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CAS Research Grants

PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

Electronic Submission Deadline: January 31, 2023

Chair Approval Deadline: February 21, 2023

If you have questions or wish to review sample proposals resulting in Research Grants, please contact Dr. Keri Brondo by e-mail kbrondo@memphis.edu.

2023 Guidelines for CAS Research Grants

PURPOSE
The CAS Research Grants programs are an internal effort by the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) intended to support research and creative activity of CAS faculty and to enhance competitiveness for external funding. Two different CAS Research Grant types are available:

  • The goals of the CAS External Funding Stimulus (EFS) Grant program are to provide seed funds for: (1) research projects that will produce pilot data for proposals to be submitted to outside funding agencies; (2) faculty embarking on new research areas that are likely to lead to outside funding and recognition of the faculty member, his or her department, and the University.
  • The goal of the Summer Research Stimulus (SRS) grant program is to provide seed funds for: (1) research and creative activities that are likely to lead to recognition of the faculty member, his or her department, and the University.

AWARD DESCRIPTION - EFS
Grants may be funded up to a maximum of $10,000 for travel, equipment, supplies, faculty summer salary, stipends for student assistants, and other expenses. Funding for this program comes from indirect costs generated by externally sponsored contract and grant activity during the previous year. Therefore, it is expected that recipients of these grants will seek external funding if possible within their discipline to continue their projects. Continued and expanded grant activity will ensure the future availability of these grants.

AWARD DESCRIPTION - SRS
Grants may be funded up to a maximum of $6,500 for travel to collect data and faculty summer salary. Although projects intended to be supported by this program do not typically lead to external funding or generate indirect costs, funding for this program also comes from indirect costs generated by externally sponsored contract and grant activity during the previous year. Therefore, it is expected that recipients of these grants will support their colleagues in other areas in their efforts to obtain external funding if possible. Continued and expanded grant activity will ensure the future availability of these grants.

CAS RESEARCH GRANT AREA REVIEW COMMITTEES
To facilitate review by smaller groups with more specific expertise in the subject areas, CAS Research Grants are categorized into four topic areas. Applicants are asked to self-select the most appropriate subject area for their proposal, based upon topic and methodology. The subject areas are Women's and Gender Studies; Social Sciences; Humanities; and Natural Sciences. A CAS Research Grant Area Review Committee will be appointed by the Dean of CAS to review proposals in each area. CAS Research Grant applicants or their partners may not serve on Area Review Committees. We ask faculty to recognize that the labels for these subject areas are not linked to specific academic departments. If you have any questions about which category would be appropriate for your proposal, please contact Dr. Keri Brondo by e-mail kbrondo@memphis.edu.

SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA
The Dean will award CAS Research Grants upon recommendation by the Area Review Committees. Criteria used in evaluating both EFS and SRS proposals include: project and budget justification, significance of project, appropriateness of project design and methods, qualifications of the applicant for implementing the project, probability of achieving project objectives, appropriateness of the schedule for project activities, and plans for dissemination of research results. EFS applications will also be evaluated based on plans for development of proposals for external funding.

ELIGIBILITY
Individuals eligible for an award must be full-time tenured faculty, tenure-track faculty or research faculty* with primary appointments in the College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Memphis at the time of proposal review. Applications from faculty who have not submitted a final report on a previous Faculty Research Grant (FRG), the forerunner to the CAS Research Grant programs, will not be considered. It is expected that the grant recipient will remain at The University of Memphis for at least one year following the conclusion of the grant period. A faculty member will not be eligible for more than one grant within five years. Example: If you received an award for a project beginning July 1, 2019, or later you are not eligible this year.

Eligible individuals submitting CAS Research Grant proposals may also submit proposals to other University of Memphis internal grant mechanisms including the Travel Enrichment, Strengthening Communities grants, TBR faculty grants programs and the Hooks Institute grants program. However, faculty receiving grants from any other internal mechanisms will not be eligible to accept an award from the CAS Research Grants program for the same project.

* Eligible research faculty job titles are research assistant professor, research associate professor, and research professor.

DURATION OF GRANT
EFS grants are awarded for one fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2023. SRS grants are awarded for one three-month summer period, beginning June 1, 2023. Expenditures must be consistent with the financial policies of the University of Memphis and in keeping with the University's fiscal year-end closing schedule. In the case of default situations, such as the applicant's inability to complete the project, unexpended funds will revert to the CAS Research Grant pool account.

APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEADLINES
Final proposals must be submitted electronically to the CAS Dean's office, by Tuesday, January 31, 2023. Each proposal must be accompanied by electronic endorsements from the faculty member's Department Chair, which has a separate deadline, Monday, February 21, 2023. It is the submitter's responsibility to ensure that the flow of approval and all email addresses are correct, and officially supported by the University. THE CAS DEAN'S OFFICE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LATE OR MISDIRECTED APPLICATIONS. Prior approval must be sought or obtained if either human or animal subjects will be used; the appropriate box on the Cover Page must be checked.

PROPOSAL FORMAT
Links to the online CAS Research Grant application form will be shared with CAS faculty by email and will be posted on the CAS web page (Click here for access to the electronic CAS Research Grant application form).

CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO ADHERE TO THESE PROPOSAL GUIDELINES AND TO EDIT THE PROPOSAL BEFORE SUBMISSION. PROPOSALS THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES OR INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL BE RETURNED WITHOUT REVIEW.

Cover Page (see electronic application form): Provide the requested information, complete the checklist of assurances, and indicate both the application type (EFS or SRS) and the area in which your proposal should be judged. In the event that the Department contributes academic year release time, indicate the amount of release time (expressed in credit hours or percent of time). Please note that any research involving human subjects requires IRB approval. Research involving animals must also be approved by the appropriate committees.

Abstract: Limited to 350 words

EFS Budget Summary and Justification (see electronic application form): All cost categories requested should be clearly identified and justified and cost calculations shown. A maximum of $10,000 can be requested subject to the following category limitations:

  • faculty summer salary ($3,000 maximum)
  • stipends for undergraduate and graduate research assistants ($7,500 maximum, tuition and fees cannot be covered by FRG funds, sources of tuition and fees should be documented when academic year graduate stipends are part of the budget)
  • domestic ($1,000 maximum) or foreign ($2,000 maximum) travel necessary for the collection of data or access to specialized instrumentation not available on campus
  • specialized equipment for a specific research project ($5,000 maximum, generally expected to be matched by the PI's department)
  • consumable research supplies ($5,000 maximum)
  • Expenditures Not Covered by CAS Research Grants: Requests for funds to support the following will not be approved: academic year faculty salaries; taking or developing courses; domestic or foreign travel to conferences; writing grant proposals; general purpose equipment; publication costs.

SRS Budget Summary and Justification (see electronic application form): All cost categories requested should be clearly identified and justified and cost calculations shown. A maximum of $6,500 can be requested subject to the following category limitations:

  • faculty summer salary ($4,500 maximum)
  • domestic ($1,000 maximum) or foreign ($2,000 maximum) travel necessary for the collection of data or access to specialized instrumentation not available on campus
  • Expenditures Not Covered by CAS Research Grants: Requests for funds to support the following will not be approved: academic year faculty salaries; taking or developing courses; domestic or foreign travel to conferences; writing grant proposals; general purpose equipment; publication costs.

Project Description (not to exceed 5 pages; see electronic application form to upload file in Adobe PDF format): The description should be as complete as possible but limited to necessary and relevant material, and written in a clear and straightforward style. The proposals will be evaluated by a review committee composed of faculty who may lack technical expertise in the specific project area. Consequently, it is very important that the text and materials be understandable to an audience of colleagues with varied backgrounds. Use one-inch margins on all sides with 12-point type, single-spaced, and left justified (do not full justify).

The narrative must include a concise description (not to exceed 5 pages) of the research question to be addressed, the hypothesis to be tested, or the creative product to be developed. The outcome of the project must be specified and the significance of the expected results clearly explained. Clearly distinguish outcomes and metrics that are achievable within the one-year timeframe of support from longer-term objectives and outcomes that the award is expected to lead toward. The statement should also include the applicants' qualifications to complete the project and the potential impact of the project on the applicant's career and future funding, if appropriate.

The narrative must include a clearly described methodology appropriate to the project. Where necessary, the analytic strategy should also be described. Descriptions of materials, equipment, staff, participants, and facilities required for the project should be included. Submitters must include a detailed work plan with start and end dates, and the expected dates of all major milestones. The evaluation of the proposal will take these factors into consideration.

If the proposed work is in a research area with potential for external funding, the narrative must also identify specific target programs and timelines for development of external funding proposals. The role of the proposed project in enhancing competitiveness for those programs should be defined.

Appendices (see electronic application form to upload files): All questionnaires, instructions to participants, scoring forms, etc., must be available in an appendix (not to exceed 5 pages). Technical explanations and bibliographies should be gathered into an optional appendix not to exceed 5 pages. Use one-inch margins on all sides with 12-point type, single-spaced, and left justified (do not full justify).

Summary Curriculum Vitae (see electronic application form to upload file): Include educational background and a list of recent publications, presentations, and/or other scholarly products as appropriate for your discipline. Note those activities that resulted from a previous FRG and include a copy of the report(s) with this application. List all current funding, including start-up funds, and summarize efforts to obtain external funding for your work. Do not include your full Curriculum Vitae. The summary vitae should not exceed 3 pages plus reports of any previous FRGs.

FOLLOW-UP REQUIREMENTS
The applicant's submission indicates his/her agreement with the following requirements:

Report: The project director will provide a short report within sixty days of the conclusion of the grant period (EFS: August 30, 2024; SRS: October 31, 2023) via the online reporting form. Applications from faculty who have not submitted a report on previous FRG awards will not be considered. This report on either an EFS or SRS award should explain briefly and in layman's terms what work was done, whether milestones were met, what outcomes were obtained, what publications or presentations of the work are planned and what benefit the faculty member and the University obtained. Reports on EFS awards should also explain what grant applications are planned.

Acknowledgements: Any publication resulting from the research supported by a grant from the CAS Research Grant Fund shall include the following statement: "This work was supported in full or in part by a grant from The University of Memphis College of Arts and Sciences Research Grant Fund. This support does not necessarily imply endorsement by the University of research conclusions."

Proprietary Information: The applicant agrees to allow his/her funded proposal, unless it contains proprietary information, to be reviewed as an aid to new applicants.