2018 Research Council Grant Guidelines Project year May 1, 2018 June 30, 2019

Transcription

1 2018 Research Council Grant Guidelines Project year May 1, 2018 June 30, 2019 Submission Due Dates: To department chair(s): Monday, January 22, 2018, by 5:00 p.m. To dean(s): Wednesday, January 24, 2018, by 5:00 p.m. To SPAR: Monday, January 29, 2018, by 5:00 p.m. Late submissions will not be accepted. Application Forms must be approved and signed by the Department Chair and College Dean (by the due dates) prior to submission to the SPAR office. Scan and submit an electronic copy (PDF) of the Research Council Grant Application package, including signatures, to: Michele Smith, Administrative Assistant Sponsored Programs and Research PH: 803/ You will receive an confirmation upon receipt of the application. If you do not receive confirmation within two business days of your submission, contact SPAR to check on the status of the application. Available Funding: $67,500 While there is no maximum amount; funding greater than $5,000 for an individual faculty member is rare. A. Eligibility Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator, and Student Co- Investigator 1. Applicant must be a member of the Winthrop University teaching faculty, eligible to vote in Faculty Conference. 2. Applicant should expect to continue employment at Winthrop University during the entire funding period. 3. Students serving as co-investigators on the project must be enrolled in classes at Winthrop University (minimum of 3 hours) during the entire project period. 4. Deans and Research Council members are not eligible to apply for funding. 5. Applicant must have submitted timely project reports for Research Council grants received prior to this funding period. 6. A faculty member may only receive funding for any two years within a three year period in the Faculty Research category. B. Application package: It is required that all proposals include headings for the items in bold print below: Page 1 of 6

2 1. The appropriate Research Council Grant Application Form a. Request for Faculty Research Project Funds b. Request for Faculty Research with Student Co-Investigator Funds 2. Project Abstract (1 Page) a. Description of the Project b. Beginning and ending dates of project activity c. Amount being requested (check to ensure this matches the amount shown on the application form 3. Project Narrative (5 Pages or less) a. Project Goals and Objectives Statement of expected outcomes and how these outcomes will be measured. b. Activities and Time Line c. Significance of the Project d. Statement of Feasibility Include a statement of qualifications of personnel to be involved in the projects and a discussion of any activities that have already occurred to ensure the project will take place if funded. e. Statement of Prior Research Include Research Council funding received for similar research as well as any other external funding that has been received, or for which a request is pending, for this project. Include in this statement information concerning research you have conducted in the past related to this project, whether funded or not. f. Statement of Project Revenue and/or Copyright g. Statement Concerning Literature Review Related to this Project. Include a brief review of relevant research that highlights the importance/need for this project. 4. Budget Justification (2 pages or less) Provide specific explanation of how budget line items shown on the application were determined. Ensure that the amounts shown on the justification agree with those shown on the application form. 5. Statement concerning partial funding (on application form) 6. Statement concerning current or pending funding for this project (on application form) 7. Short Form Vita for each researcher with relevant and/or recent projects. Page 2 of 6

3 C. General Funding Requirements: 1. Funds will be available for expenditure upon return of the signed award letter by the principal investigator to the Sponsored Programs and Research office and must be fully expended by June 30, Grant recipients will abide by the University purchasing schedule and policies. Any funds not expended by June 30, 2019 will be forfeited. 2. A faculty member must certify and agree that their project will be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and university policies including those related to copyright and intellectual property. 3. Any proposal with missing information on the Application Form and that does not include ALL of the information listed under Project Abstract, Project Narrative, Budget Justification, Statement Concerning Partial Funding, Statement Concerning Current or Pending Funding, and Current Short Form Academic Vita will not be reviewed. 4. A faculty member may not be funded for more than two projects in each funding period. 5. Research Council funds must be used only in the project as approved by the Council. 6. Awards may be made to provide supplementary support for projects funded incompletely by other sources. 7. Recipients will abide by all University policies and procedures relating to the expenditure of State funds. 8. As specified on the Research Council Grant Application form, the Department Chair and the College Dean must certify by their signature on the form that the requested funding is not available from the Department or College. 9. Timely submission of prior Research Council Grant award reports will be considered by the Research Council in making funding decisions. (See Section H.) 10. The final recommendation for funding on all proposals will be made by the Research Council, and such recommendations may be to either fully fund, partially fund or not to fund a project. Recommendations are made to the Provost for review and approval. 11. Changes in the scope of the work to be performed must be discussed with and approved by the Provost. Modifications to the budget may be approved by the Sponsored Programs and Research Office. D. Budget Restrictions / Guidelines 1. The line item budget will be shown on the application form and the budget narrative will explain how the line item costs were computed. 2. Funds will be expended in compliance with State and University procurement policies and procedures. 3. Funds may be requested for the acquisition of, or access to, materials or services essential for the project. Do not include materials and or services regularly available on campus or which may be procured with departmental funds. 4. Funds for travel must be spent in accordance with the policies and regulations of the State of South Carolina governing travel for official business. Research Council funds may not be used to fund travel to conferences to present research findings. 5. Funds may be used to hire assistants when the tasks of the assistants are clearly identified in the project narrative. Undergraduate student employees will be paid a minimum of $8.50 per hour and Graduate student employees will be paid a minimum of $10.00 per hour. Any pay rate higher than the stated amounts must justified by the applicant. Page 3 of 6

