1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical Program (FRSP)

Frequently Asked Questions

Updated October 2022

Will the 1890 FRSP fund my student?

The 1890 FRSP only funds faculty sabbaticals. However, faculty may propose to use a portion of their budget to support student training activities that fall under the scope of the collaborative research project.

May I split time between my home institution and ARS during my sabbatical?

1890 LGU faculty should be minimally engaged in their normal faculty duties during their residency at ARS. Sabbatical leave is intended to be full-time. Applicants must include a letter from an authorized official at their 1890 LGU that acknowledges the full-time nature of the sabbatical leave.

What is the application process?

To apply for the 1890 FRSP, an 1890 LGU faculty member and ARS host mentor must collaboratively develop a research proposal following the guidance provided in the Program Information Document. A Project Information Template is provided to help applicants submit a successful proposal. Completed application packages must be submitted by the ARS host mentor through ARS line management prior to April 15, 2024.
1890 faculty applicants are strongly encouraged to review their institution’s sabbatical policies and discuss their applications with their institution’s Office of Sponsored Programs (or similar) prior to submitting their application through ARS.

What does my 1890 LGU need to do to submit the application?

1890 LGUs do not submit applications. The completed application must be submitted internally at ARS by the prospective ARS host mentor.

Do I need to obtain my institution’s approval to participate in the program? At what point in the process does this need to happen?

Applicants are required to provide a letter of institutional support in their application package. Additionally, applicants must follow any other sabbatical approval guidelines established by their institution.

May the 1890 FRSP fund daily travel costs (e.g., mileage) to and from the ARS research location during my sabbatical?

When an 1890 LGU faculty member is on sabbatical during the 1890 FRSP and working at the ARS host facility (in University “travel status” for sabbatical study), the faculty member could be reimbursed for daily travel costs depending on the travel policies of their 1890 LGU. Applicants should always confer with their institution’s Office of Sponsored Programs (or similar) when developing their budget.

What are the application criteria?

Proposals will be reviewed by an internal ARS panel and evaluated according to the following criteria:

Relevance and utility to the base-funded research of the ARS host scientist;
Scientific merit (i.e., does the proposed research contribute valuable, valid, and meaningful information that is justifiable, logical, and consequential to food and agricultural research)?
Mutual benefit to the ARS and 1890 LGU collaborators (i.e., does the application articulate the complementary strengths and benefits that both the ARS and 1890 LGU partners will bring to and receive from the proposed collaboration?)
Ability to lead to longer-term benefits and impacts for the state where the 1890 LGU is located and beyond?
Ability to provide a foundation for future long-term collaborations between ARS and the 1890 LGU

Although ARS will attempt to maximize the number of institutions receiving awards, multiple awards may be made to the same university based on the quality of the proposals.

When and why was the program established?

ARS is committed to supporting its 1890 land-grant university partners. The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) established the 1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical Program (FRSP) in 2015 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the 1890 land-grant universities. The 1890 FRSP aims to build 1890 LGU research capacity while enhancing ARS’s ability to solve problems of importance to the food and agriculture community.

What is an 1890 land-grant university?

1890 land-grant universities are historically black universities established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890.

How do I learn more about the program?

Visit the 1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical Program webpage on the ARS website:

https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/1890-faculty-research-sabbatical-program/
Sign up to receive program updates through GovDelivery:

https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAARS/subscriber/new?topic_id=USDAARS_80
Email 1890FRSP@usda.gov with your questions.