduate Studies, to support the continued employment of non-tenure-track research faculty in instances where an external research grant or funding source has expired or will end, but renewal of funding is expected in the near future.

PSU RESEARCH BRIDGE FUND PROGRAM

What Are Bridge Funds? | Who Is Eligible? | How Do I Apply? | Criteria To Receive Funding?

Upcoming Application Deadlines (pending availability of funds):

July 30, 2025 | October 30, 2025 | January 30, 2026 | April 30, 2026

What are bridge funds?

Bridge funds are available on a competitive basis from the Office of Research & Graduate Studies to provide temporary salary and fringe benefit support to non-tenure-related research faculty critical to sustaining research programs and sponsored activities in instances where : 

  • an external research grant or funding source has expired, and
  •  a hiatus in funding would jeopardize the research, and
  • the loss of funding will result in the termination of the employee, and 
  • renewal of funding is expected in the near future.

The funds are for one-time support only in cases where the Principal Investigator (PI) has experienced a significant, short-term reduction in extramural funding. These funds can be used to support salary and OPE expenses of non-tenure track faculty and/or academic professionals.

These funds cannot be used for:

  • 'Pilot' or 'seed' funding 
  • Salary and OPE expenses for tenure-related faculty 
  • Graduate assistant stipends, remissions, or fees 
  • Travel, equipment, expendables 
  • Overspending on current grants 
  • Administrative costs or staffing

For each award, the following apply:

  • Individual awards cannot exceed $25,000 per year. 
  • Grantees will have funding available for a maximum of one year or until they reestablish funding from other sources, whichever comes first. When extramural funding is re-established, all unspent Bridge Funds must be returned to the Bridge Fund Program to assist other investigators.
  • Applications will be evaluated four times per year, provided sufficient funds remain available. 
  • Funding is competitive, and not all applications may be funded. 
  • PIs are encouraged to apply well in advance of funding shortfalls to allow time for preparation, submission, and review of the applications.
  •  A PI receiving a Research Bridge Fund award in one year will not be eligible to reapply for at least two years from the previous award. 
  • All funds awarded must be spent in the award window. 
  • When extramural funding is re-established, all unspent funds must be returned to the Bridge Fund Program.

Eligibility

Impacted researchers are eligible to apply for Bridge Funds, provided they: 

  1. Are currently employed in an AAUP, non-tenured related faculty position of at least 0.5 FTE; 
  2. Have lost, or will lose, significant extramural funding within six months of the Bridge application deadline and will not have sufficient other funds available to sustain the work; 
  3. Has a record of accomplishment as a first-author or senior author on publications; 
  4. Has made substantial and documented efforts to re-establish funding by the time of application submission, and in the opinion of the Dean or Dean-equivalent is likely to be funded again in the next six months. 

Note: A funding reduction, termination, or shortfall is insufficient by itself to establish eligibility.

Application Process

Please submit your application via this Google form. Applicants will be asked to provide the following information:

  1. Bridge award eligibility statement (will be a question on the form). Please provide one of the eligibility statements below (whichever applies to you) to affirm that you are eligible for a bridge award. If neither applies to you but you believe you are eligible, please contact the Office of Research & Graduate Studies (research@pdx.edu) to request a waiver. As a reminder, only AAUP non-tenured faculty with a current position of 0.5 FTE or more are eligible to apply. Eligibility statements: 
    1. I will not have more than $30,000 funding from any source for carrying out any research or sponsored project activity (either as PI or as a co-investigator on another PI's grant) by six months after the due date for this application. 
    2. I am an NTTF Research Faculty and will not have funding for more than 50% of my salary from any source by six months after the due date for this application. E.g., I am applying Dec 1 and by May 15 I am losing my main grant so my salary will drop to 40%. I am eligible. 
  2. A current Curriculum Vitae 
  3. Current and Pending Support Documentation for the past five years with dollar amounts and funding periods listed for each grant.
  4.  Demonstration of attempts to obtain funding (e.g., abstracts of submitted grants, panel summaries, priority scores or other evaluations and comments; do not send complete grant applications). This should include pending research grants with anticipated award date and amount. 
  5. Description of proposed research to be conducted (maximum of three pages including the bibliography). 
    1. Please include a statement of how this funding will increase chances of future funding.
  6. Budget and Budget Justification, including 
    1. the money requested through the Bridge Fund Program and 
    2. any matching funds provided by your department or dean, and 
    3. the proposed time frame for spending the funds, especially on your own payroll. 
  7. A letter of support from the appropriate Department Chair, Associate Dean, or Dean.

Evaluation Criteria

A committee formed by the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, which includes at least one non-tenure track research faculty member, will evaluate the applications and make recommendations to the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies (VPRGS) based on the following considerations.

  1. The impact on NTTF-R faculty member(s) if the funding is not granted 
  2. The PI or co-Iā€™s record of accomplishment in obtaining external funding and evidence of publications, conference proceedings, and other scholarly outputs. 
  3. The evidence that the PI or co-I has made substantial and documented efforts to obtain and/or re-establish funding. 
  4. The likelihood that the PI or co-I is to be funded again. 
  5. Because a primary objective is to keep experienced research teams together, priority will be given when project staffing will be lost without a temporary infusion of funds. 
  6. A financial commitment for support by the college or the department is not required but will strengthen an application.

Recipients of Research Bridge Funds are required, 30 days from the end of the Bridge Fund period, to summarize the activities carried out using the Research Bridge funds, including but not limited to any grants submitted, awarded, or pending and any publications that resulted.

Considerations

  • Research Bridge Fund awards are managed at the departmental level, and departments are responsible for managing and expending the funds appropriately. 
  • If the individual overspends the Research Bridge Fund award, the department or college is responsible for eliminating the deficit. 
  • Funding of awards will be available for grantees for a maximum of one year or until the grantee re-establishes funding from other sources, whichever comes first. 
  • A financial commitment for support by the college or the department to supplement the Research Bridge Fund request is not required but will strengthen an application. 
  • When extramural funding is re-established, all unspent Bridge Funds must be returned to the Bridge Fund Program to assist other investigators. 
  • A PI or Co-I receiving a Bridge Fund award in one year will not be eligible to reapply for at least two years from the initial/last award. 
  • Any requests for exceptions to eligibility or other elements of this policy must be made in writing and may be granted by the Vice President for Research & Graduate Studies.

For additional information, please refer to the PSU-AAUP Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 19, Section 6.