Tennessee Board of Regents Announcement of Call for Research Grant Proposals 2015-2016 Submission Procedures Proposals due at TBR by Friday, February 2, 2015, 4:30 PM CST The Tennessee Board of Regents Office of Academic Affairs with the support of the Office of Organizational Effectiveness & Strategic Initiatives invites research proposals from faculty in all disciplines at all Tennessee Board of Regents institutions of higher education. This initiative is designed to support faculty research while supporting researcher development across the system while expanding the knowledge base contributing to the opportunities or quality of life for the diverse citizens within Tennessee and across the globe. Funded individuals will work collaboratively to apply their theoretical knowledge and research expertise to systemic and extended study of topics inclusive of diverse disciplines, methodologies and populations based on the broad definition of diversity and social responsibility in Tennessee, nationally and globally. Proposals for workshops will not be considered. Amount of grants: Up to $10,000 per faculty member with a maximum of $40,000 per research team. Purpose This grant initiative funds research projects that achieve the above stated purposes and align with the statewide goal of increasing the educational attainment level of the citizens of Tennessee. Funds made available under this grant program are provided on a one-time basis through a competitive process. They should not be relied upon as a sole source of funding over an extended time period. Proposals should not be uses as a means to supplement or fund additional campus personnel or to purchase equipment. Research Topics Research topics may cover a wide range of methodological, theoretical and policy- or practicerelated issues including pilot and program evaluation studies, focused theoretical research, pure research, and applied research on traditional campus pedagogy that may impact opportunity or quality of life within an academic or community setting. Topics may include but are not limited to research such as:
Technological developments/practices which can impact quality of life; How democratic principles and practices adapt to an increasingly diverse population; Historical perspectives; The nature of multicultural societies and the ways in which such societies flourish from the perspectives of exclusion, prejudice, intolerance, and/or assimilation. Addressing the educational models within disciplines which enhance or impede world class stature; Pedagogical approaches which may be more effective with different populations; Policy/Practices/Legal Issues related to educational participation, student achievement, assessment, persistence, and student and parental attitudes in a pluralistic society; Mechanisms of social responsibility; Underrepresented or underutilized groups including but not limited to gender, race, ethnicity, age disability, immigrants and economically disadvantaged; Socioeconomic, racial and ethnic disparities, health including neighborhoods and the social ecology of health disparities; social inequalities, and medical human rights in the 21 st century; Community based initiatives & public policy; Global demands; Promoting wellness of the citizenry. A. Collaborative Applications All proposals must be submitted by research teams of two or more faculty members. In an effort to support the development of a solid research infrastructure, one researcher must have received state or federal funding and provide a mentoring plan to assist in the faculty development of the lesser funded experienced faculty Principal Investigator (s) Adjunct faculty are not eligible. PIs are encouraged to collaborate across their institution, with other institutions and/or with other external partners appropriate to the research question. Collaboration outside the system is acceptable if the junior faculty member is within the TBR system. Letters documenting the specific proposed collaboration from all individuals and organizations involved must accompany the application. Additionally, undergraduate/graduate student(s) may be incorporated into the proposal as investigators. B. Evaluation Criteria Proposals can earn a maximum of 100 points in two key areas adapted from the National Science Foundation Grant Merit Review as follows: All proposals are reviewed based on two criteria: Intellectual Merit (the potential to advance knowledge) and Broader Impacts (the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes). The following elements are considered in the review for both criteria:
