Faculty Research Development Initiative in Collaboration with Office for Research

In a partnership aimed at enhancing research capabilities across Idaho State University (ISU), the College of Arts and Letters (CAL) has teamed up with the Office for Research to introduce the CAL Faculty Research Development Fellow position. This initiative is led by Matthew Levay, PhD, Associate Professor of English.

“The Office for Research is really excited to work with CAL in providing research development support to faculty,” says Michele Brumley, ISU associate vice president for research. “It is important for faculty across all disciplines, including the arts and humanities, to get the support they need to pursue grants that will lead to innovation and to create new learning opportunities for students at ISU.”

Levay began his role as Faculty Research Development Fellow in the spring of this year. His role is to support any department or unit within the College of Arts and Letters, which houses the social and behavioral sciences and the arts and humanities at ISU, with developing research ideas and grant applications. Levay serves as a resource for faculty members at any stage of their career and at any stage of the grant application or research process. Levay offers a listening ear, brainstorming sessions, guidance on application drafts, and broad expertise to help faculty refine project ideas and navigate the complexities of grant applications.

Levay's experience includes serving as a peer reviewer for prestigious grants such as those offered by the Fulbright Program, where he specializes in applications related to Literature for European Fulbright opportunities. He has played a key role in reviewing applications for grants from the Idaho Humanities Council (IHC), where he recently served on the board of directors. Additionally, he has attended a number of workshops sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities about grant writing at a national level.

One of the first faculty members Levay worked with was Laura Ahola-Young, professor in the Department of Art. Ahola-Young was applying for an Idaho Commission for the Arts grant and sought Levay's assistance in developing her proposal. Levay read over her materials and they discussed potential strategies.

Ahola-Young successfully secured her first fellowship, the 2025 Fellowship in Visual Arts, given every two years by the Idaho Commission on the Arts. This fellowship recognizes outstanding artists, honoring work deemed to exhibit the highest artistic merit during peer review. Levay is insistent that he not take credit for Ahola-Young receiving the fellowship, but rather, that he was there for her at a time when she was seeking outside perspective, and was able to be a resource to help her develop her ideas.

Discussion and helping faculty explore their options are aspects of the role that Levay finds most fulfilling.

“I love brainstorming sessions with faculty where we meet and talk about what they would like to do, at the early stage of a project,” Levay says. “These early ideas can go in many different directions, so we talk about what they could do, how to sharpen their focus, and how they can get support for it. These conversations are a chance for me to get to know work that’s brand new to me and witness firsthand the vibrance of what our colleagues are doing.”

These engaging sessions often bring to light challenges faculty members face. According to Levay, common difficulties include the initial intimidation of starting the grant application process and the complexity of tailoring applications to specific funding agency guidelines. His role focuses on encouraging faculty to pursue grant opportunities and providing them with the tools and support needed to overcome these challenges. 

Levay emphasizes the immediate impact of generating campus-wide discussions on research within CAL, showcasing the breadth of research across diverse disciplines from political science to theatre.

 “There’s a common misconception that the liberal arts are somehow divorced from the rest of the world,” Levay says, “but our faculty work on projects that provide immediate, real-world impact. The Office for Research recognizes that these are important to the mission of the university as a whole. There are so many projects that can happen, so much more we can contribute to the university and the world, with a little bit (or a lot) of material support.” 

Levay supports faculty in accessing internal college and campus-wide research funding opportunities. Engaged faculty contribute directly to the community, bringing cutting-edge knowledge and methods back to students, enriching their educational experience and fostering real-world impact aligned with the university's mission.

“Securing grants provides crucial resources for faculty to advance their research, from initiating smaller projects to building a track record for larger grants,” he says. “Our region is fortunate to have a vibrant culture of research here at ISU, since any community that features a university has access to resources that aren’t available everywhere.”

Levay emphasizes that faculty research is often directly involved with the community. Faculty also bring what they learn and gain back to their students. “Our students are our public,” Levay says, “and the public benefits by learning from faculty well-versed in the latest methods, who pursue the latest developments in their fields. Research grants in the College of Arts and Letters directly translate to the classroom, and our students and community benefit from that.”