University Research Grant Program
University Research Grants are administered at the college level. For information about this grant, contact your College Research Coordinator.
Purpose
The purpose of the research grant program is to provide faculty with funds to develop research programs and support scholarly undertakings of the faculty.
For the purposes of the University Research Grant program, research is defined as, "A formal procedure which contributes to the expansion of basic knowledge or applies such knowledge to the solution of problems in society or exemplifies creative expression in a specific field of study. The results of research are communicated to professionals outside the university through a peer review process in a manner appropriate to the discipline."
Program Requirements
Colleges are required to establish their own college research grant program guidelines. Guidelines are submitted no later than September 1st of each year for review and approval by the University Research Council.
The following essential elements must be included in each college's grant guidelines:
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Faculty Categories
Colleges must establish separate funding categories to support both senior and new faculty in tenure and tenure-track positions.
Please note the actual amount of dollars awarded to support new and senior faculty categories will be determined by the respective college.
College University Research Grant programs must include two categories of support:
- The number of years used to distinguish between senior and new faculty will be determined by the respective college.
- The actual amount of dollars awarded to support new and senior faculty categories will be determined by the respective college.
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Funding Categories
College university research grant programs must include two categories of support:
- Grant Related Scholarship: these include proposals designed to develop significant research programs that have a high probability of acquiring external funding and/or to complement awards obtained from an external agency.
- Non-Grant Related Scholarship: these include proposals designed to support quality scholarly undertakings of the faculty, but not designed to directly pursue external support.
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Eligibility Requirements
An applicant must be in a faculty tenure or tenure-track position. Colleges will establish additional eligibility requirements for awards. These requirements do not need to be uniform for all disciplines within a college.
Funding may only be awarded to faculty who have successfully completed the intended outcomes of previous grants. Grants are not intended to support projects for which substantial funding (as defined by the college) has already been received from external agencies.
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Professional Outcomes
Each university research grant applicant must report all professional outcomes using Digital Measures (or other appropriate reporting tool) through the annual productivity report process. Any outcome (e.g. publications, presentations, grant submissions and awards) must be flagged as having been supported by a University Research Grant. Colleges are then required to make this data available to the Office of the Research and Graduate Studies.
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Amount of Awards
The amount of the award for a successful proposal will be determined by respective colleges. This amount must be included in the college's grant program guidelines. In addition, colleges may choose to use their own funds to supplement the university-allocated funds.
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Feedback on Non-Funded Proposals
For proposals that are not funded, each college must establish clear procedures for informing faculty applicants in writing as to the reasons why their proposals were not supported.
Distribution of Funds Among Colleges
Non-Grant Related Scholarship Awards
Funds will be distributed to each college proportional to the number of tenured/tenure-track faculty in that college. Except for $20,000 set aside for grants to be funded by the cross chair for the scholarship of teaching and learning, all general revenue dollars allocated for the program will be distributed to the colleges. Any unused funds will be returned to Research and Graduate Studies by the end of the fiscal year.
Grant-Related Scholarship Awards
The Office of Research and Graduate Studies will fund these awards from recovered indirect cost funds. Colleges must provide a ranking of meritorious proposals to the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, which will make funding decisions based on available funds.