Departmental Enhancement
Departmental Enhancement supports Louisiana academic, research, and agricultural units with infrastructure improvements to strengthen education, research, and workforce capacity and advance economic development.
Funder: Louisiana Board of Regents
Due Dates: October 15, 2026 (Staff questions) | October 23, 2026 (Proposals)
Funding Amounts: FY 2020–21 limits: Comprehensive—up to $1,000,000 over five years; Targeted—up to $200,000 for one year
Summary: Supports departmental infrastructure improvements that strengthen educational, research, and workforce capacity at Louisiana institutions.
Key Information: Disciplines rotate eligibility every other year; multidisciplinary projects must be rooted in an eligible discipline.
Description
Departmental Enhancement is a competitive infrastructure-building program administered by the Louisiana Board of Regents through its Office of Research and Sponsored Initiatives. It supports improvements to educational and research infrastructure and capacity in academic, research, and agricultural departments and units, including multidisciplinary projects. Its scope covers educational, research, and workforce activities.
The program supports comprehensive, multi-year projects combining several activities for broad impact, as well as targeted, shorter-term projects addressing focused departmental needs. Supported activities include equipment purchases, curricular redesign, and graduate student fellowships, scholarships, or assistantships. Projects are intended to advance departmental and institutional strategic priorities, improve the quality and capacity of research, education, or training, and promote Louisiana’s economic development.
