History of the URC Funding Program

Founded in 1939, as Emory launched its first PhD programs, the University Research Committee (URC) is among the oldest faculty research funding programs of its kind in the nation. At the time, Emory was working to establish itself as a major research university, and university leaders created the URC to administer a dedicated fund to support faculty research.

Through establishment of the URC program, Emory emphasized that meaningful research activity was essential for its growth as a university that contributes new knowledge, rather than only transmitting existing ideas. Early URC grants were modest, sometimes amounting to less than ten dollars. One notable grant of $45 was awarded to physicist Robert Lagemann, who later contributed to the Manhattan Project and the development of the first nuclear weapons.

For a deeper look at the origins of the URC, we invite you to review the Report of the Committee on Faculty Research (1939) and explore how its early vision continues to inform today's work.

Over time, the program grew significantly. In 1944, the McCandless family designated a gift to support research at Emory University. Since its inception, the URC has functioned under the auspices of the Faculty Council as a standing committee. 

Purpose

The URC promotes rigorous and innovative scholarship in all academic disciplines to benefit the Emory community and beyond.

The URC supports: 

  • Early career faculty on their path toward research independence
  • More advanced faculty who wish to engage novel questions that enhance their expertise
  • Teams of faculty who seek to transcend the boundaries of their respective disciplines and undertake transformative research 

Categories of Support

Proposals for the following seven (7) URC categories are sought: 

  1. Arts
  2. Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  3. Humanities
  4. Interdisciplinary
  5. Public Health and Clinical Research
  6. Mathematics and Natural Sciences
  7. Social Sciences 

Register for the URC Grants Informational Session to be held via Zoom on Thursday, November 5, 2026 at noon.

More info: https://urc.emory.edu/
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