4 6. Funds will not be awarded for the preparation of publications, although funds may be awarded for page costs for externally reviewed materials. Copy-editing will not be funded. 7. All equipment, supplies and library materials purchased with Research Council Grant funds become the property of Winthrop University. E. Requests for Faculty Research Funds Funding in this category supports individual faculty research, scholarship and creative activities. These funds support initiatives in all disciplines, can support on-going research and may provide seed funding for concept development leading to other external funding submissions. Criteria reviewers use in evaluating proposals will include, but not be limited to, the following: 1. Intellectual merit of the proposed activity, including its potential contribution to knowledge and learning. Is the goal of the research clearly stated in terminology easily understood by faculty from diverse disciplines? Does the research advance knowledge and understanding within the researcher s field of expertise or across disciplines? What is the potential for dissemination of the research findings? 2. Statement of objectives Are the objectives clearly stated and measurable? Can the objectives be accomplished within the grant period and with the funding requested? If not, what are the plans for the continuation of this project and/or additional funding? Do the objectives support the overall research goal stated in #1? 3. Quality of the organization and description of the project Is the grant application completed in its entirety and accurately? Is the narrative thoughtful and well written? Is budget presentation accurate and are budget items clearly explained in the budget justification? Are the budget items necessary for accomplishment of the activity? F. Requests for Faculty Research with Student as Co-Investigator Funds Funding in this category supports research that clearly delineates students (graduate and undergraduate) as co-investigators substantially involved in the project. The student should be involved in writing the grant application, conducting the research, analyzing the data, and reporting the results of the research, including conference presentations. If a student is named in the grant application, student vita must be included in the application package. If the student is not named in the grant application, the principal investigator must respond to the following questions on the application form: 1. Why is the student not being identified? 2. What criteria will be used in selecting a student to serve as a co-investigator? Page 4 of 6

5 Research Council funds may not be used to fund travel costs for students to make research presentations at conferences. The minimum hourly rate for student wages is $8.50 for undergraduate students and $10.00 for graduate student. Any rate higher than the minimum must be justified in the budget justification. Criteria reviewers use in evaluating proposals will include, but not be limited to, the following: 1. Intellectual merit of the proposed activity, including its potential contribution to knowledge and learning. Is the goal of the research clearly stated in terminology easily understood by faculty from diverse disciplines? Does the activity provide a significant learning experience for the student researcher? Does the research advance knowledge and understanding within the researcher s field of expertise or across disciplines? What is the potential for dissemination of the research findings? 2. Statement of objectives Are the objectives clearly stated and measurable? Do the objectives state tasks to be performed by the student co-investigator, and are these tasks comparable to that being performed by the faculty researcher? Can the objectives be accomplished within the grant period and with the funding requested? If not, what are the plans for the continuation of this project and/or additional funding? Do the objectives support the overall research goal stated in #1? 3. Quality of the organization and description of the project Is the grant application completed in its entirety and accurately? Is the narrative thoughtful and well written? Is the student named in the application, and if not, has the research adequately addressed the two required questions as to why the student is not named and the criteria for student selection? Is budget presentation accurate and are budget items clearly explained in the budget justification? Are the budget items necessary for accomplishment of the activity? G. Reporting Requirements By September 15, 2019, the principal investigator will prepare and submit to the Provost and to the Sponsored Programs and Research Office, a report summarizing the activities and the results of the funded project. Principal Investigators receiving awards for the development of external grants must present a copy of the external grant proposal with the final report. A copy of this report will be available for review by future Research Council members. Failure to submit this report makes the investigator ineligible for future funding. Page 5 of 6

6 The project report should be submitted by , and should address the activities supported by the grant, objectives accomplished, and a brief statement of how the funds were expended. Page 6 of 6