UNI 2013-14 CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT COMPETITION

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

OVERVIEW AND FUNDING SOURCES

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP) is pleased to announce the 2013-14 Capacity Building internal grant programs made available through the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost with additional funding for student activities made available through the Office of President. The purpose of these programs is to build UNI’s capacity for scholarship, research and creative activities, to support interdisciplinary work, to enhance the ability of faculty and staff to apply and compete for external funding, and to encourage student research and creative collaborations with UNI faculty.

Another source of the funding for this competition is the National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) program. The Iowa NSF EPSCoR program is an inter-institutional effort to enhance research capacity in the sciences and promote the development of a diverse workforce in STEM across the state. In addition, projects which propose to undertake research with commercialization potential may be supported by State of Iowa funding from the new Skilled Worker and Job Creation Fund (formerly the Regents Innovation Fund and the Grow Iowa Values Fund).

Programs / Descriptions / Max. Grant Amounts / Deadlines / Project
Start/End Dates
I. Scholarship / For research support and other scholarly activities / $1,500 / Letter of Intent: Not required
Application: Nov. 4, 2013 / Dec. 1, 2013-
May 31, 2014
II. Project / For small to large-scale projects as well as for projects planning interdisciplinary proposals / $20,000 / Letter of Intent: Nov. 4, 2013
Application: Nov. 18, 2013 / Jan. 15, 2014-May 31, 2015
III. Commercialization / For projects with commercial potential / $20,000 / Letter of Intent: Nov. 4, 2013
Application: Nov. 18, 2013 / Jan. 15, 2014-May 31, 2015
IV. Student-Faculty Collaboration / For student wages and supply expenses to support student involvement in faculty research and other scholarly activities / $3,500 / Letter of Intent: Not required
Application: Nov. 18, 2013 / Jan. 15, 2014-Aug. 31, 2014
V. Conference / For planning and hosting a scholarly conference / $15,000 / Letter of Intent: Nov. 4, 2013
Application: Nov. 18, 2013 / Jan. 15, 2014-May 31, 2015
GENERAL APPLICATION & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

To be reviewed and considered for funding, applications MUST:

1.  Include a Letter of Intent, when required by the specific grant program

2.  Be received by RSP by 5:00 PM on the grant program deadline date

3.  Include all materials required by the specific grant program

4.  Follow the required formatting and page restrictions

Application Cover Sheet

All applications must include an Application Cover Sheet. The Application Cover Sheet is available from the RSP website at http://www.uni.edu/rsp/uni-2013-2014-capacity-building-grant-competition. The signatures of the project director and the project director’s department head are required on the Application Cover Sheet. Deans will be notified of applications. The Cover Sheet may be signed and sent as a hard copy or it may be scanned after signatures are obtained and submitted via email with the other items by the deadline to Hillery Oberle at . If submitted by hard copy, direct the Cover Sheet to Hillery Oberle, RSP, 213 East Bartlett Hall, mail code 0394. Hard copies must also be received by the deadline.

Project Narratives and Other Application Materials, If Required

Email all other application materials (project narratives, references, budgets, biosketches) required for the grant program to which you’re applying to Hillery Oberle at . Please reference the grant program you are applying to in your email subject line. Please do NOT submit hard copies.

All items must be received by Hillery Oberle in RSP by 5:00 PM on or before the program deadline date. Late applications will not be considered.

Other Requirements and Limitations:

·  A project may be proposed to only one 2013-14 Capacity Building grant program, but individuals may participate in more than one proposal for separate, independent projects. However, there is one exception: applicants proposing a project to another grant program may apply to the Student-Faculty Collaboration Grant program for the same project.

·  Applicants who have received prior internal grant awards must demonstrate significant progress and/or outcomes to receive further funding consideration.

·  Awardees must meet all applicable compliance requirements prior to initiating projects. For example, if human or animal subjects review is required for the project, that process must be completed before the project can move forward.

QUESTIONS

Please direct questions to Anita Gordon, Director of Research Services, at , or Hillery Oberle, Pre-Award Administrator, at . All RSP staff can also be reached at 319-273-3217.