1. What is the potential for the proposed activity to: a. Advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); and b. Benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)? 2. To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts? 3. Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale and a mechanism to assess success? 4. How well qualified is the team to conduct the proposed activities? 5. Are there adequate resources available to the team to carry out the proposed activities? C. Submission Requirements The review process is one of campus and system level. Institutions may submit up to 5 proposals. Individual Investigators may serve as the Principal Investigator for no more than one funded project. Ample time should be given to your research office to process your materials. Contact your campus Research Office in advance to determine the last acceptable date that they will consider your proposal for internal review. All proposals are to be submitted electronically as individual files from the institutions Office of Sponsored Research (or equivalent) to FacultyResearchGrants@tbr.edu by 4:30 PM CST, on February 1, 2015. Individual files must be labeled AA Faculty Research Grants _PI name_ institution. The subject line should read To the attention of Pam Knox as grants for multiple purposes are submitted to this website. Each submission MUST include: A Cover Sheet (see format provided), signed by all PIs, Director of the Office of Sponsored Research (or equivalent), and the President (or designee) Research proposal (limited to 7 single-spaced pages (12 pt. font size minimum, 1 margins) that addresses the following: o 300 word abstract o Brief review of relevant research/policy literature o Policy/Practice issue and its importance
o Description of methodology including proposed data set and criteria for selecting data file, sample (e.g., groups used, exclusions to sample, and estimated sample sizes),variables (including selection of variables and rationale for, using them), and analytic techniques o Importance of findings to a diverse citizenry Symbolic or figural model outlining the framework for the study Proposed budget (see format provided) o o NOTE: Campuses may not charge indirect costs for these awards. Include adequate travel funds to attend potentially two meetings at TBR in Nashville including the multiday Diversity Conference at which funded researchers present Current curriculum vitae (2 page maximum) for all researchers addressing most relevant research completed in the last 5 years Brief history of funded support (grants, awards, etc.) for Mentoring PI D. Awards and Notifications Award notifications will be communicated to the researchers, Sponsored Program Offices (or equivalent) and the Institutional Presidents not later than April 3, 2015. A letter of confirmation will be sent requiring a signature of the institution and researchers before funds will be transferred to the institution. It is anticipated that funds will be transferred on or about July 1, 2015. Budget revisions: Any budget reallocations between line items that exceed 10% of the total budget or $1000 (whichever is greater) require prior written approval from Dr. Pamela Knox (Pamela.knox@tbr.edu). Revisions of less than 10% or $1000 (whichever is greater) may be made at the discretion of the institution. All budget revisions must be completed prior to the completion of the grant funding period which will end 12 months from the date of distribution of funds. Extensions: Proposals are approved for the period identified in the call for proposals. Requests for reasonable extensions must be submitted in writing to Dr. Knox 60 days prior to the ending of the grant. The request must include a justification of the need for such an extension and have documentation of approval from the institution s President (or designee). The Office of Academic Affairs reserves the right to determine final reasonability of the request. E. TBR Post Award Requirements PI Meeting: A PI meeting is tentatively scheduled for July 6, 2015. The meeting is mandatory for all PIs and Co-PIs. Funds should be written into the grant application to cover travel expenses. Progress Reports: Successful applicants will be expected to submit for review a progress report at the close of each semester after funds are awarded and a final report at the close of the funding period. Final Reports and Presentations: Research grantees' final reports should be of a quality and in a format suitable for publication in a scholarly journal. PIs and Co-PIs will be expected to
present at one TBR conference. Information about the nature of these presentation and report will be included at the time of award or shortly thereafter. F. Campus Post Award Requirements Consult your individual campus research office for specific institutional post-award requirements. G. Other Information Any questions should be directed to Dr. Pam Knox via email at pamela.knox@tbr.edu. Individuals interested in submitting a proposal who are in need of assistance to identify possible collaborators should contact her in the immediate future.
2015-2016 Office of Academic Affairs Research Grant Initiative Tentative Timeline Friday, October 31, 2014 2015-2016 Request for Proposals Released to campuses November 28, 2014 or as set by individual campus Campus Office of Sponsored Research (or equivalent) reviews proposals for acceptance and submission by campus Friday, February 2, 2015, 4:30 CST Proposals submitted by Campus Office of Sponsored Research (or equivalent) to TBR Office of Academic Affairs (facultyresearchgrants@tbr.edu) Monday, February 12- March 1, 2015 TBR Grant review process Tuesday, April 3, 2015 Grant Awards Announced Wednesday, July 1, 2015 Grant period begins Monday, July 6, 2015 Mandatory PI and Co-PI meeting Thursday, June 30, 2016 Grant period Ends