Vice President for Academic Affairs

Transcription

1 Vice President for Academic Affairs TO: Pitt-Johnstown FACULTY FROM: Janet Grady, VPAA DATE: January 17, 2017 SUBJECT: CALL FOR PROPOSALS COLLEGE RESEARCH COUNCIL The College Research Council is soliciting proposals for financial support of scholarly activity during the Summer of All full-time Pitt-Johnstown regular faculty members are eligible for support, and requests from faculty of all ranks will receive equal consideration. This Call for Proposals reflects our campus s sustained commitment to faculty development, even in the face of serious economic challenges. Despite a financial climate that necessitates even more prudent allocation of resources, it is our belief that supporting faculty development has many positive outcomes not only for our faculty, but also for the students they mentor and guide, and for whom they serve as role models of life-long learning. The College Research Council consists of seven of your colleagues representing each Division and the Library. After each council member has reviewed all of the proposals received, the Council will meet and collectively formulate funding recommendations according to an established rubric. Those recommendations and copies of the proposals will then be submitted to me. I will use the Council s recommendations, available funds, and other pertinent considerations in making funding decisions. Members of the Council are: John Mullennix, Natural Sciences Chair Neelima Bhatnagar, Business & Enterprise Paul Bond, Library Michael Cox, Humanities Roelof devries, Engineering Dawn Drahnak, Nursing & Health Sciences Elizabeth Harkins, Education Deadline for Submission Completed proposals must be submitted electronically to Andrea Sadvari (sadvari@pitt.edu), Office of Academic Affairs, by 5pm on February 24, Treating everyone fairly during this process is the Council s primary objective. Please understand that, in the interest of fairness, the submission deadline must be met.

2 2 RESEARCH PROPOSAL GUIDELINES 2017 Applicants will submit proposals under the set of guidelines outlined below. The maximum amount for an award is $2,000. This money can be used for any combination of needs including equipment, supplies, travel for performing scholarly research, or a salary supplement that is distributed during the Summer 2017 semester. These grants are looked upon as financial support for research activities of continuing, full-time, Pitt-Johnstown faculty. The grants are intended as direct support for faculty research and scholarship only; requesting funds for such purposes as revision/creation of courses or student stipends is not appropriate. Individuals who resign or plan to resign from the Pitt-Johnstown faculty prior to the start of the Fall 2017 semester are not eligible for funding. Members of the College Research Council will not submit proposals. Grant recipients will not be permitted to teach more than one course during the 2017 Summer sessions. An electronic copy (.pdf file) of the detailed proposal outlining the research project or scholarly activity to be undertaken should be submitted, with cover page and a curriculum vita included in the.pdf file. Faculty members receiving a research grant are expected to present their funded research via the annual Fall into Research Event which will be held during the Fall, 2017 semester. In addition, those receiving a grant must submit a written report on the work to their Division Chair by January of the year following receipt of the grant. The Division Chair will then share copies of the reports with the VPAA and the Council. Grant recipients will be ineligible for subsequent funding unless these requirements are met. Because of the limited availability of funds and the goal of providing research support to as many faculty members as possible, proposals which would extend previously approved sabbatical leaves will be considered, but may be given a lower priority for funding. Proposals for dissertation research or the publication of dissertations will not be considered. Once an individual receives an award, the Committee is not obligated to recommend funding in subsequent years, although proposals of this nature will be considered. All recipients are encouraged to seek outside funds for ongoing research projects. Review of Research Proposals The intent of these comments is to illuminate the proposal review process rather than to dictate matters of style and substance for proposals. Proposal reviewers will first try to determine the worthiness of each project idea. A good survey of previous work in the project area and an effort to set the intended project in the context of previous work will strengthen the proposal. Also, since the committee members represent various areas in the academic divisions, an explanation of the significance of the project in non-specialist terms is recommended to help facilitate the review process. The reviewers will also look for some evidence that the proposed work is unique and will advance knowledge in the area of the project. Reviewers will try to evaluate whether the project would lead to publication in the near term. Successful proposals typically embody subjects upon which the authors have been reflecting and working for some time.

3 3 A sample of the rubric used by reviewers is appended at the end of this call. This is included simply for your information, do not use the rubric as part of your application. Please feel free to contact your Division Chair for additional information and assistance regarding proposal preparation. All proposals must contain the following sections: 1. Completed cover page, including abstract of proposal (a model cover page is attached and copy of the evaluation rubric are attached) 2. Literature survey related to project or background of project 3. Objectives of project, including larger goals of the project and a statement regarding how the project fits with the applicant s research agenda, including publication plans 4. Narrative and a description of activities that will be undertaken during the summer to accomplish the project, including rationale, concepts, and procedures in a manner that is clear to non-specialists 5. A list of previous College Research Grants from the last 5 years and a brief synopsis of the outcomes from each grant, as well as a statement affirming that a written report summarizing the funded activity was submitted to the applicant s Division Chair 6. CV

4 4 Proposal for Summer Research Support University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown 2017 Applicant s Name, Academic Rank and Department Project Title Abstract Previous grants Please include a listing of dates & titles of previous College Research Council grants awarded for the past five years with a brief description of the results of the grant. If no previous grants, please indicate no previous grants.

5 EXAMPLE REVIEWER RUBRIC 5 Total Score (Item #6) Proposal #: Project Director: Reviewer: Reviewers: Please provide details for each criterion listed below. Rubric for UPJ-CRC SUMMER AWARDS 2017 Score 1. Appropriate background/lit review for proposed project: (1=Low, 7=High) 2. Project s potential for advancing knowledge or producing a significant application: (1=Low, 7=High) 3. Soundness of reasoning: (1=Low, 7=High) 4. Adequacy of description of methodology: (1=Low, 7=High) 5. Non-expert readability: (1=Low, 7=High) 6. Overall evaluation Total score (sum of items #1 to #5) Comments: Other Considerations: Previous Funding: Yes No Required Written Report & Presentation of Previous Funding: Yes No Evidence previous funding led to Profession Development Activities: Yes No Dissertation Research: Yes No Sabbatical Related: Yes No Full-Time Regular Faculty: Yes No