GUIDELINES & APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS BY GRANT PROGRAM

I. SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS – Up to $1,500

The purpose of the Scholarship Grant program is to increase the support available to faculty for their scholarship, research and creative activity. Scholars may propose using the funds for a broad range of activities, essentially whatever will advance their own particular scholarship. Although teaching can be considered a scholarly activity, the funds are not intended to support teaching activities or faculty development in teaching. Preference may be given to new Scholarship Grant applicants.

Eligibility: Tenured and tenure-track faculty

Project Periods: All funds must be spent between Dec. 1, 2013 and May 31, 2014.

Eligible Expenses: The types of costs that may be incurred are, for example, small equipment, supplies, subject stipends, travel costs, conference registrations, data analysis, technical support, obtaining research documents, student wages, publishing fees, exhibition preparation fees, grant review fees, workshop or training fees. Other expenses may be allowed; all expenses are subject to approval. Funding cannot be used for salaries.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS Deadline Nov. 4, 2013

A complete application for a Scholarship grant will consist of:

1) Application Cover Sheet (Use provided form.)

2) Project Narrative

Maximum length: 2 pages, double-spaced; 12 pt font; 1” margins

Narrative content:

a)  Your intended use of the funds

b)  How the activity supports your scholarship and professional development

c)  Where you are overall in your career as a scholar and your research agenda

d)  How this activity could advance knowledge in your field

e)  Your timeline for completing the activity

f)  Your total project budget, describing all costs including those not covered by the scholarship grant

g)  Any other funds you’ve already received or anticipate receiving in support of this activity

h)  Indicate if you received a Scholarship grant under this program last year and if so, what was accomplished

REVIEW CRITERIA & PROCESS

Review and evaluation of applications will be based on the quality and completeness of the narrative sections, the significance or need for the activity, the capacity of the project director and/or team members to carry out the activity, the appropriateness of the budget, and, if applicable, outcomes from prior awards. Application narratives should be well-written for a non-specialist audience. Applications that do not comply with the proposal formatting and application requirements will be returned without review.

RSP will compile all applications by college and provide them to the respective deans. Deans will give their funding recommendations to the Provost to make the final funding decisions. Funding decisions should be made within 10 working days of the application deadline.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Awardees will complete a project outcomes reporting form, provided by RSP, describing how the funds were used and the outcome achieved by June 30, 2014. A copy of the report should be submitted to each appropriate Department Head, College Dean, and to RSP. Failure to submit grant reports on time or to meet other grant requirements may make the recipient ineligible for future internal funding.

II. PROJECT GRANTS – $ 1,500 - $20,000

In this grant program, average grant amounts are anticipated to be $5,000-10,000, with the maximum award amount of $20,000. The purpose of the Project Grants is to support research and development activities at UNI that enhance the ability of faculty and staff to apply for external funding, particularly to federal and state agencies, and to national foundations. All awardees must submit an external grant proposal by May 31, 2015. An important consideration in determining which projects will be funded is the extent to which the project is a good match for the external grant opportunity and otherwise likely to be competitive. Contact with RSP prior to submission is therefore strongly encouraged.

These grant funds may be used for a wide variety of projects or activities, including pilot studies, small-scale research or demonstration projects, evaluations, validations of methodologies, instrument testing, development of research partnerships, or other activities that are necessary to be successful in obtaining external funding. Applications are encouraged from faculty and staff who have previously submitted external proposals and are proposing activities to improve proposals for resubmission.

These grants may also be used to set up larger and longer-term projects, which often will require more than one investigator. Projects that involve multiple investigators and/or are multi-disciplinary are strongly encouraged. Funds may be used to support faculty and staff interested in developing larger, institutional level projects, which may require the involvement of multiple UNI departments or divisions and/or the development of external partnerships. Other priorities include activities which will lead to grant submissions to the National Science Foundation and the Institute for Education Sciences.

