Several grant awards are made each year with grants ranging from a few hundred dollars to $1000, although larger awards are possible. Grant applications for the 2025 cycle were open through October 30, 2025, 2PM Pacific Time.
The deadline for the submission of proposals for the 2025 grant award cycle was October 30, 2025, noon PST. Proposals may be submitted anytime after July 1, 2025, but must be received by the October 30 deadline. Notification of grant awards was made in December 2025. Contact CSU-ERFSA headquarters at (818) 677-6522 or use the links below for application materials, or for more information about contributing to the CSU-ERFA Charitable Foundation.
CSU-ERFSA grant recipients are required to submit a brief year-end report describing the results of their projects.
Grant Awards Program Flyer 2025 Cycle
Grant Awards Program: Guidelines 2025 Cycle
Grant Awards Program: Application Form 2025 Cycle
Grant Awards Program: Year-end Report Form 2025
CSU-ERFA Foundation Grant Awards History
The CSU-ERFA Foundation has supported the research and creative projects of CSU-ERFSA members for nearly 30 years. Find out about the more than 100 recipients and their projects on the CSU-ERFA Grant Awards History page.
2025 CSU-ERFSA Grant Recipients
By Marshelle Thobaben, CSU-ERFSA Grants Committee Chair
The CSU-ERFSA Grants Committee for this cycle consisted of George Diehr (San Marcos), Kathleen Roe (San José), and Marshelle Thobaben (Humboldt), Chair. A special thank-you goes to Melanie Mamakos, CSU-ERFSA Office Manager, for her continued support of both the Grants Committee and the members applying for grants. We also offer heartfelt appreciation to Don Wort (East Bay) for his many years of dedicated service on the CSU-ERFSA Grants Committee.
CSU-ERFA Foundation allocated $8,000 for 2025 grant awards. From 1997-2025 the CSU-ERFA Foundation contributed $103,371 to fund 120 grants.
The following CSU-ERFSA members received grants to support their research or creative projects:
Dr. Stephen Cooper at CSULB is seeking funding to organize and digitize his extensive research on Italian American novelist and screenwriter John Fante. This digital archive, to be donated to the university library, will make Fante’s life and works accessible to scholars, writers, and the public, preserving an important piece of twentieth-century literary history.
At CSULA, Dr. Connie Corley’s research explores resilience in activism and advocacy. She will collect and analyze personal narratives from activists across generations, examining their experiences in local, regional, and national struggles. The findings will be shared through peer-reviewed publications, a digital archive, and public presentations, offering a rich resource for understanding sustained civic engagement.
Dr. Daryl Eggers of SJSU will present his research on the energetic role of water in biological systems at the 70th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society. Despite being retired, he continues to contribute to his field through publications, talks, and poster sessions, emphasizing the fundamental importance of solvation thermodynamics in biology.
Dr. Anne Goldman at SSU plans to travel to Washington, D.C. to attend the exhibition “Women Artists from Antwerp to Amsterdam, 1600–1750” and conduct research for her second essay collection on the Dutch Golden Age painter Rachel Ruysch. This work will support scholarly exploration of historical women artists.
Karen Kessel, Visual Resources Curator at SSU, seeks funding to attend the 2026 College Art Association national conference in Chicago. Her project, focusing on Native American art from ancient times to the present, will enable her to meet collaborators, advance her textbook project, and present her research to a broader scholarly audience.
Dr. John Kirchner of CSULA, an internationally recognized photographer, will use his grant to travel to Japan and Indonesia to document volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire. His work will support future publications and presentations, combining artistic vision with scientific exploration.
Dr. Christine Latham at CSUFU is conducting a national study on nursing students’ professional identity and transition into practice following clinical interventions. Her research examines post-clinical discussions about patient outcomes, with the grant supporting research assistance and dissemination of findings.
Lecturer Jeff O’Connor at Cal Poly Humboldt will help on the production a Mexican Folklórico dance performance, “Fiesta Folklórico, ” involving 50–60 participants from the campus community. Funding will cover costuming and production expenses, celebrating cultural heritage through student and faculty engagement.
Lecturer and IT Project Manager Michael Yee at CSUSM plans to research and publish a photographic-style book chronicling the history, challenges, and contributions of Chinese Americans in San Diego from the 1850s to the 1980s. Funding will support travel, publishing, and collaboration with the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum.
Finally, Professor Prudence Zalewski at CSUF will acquire and document the first CubeSat for display at the Silicon Valley Computer History Museum. Her project highlights the CubeSat’s role in democratizing space exploration and fostering engagement in both student education and the emerging space industry.
