Faculty Enhancement GrantCall for ProposalsThe Faculty Development Committee is pleased to announce this year's internal grant program for Portland State University faculty. Faculty who are AAUP bargaining unit members and department Chairs, and whose appointment continues throughout the 2008-09 academic year, are eligible to apply for awards up to $10,000. The University has allocated $240,000 annually for this program, however, award amounts and total funding available may change based on the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the PSU chapter of AAUP. ***Deadline for submission is 5pm, Friday, February 15th. Proposals may be delivered to ORSP in the Unitus Building (SW 4th & Lincoln), 6th Floor. ***Budget Workshops to be held on Tuesday, February 5th, 11am - noon @OAA's conference room (307 CH) AND Monday, February 11th, 2-3pm @ORSP's conference room (Unitus Bldg, 6th Floor) AND Wednesday, February 13th, 2-3pm @ORSP's conference room (Unitus Bldg, 6th Floor). Statement of PurposeIn response to the current budget climate, the primary purpose of this year's program is to aid in building our capacity for research, instruction, and service through the enlargement of the university's resource base. Investigators are encouraged to contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, Unitus Building, 6th floor, for help in identifying external funding agencies and programs, both public and private. The Committee will support a broad range of scholarly activities, from discovery to interpretation, including but not limited to activities that:
The Committee emphasizes that the above list is not a ranking of priorities and is by no means exhaustive. Faculty are reminded that these funds are intended to further the career of the faculty member, not develop new programs or institutions at PSU. For this reason, proposals that primarily benefit the institution rather than the individual will not be funded. This includes proposals to create new programs, provide office support, found museums, expand curricular offerings, construct PSU webpages, and launch new organizations. Proposals that include activities to be performed in fulfillment of degree requirements of the principal investigator will be rejected by the Committee without review. The committee will fund travel for research related activities such as data collection and fieldwork, but not for the sole purpose of presenting a paper or attending a conference. These requests should be submitted to the Professional Travel Grant program. Budget JustificationThe body of the proposal must contain a separate, clearly labeled section justifying the budget request. This justification must be presented in a manner appropriate for a well-informed reader to evaluate the proposed use of funds. The rationale for each budget item must be specified. In particular, principal investigators requesting equipment costing $500 or more must indicate the manufacturer and model number, and must clearly explain the need for the particular model. Similarly, the activities and role of Research Associates/Assistants (fixed-term faculty) must be detailed and clearly justified within this section. Budget requests for graduate assistants must include tuition remission as a separate item. Departments are expected to provide administrative support for graduate assistants as appropriate. The committee will now allow faculty to apply for one course release a year. Tuition remission for Graduate Assistants must now be calculated as part of the total dollar request. Funded in exceptional circumstances only, the following items must be clearly justified as crucial for the execution of the research project:
Budget WorkshopsThe Office of Research and Sponsored Projects will hold the following two workshops to help faculty develop budgets:
Proposal PreparationProposals must meet the page and vita format requirements listed below. In addition to the budget justification section, all proposals are to include an abstract of no more than 200 words suitable for media release. Proposals not meeting the proposal format requirements listed below will be rejected by the Committee without review. Proposal format:
Investigators are to submit an original proposal with two copies to the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, Unitus Building, 6th floor, by 5:00 PM Friday, February 15, 2008. Proposals concerning human subjects, live animals, recombinant DNA, or radioactive materials must have the approval of the appropriate persons/committees before the project starts. The Committee reminds principal investigators that various academic units may have earlier deadlines for review and commentary before they approve this application. Principal investigators are to contact their deans, directors and/or department chairs regarding each unit's deadline. EvaluationThe Committee receives more proposals than it can fund. The Committee will judge applications on the basis of the scholarly or creative merit of the project, and on the ability of the applicant(s) to complete the proposed project. In your proposal, be sure you mention specifically how your project addresses the criteria listed under the Statement of Purpose above. Budgets will be evaluated on the basis of their appropriateness to the project's objectives and anticipated results. The Committee will also consider the history, nature, and sufficiency of past and present funding received by the applicant(s). A progress report may be requested of applicants who received funding from the committee last year. It is expected that information concerning the applicant's scholarly preparation will be provided. All proposals will be evaluated by reviewers reading within and across subject areas. Be sure your proposal is clear and avoids jargon. Proposals will typically receive four to six reviews. The Committee reserves the right to solicit reviews from outside the Committee and/or the University. The project period is July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009. ReportingInvestigators funded under this program are expected to file a final report with the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (Unitus Building, 6th floor) by September 30, 2009. The report should include, as appropriate, a copy of the external proposal, any intent to publish or exhibit results, and an abstract of no more than 200 words suitable for media release. The body of the report should be no more than three pages in length, with the extramural proposal included as an appendix. Investigators failing to provide final reports will be ineligible to receive further funding from the Faculty Development Committee until a report acceptable to the Committee has been received. Proper acknowledgment of Faculty Enhancement Awards is to appear in articles and papers. If you have questions or concerns, please call 725-3423. |
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