Quarterly Progress Report Guidelines

for Grant Recipients Conducting Research

for the

Center for Multimodal Solutions

for Congestion Mitigation

Guidelines as of Spring 2008

QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT

Principal Investigators (PIs) of each CMS grant-funded project are required to prepare and submit reports detailing the progress made to-date on their projects. These reports are to be prepared and submitted to the CMS at by March 15, June 15, September 15, and December 15. These reports will assist the CMS with the reporting requirements of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). The reports should also include electronic copies (in pdf format) of papers submitted to journals or conferences that relate to the CMS funded project, when appropriate. Delays or failure to submit a quarterly report will negatively affect the consideration of any future proposal submitted by the PI to the CMS.

GUIDELINES

The CMS has chosen to use NCHRP quarterly progress report guidelines, which are also very similar to those used by FDOT. The CMS quarterly progress report should be submitted electronically as a PDF file to Ines Aviles Spadoni at . It should summarize the project progress in terms of schedule and budget (for an example, see Progress Schedule on http://cms.ce.ufl.edu/research/for_pis_only.php) and a written narrative. The narrative should include a summary of the problem, project objectives, information on project deliverables, accomplishments during the subject quarter, activities planned for the next quarter, and a summary of modifications requested, if applicable. Appendices may also be included, if desired.

Organization of Quarterly Progress Report

To facilitate the review of project reports, the information should be presented in the following order.

  1. Cover sheet for quarterly progress report (see layout on page 2)
  2. Progress Schedule (see link to Excel spreadsheet on page 3)
  3. Introduction
  4. Summary of Problem
  5. Research Objectives and Scope
  6. Project Deliverables (see table on page 3)
  7. Accomplishments During Current Quarter
  8. Activities Planned for Next Quarter
  9. Summary of Modifications Requested (if applicable)

Sample Cover Sheet for Quarterly Progress Report

A sample cover sheet layout for the quarterly progress report follows with blank lines denoting information to be filled in by the PI. Please, note the CMS logo/banner in the header of these guidelines may be reproduced as the header for quarterly progress reports.

Quarterly Progress Report

to the

Center for Multimodal Solutions for Congestion Mitigation

(CMS)

CMS Project Number: ______

CMS Project Title: ______

for period ______to ______

from ______(PI name, department, address, contact information, e-mail)

Date prepared ______

Link for “Project Schedule” for Quarterly Progress Report

The first item required following the cover sheet is the Project Schedule. Please, use the Excel spreadsheet provided on following link: http://cms.ce.ufl.edu/research/for_pis_only.php.

Sample Table for Project Deliverables for Quarterly Progress Report

For providing the project deliverables required in the “Introduction” topic, the PI is requested to use the sample provided in Table 1.

Table 1. List of Deliverables

Task # / Description / Original Due Date / Date Delivered
1
2
3
4
5

BASIC FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS FOR QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT (In Microsoft Word)

1.  Page setup for standard 8.5² ´ 11² paper:

· Margins = 1² for top, bottom, right, and left

· Header and Footer = 0.5² and check the box for “different front page.”

2.  Font style: Times New Roman (12 pt size)

3.  Line spacing: Single space

4.  Text settings: Left alignment and widow/orphan control on

5.  Page numbering: On second page (following cover sheet), insert a page number centered at bottom of page. Using “Format page number” on the header/footer toolbar, format the page number to start at zero.

6.  Structure document as continuous (do not start each new section on a new page).

7.  Text formatting for main body of paper:

· Headings: TITLE OF PROJECT (all caps, boldface, 14-pt font size, centered)

FIRST LEVEL (all caps, boldface, 12-pt font size, flush left)

Second Level (initial caps, boldface, 12-pt font size, flush left)

Third Level (initial caps, italic, 12-pt font size, flush left)

First-level headings have two blank lines above and one below.

Second- and third-level headings have one blank line above and one below.

· Paragraphs: Place a blank line above each paragraph, indent paragraph text by 0.5².

· Bulleted and numbered lists: Set continuous text to align under the first line of the list (as in this bulleted item).

· Equations: Equations are centered with a blank line before and after. An equation number inside parentheses is placed flush to the right margin. MathType 5â software (or lower) may be used to create the equation.

· Equation sample:

8.  Tables:

· Each table should be referred to in the text.

· Table titles are inserted above the table and have a blank line above and below.

· Number each table consecutively in the order first cited in the text using Arabic numerals. Table titles should have the numeral followed by a period and two spaces, and a title using initial caps for major words, Times New Roman 12-pt font in boldface, aligned flush left, without a period at the end.

· Within tables, Times New Roman 12-pt font is the preferred font to use, but if needed, 11 pt or 10 pt may be used, and line spacing should be single spaced.

· Each column in a table should be identified with a heading aligned either flush left or centered. If noted in a column heading, a unit of measure is placed within parentheses.

· If a footnote is necessary, use lowercase italic superscript letters to make notation.

· Table sample:

9.  Figures:

· Each figure should be referred to in the text.

· Figure captions are inserted below the figure and have a blank line above and below.

· Number each figure consecutively in the order first cited in the text using Arabic numerals. Figure captions should have the numeral followed by a period and two spaces, and a caption using sentence case, Times New Roman 12-pt font in boldface, aligned flush left, with a period at the end.

· Figures should be clear and legible. A sans serif font, such as Arial, is quite readable. It is preferable for the font in figures to be consistent type and size, and for line weights (other than those indicating different data series in a graph) to be uniform.

· A figure may be a photograph (should be high-resolution scans, that is at least 300 dpi at a size of 4² ´ 5²), artwork, or spreadsheet charts. Avoid use of dots or any filler that will reproduce poorly.

· Do not place a box or ruled frame around a finished figure.

· Figure sample:

  1. References:

· References cited in the text are denoted with an italicized Arabic numeral in parentheses, as in the following two examples:

– Location of the no-flow boundary may be determined based on predevelopment (3).

– Both Ryder and Smith indicate the location of the no-flow boundary may be determined based on predevelopment (3, 5).

· References are numbered in the order they appear in the text. If the same reference is cited more than once in the text, repeat the number first assigned to the reference.

· References to web sites should include the date the site was accessed (see sample below).

· List of References samples:

QUESTIONS?

For general questions, contact: / For editorial and format questions, contact:
Ines Aviles-Spadoni, M.S.
CMS Coordinator/Manager
352-392-9537, Ext. 1409
/ Candace J. Leggett
Word Processing Operator
208 Reed Lab
352-392-0926

Lily Elefteriadou, Ph.D.
Center Director
352-392-9537, Ext. 1452

CMS Quarterly Progress Report Guidelines 1