Project grant applicants must identify the external grant opportunity to which applicants intend to apply and explain the appropriateness for the proposed project. Applicants must include the opportunity’s deadline, or if not available, the next anticipated deadline. To underscore the importance of well-matched projects and funding opportunities, RSP will review all grant opportunities for suitability. Consultation with RSP prior to submission of project grant applications is encouraged; please contact RSP PreAward staff ( or ).

Eligibility: All faculty and staff

Project Periods: All funds must be spent between Jan. 15, 2014 and May 31, 2015. (Note, Project Grant funds will be allowed to carry forward to 2014-2015, but awardees are encouraged to spend as much of the funds as possible during FY14.)

Eligible Expenses: The types of costs that may be incurred are, for example, small equipment, supplies, subject stipends, travel costs, conference registrations, data analysis, technical support, obtaining research documents, student wages, grant review fees, workshop or training fees. Other expenses may be allowed; all expenses are subject to approval. Pending appropriate administrative approvals, faculty salary may be requested to fund a one-semester course release (at the adjunct rate during the 2014-2015 academic year) and/or up to one month of 2014 summer salary. (See budget form for instructions.) Any salary funding requested should be well justified in the project narrative as being essential to accomplish the work.

Grant Submission Requirement: As a requirement of the award, all grantees must submit a proposal to their specified external grant opportunity by May 31, 2015. Awardees will also report on project progress to RSP as needed throughout the project period. RSP will report outcomes to the College Deans and the Provost.

LETTER OF INTENT (REQUIRED) Deadline Nov. 4, 2013

Letters of Intent instructions:

-  Letters of Intent are required for application under the Project Grants program.

-  E-mail Letters of Intent by 5:00 PM Nov. 4, 2013 to Hillery Oberle at

-  E-mails should include: 1) a brief description of the project; 2) the grant opportunity you have in mind (may change); 3) identification of the Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PIs on the project.

-  Letters of Intent are only intended to assist RSP in developing the grant review committee(s). You should not wait until the LOI is submitted to begin working on your complete proposal.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS Deadline Nov. 18, 2013

A complete application for a Project grant will consist of:

1) Application Cover Sheet (Use provided form.)

2) Project Narrative

Maximum length: 8 pages, double-spaced; 12 pt font; 1” margins

Narrative content:

A.  Goals and Objectives/Specific Aims

1.  Introduce your project or topic, and specify what you hope to accomplish and/or, if research, what your research questions are.

2.  Describe the stage or phase of the proposed work.

B.  Need and Significance

1.  Explain why this is an important activity or topic, grounding it in what you and others in your field have already established and what still remains to be done. How will this project contribute to your field and/or to the community, state, or nation?

C.  Design and Methods

1.  Be specific about your project or research design and/or exactly who will do what and when. Make certain your design aligns with your stated goals and objectives.

2.  Include a project timeline.

3.  Explain how you will know if you have accomplished your objectives.

D.  Grant Opportunity

1.  Identify the funder and grant opportunity to which you plan to submit a proposal.

2.  What is the next deadline? If not available, provide anticipated the next anticipated deadline. Describe your timeline for preparing the grant proposal by the deadline

3.  Explain your reasons for choosing this particular funder and grant opportunity and why it is appropriate for the project you are proposing.

4.  How will the proposed project and activities enhance your ability to apply for external funding?

E.  Qualifications and Resources

1.  Who will be working on this project in which capacities?

2.  What resources, qualifications, experience, and/or expertise do you and each of the other members of the team bring to the project? (Briefly, why are they on the team?) For students, simply explain how they will participate. Colleagues from other institutions or other consultants may also work on the project as necessary.

3.  If applicable, explain how you will work with any external organizations, such as other institutions, schools or community organizations.

3) List of all internal grant funds previously received (not included in Narrative page limit) Include all internal grant awards received by the PI/PD and any Co-Investigators from their college(s), RSP, other funding from the Provost or Graduate College during the past 3 years, and indicate the specific outcomes from each (e.g., external grant(s), publications, presentations, patents, etc.).