Impediments to Faculty Involvement in Grant Related Activities: A Case Study

Opportunities for funded research serve as a major incentive for scholarly productivity among college and university faculty members. Yet, considering the number of activities which compete for faculty members’ time, grant-related activities are frequently neglected. The present study sought to determine some of the barriers that impede faculty members’ involvement in grant activities. Data were collected via structured interviews with selected college of education faculty members at the University of New Orleans during the 1988-1989 academic year. Three major impediments to funded research activities were identified—lack of procedural information about funding sources, and lack of a clearly-defined system of rewards for those who obtain external funding. Other impediments were also identified. Based upon these findings, a number of recommendations are offered for improving faculty involvement for grant-related activities