FACULTYRESEARCH COMMITTEE
ANNOUNCEMENTOF THE2013-14COMPETITIONSFOR FACULTYRESEARCH EXPENSE GRANTS
TheFacultyResearch Committeeadministersfundsavailable through theDeanofFaculty’sbudgettoaid facultyintheirscholarlyendeavors. Such aid isavailableforallstagesofresearch,frominception to the finalpushto publicationorperformance. [NB:Asusedhere,“research”alsoincludescreativeactivitiesin thearts intendedtoleadtopublicperformancesorexhibitions, orpublication.]TheFRCprovidessupport to facultythrough threeprograms:1)Research ExpenseGrants(replacingtheOne-YearandThree-Year Grants)areavailableforbeginningorcontinuingscholarlyprojects;2)Completion Grants,intendedto bringworkto publication orpublicperformance/exhibition;and 3)theStudentResearch Program, which fundsTrinityundergraduates to workasresearch assistantsonfacultyresearch projects. Requestsfor Completion Grantsarereviewed continuallythroughout theyear;applicationsfor Research Expense Grantsandfor theStudent Research Programare reviewed under two deadlineseach academicyear.
Research Expense Grants
UndertheResearch ExpenseGrantsprogram, facultymembersmayrequestsupportforup to two years.
In order to makeFRCfundsaswidelyavailableaspossible,theCommitteewillensurethatallviableone- yearproposalsarefunded beforeconsideringproposalsforlongerperiods.TheCommitteealsoreserves therightto fullyorpartiallyfundrequestsofmore than oneyear’sduration.
OfparticularinteresttotheCommitteearethoseproposalsthatserveto enhancethepotentialforfaculty members to competeforexternalsupportfor thecontinuation and developmentoftheirscholarlywork.
Awardsprovideforreimbursementofawiderangeofresearch costs.Examplesofsuch costsinclude: travelnecessaryto performtheresearch;travel toarchives; libraryand archive fees;materialsand supplies;studentassistanceand othertypesofresearchassistance (e.g., translators, transcription services), acquisition ofmaterialsandcertain typesofequipment.
Coststhatare notcovered byResearch ExpenseGrantsincludethepurchaseofmajorcapitalequipment; publicationpreparationcharges,suchasindexingandpagecharges(thesearecoveredbytheCompletion Grants);andtravel toscholarlymeetings—includingtravel to presentresearchresults—fundsforwhich areadministered bytheAssociate AcademicDean.FacultyResearch Committee awardsmaynotbeused forcoursebuyouts. Generally, fundsmaynotbeusedto coverthecostsofmealsduringtravel. If a project involves extended travel a per diem may be placed on the budget for consideration.
DEADLINE:TheFacultyResearch CommitteewillreviewproposalsfortheResearch ExpenseGrant programundertwodeadlinesin2013-2014. TheFRCrequiresthatallproposalsbesubmitted online, asa single PDF documentattachedtoan e-mail. No laterthan 4:00 p.m. on eitherdeadline,sendthecompleted application formto KristinMagendantz, DirectorofFacultyGrants (). Lateapplicationswillnotbeconsidered.Theapplication mustalso besubmitted totheapplicant’s departmentchairperson bythedeadline.
ApplicationsDueNotification ofResults
Fallcompetition: Applicationsdue:Tuesday,October8, 2013.
Notification:mid-December
Spring competition:Applicationsdue:Tuesday, February4, 2014
Notification:mid-March
ELIGIBLITY:Alltenuredand tenure-trackFacultymembersandfull-timenon-tenure-trackfaculty whoseemploymentcontractextends through thegrantperiod areeligibleto apply. Fundingiscontingent on therecipient’scontinuedemploymentat theCollegeduringtheperiod ofthegrant.
GRANTPERIODS:Ordinarily, grantperiodswillbegin June1, 2014. However, grantsmaybegin as earlyasJanuary1, 2014, forawardsmade in Fall2013,with permission fromtheAssociateAcademic Dean.
SIZEOFGRANTS:Faculty mayapplyforupto $4,000 peryear tocoverthecostsofnon-personnel expenseslisted above, asjustified byappropriatebudgetarydocumentation(seeAppendix 3).In addition, facultywho areapplyingforgrantperiodsofmorethan oneyearmayapplyforup to $4000 (total, notper year)to fund researchassistants.TheseassistantsmaybeTrinityundergraduatesorotherqualified individuals. FacultymembersshouldapplyseparatelytotheStudentResearch Programto fund Trinityresearchassistantswho fitthecriteriaofthatprogram.If the faculty member elects to hire a Trinity undergraduate as a research assistant for the summer, but research assistant’s duties do not provide sufficient educational benefit to the student to fit the criteria for the SRP program, the faculty member may request a maximum stipend of $3500 for 10 weeks of full-time work at $10 per hour, and the Dean’s office will cover the cost of on-campus summer housing if needed. This ensures that all student researchers doing research over the summer receive the same pay and housing benefit.
Theresearchexpendituresmaybe incurredatanytimeduringthegrantperiod.
SUMMARYREPORTS: Grantrecipientsmustsubmita final reportoftheworkundertaken duringthe grantperiod totheDirectorofFacultyGrantsand AssociateAcademicDeanbyOctober1followingthe conclusion of thegrantperiod. Facultymembersholding multiyeargrantsmustprovidean interim progressreportbyOctober1 in each yearofan active grant. Failureto submit this reportmayimpact futurefunding.
CRITERIA:Proposals forFacultyResearch ExpenseGrantswillbejudged on:
theclarityof theproposal
thecoherenceof theobjectives
theclarityof themethodsof research
thepersuasivenessofthecasemadeconcerningthesignificanceoftheresearch
thelikelihoodthattheobjectivescan beachieved duringthe fundingperiod
thelikelihoodthatthesupportwillhavefruitfulresults
thelikelihoodthattheproposed workwillfurthertheapplicant’sscholarlyprogram
thejustificationforthebudget in relation to theproject
theapplicant’shistoryofreceivingCollege funds
Decisionswillbebased solelyon thewritten applicationssubmittedtotheCommittee. Becausethe Committeeexpectsto receivemoredeservingapplications thanitcan fund, preferencemaybegiven to thosewho havenotreceived internalfundingintherecentpastordo nothaveaccess toalternative internalfundingsources.
TheFacultyResearch Committeehasmembers representingeach ofthe fourcurriculargroupings (Humanities, SocialSciences, NaturalSciencesMathematics,andtheArts). Each proposalisreadand judged byallmembersof theCommittee(six facultymembersand theAssociateAcademicDean). It is,
therefore,imperative thatproposalsbewritteninlanguage thatcanbereadilyunderstood byacollege- widefacultycommittee, most—orall—ofthemembersofwhich arenotspecialistsintheapplicant’s field. Particularcareshouldbegiven to avoidjargon and technicallanguage;iftheuseofsuch language isunavoidable,itshould beaccompanied byaclearexplanation.
GUIDELINES:Thefollowing guidelinesshould bestrictlyadheredto in preparing yourproposal. Please referaswellto theinstructionsbelowregardingpreparingproposals forelectronicsubmission.
Allsectionsoftheproposal(with theexceptionofthebudget form)shouldbepreparedusingaclear, standardfont(e.g., TimesRoman, Arial)no smaller than 11pt, with 1”marginson allsides.
COVERSHEET:Titleofproject, name, department,and anabstractofno morethan 100 words.
BODY OFTHEPROPOSAL:In nomore thanfive(5)double-spaced pages(approximately2,000 words)—excludingreferences, butincludingfigures,tables, and graphs—explain yourproject. If significantillustration isrequired, itmaybeattached asan appendix. Use the followingsection headings and explainthemspecifically:
astatementoftheproblem/goalsofyourproposedresearch;
thesignificanceoftheworkto yourdiscipline;
theresearch methodstobeused;
howtheproposed projectfitsinto yourlong-termscholarlyprogram;
andtheplanfordissemination oftheresults;
Ifappropriate, includeabriefreviewofrelevantliterature.
Because thisisan expenseprogram, givespecialattention in thebodyoftheproposaltotherationalesfor budgetitemsand theirrelation to themethodsyou willemploy. Requestsforexpensesthatmayfallintoa grayareabetweencapitaland non-capitalexpendituresmustbe fullyjustifiedin thebodyoftheproposal.
APPENDIX1, Curriculum Vitae :Provideanabbreviatedcurriculumvitae ofnotmore thantwo pages, toinclude: education (includingtitleofPh.D. thesis), employmenthistory, currentresearch interests,and nomore thanten publications(orcreativeworksorpresentationsofwork).Thepublicationsshould bedivided into thefive most relevanttothecurrentapplication, andfiveothersignificantworks. If theapplicantis beginninga newareaand doesnothaverelevantpublications,up to ten ofthesecond categorymaybe listed.
APPENDIX2, Available Funding:a)Listallcurrentand anticipated sourcesofinternalandexternalfunding.Thisshould include, but is not limited to,externalgrants and/or indirect slush funds,previousFRCawards, otherTrinity grants, start-up funds,and fundsavailableto facultywho hold endowedornamed chairs.Thelistshouldindicateplans for theallocation ofthese funds duringtheperiod oftheproposed project. b)Listallattempts to obtain funding fromTrinityand from externalsourcesduringthepastfiveyearsorsincecomingtoTrinity(whicheverisshorter). Includethe titleoftheproposals, amountsrequested, sources, periodsofproposedfunding, and thedisposition ofthe proposals. Provideabrief indication of thepublicationsorsimilar resultsforeach grantawarded.The applicant’saccomplishmentsresultingfromprevious fundingwillbeconsidered asonepieceofevidence regardingthelikelihoodthatpresentsupportwillhavefruitfulresults.
TheFRCpayscloseattention to Appendix 2 in reviewingrequests, andapplicantsareurged toprepare
thissection carefully. In the interestsofmakingCollege resourcesaswidelyavailableaspossible,it isthe senseofthe Committeethatthose facultymemberswho haveaccessto restricted fundsshouldbe
expectedto providesomecost-sharingon FRCawards. Although theCollegedoesnotcurrentlyplace time limitson theuseofstart-up funds,applicantsmustmakeapersuasivecaseforFRCfundingof research expensesthatcouldotherwisebecoveredbythestart-upaccount.Applicantswhohavebalances remainingonpriorFRCawardsshouldprovide1)astatementshowingthecurrentbalanceforeachgrant and2)aconciseandspecificplanfortheuseofthesefunds.Thebalancestatementcanberequestedby emailtoNanHorton,AdministrativeAssistanttotheAssociateAcademicDeans.
RevisedJune2013 by ALB