Senate Grants for Research and Scholarship
2013 Deadline
The deadline for the 2013 funding cycle is November 7, 2012. Funds will be made available July 1, 2013 and must be spent by June 30, 2014.
Senate Grants for Research and Scholarship (application) 2013 UpdatedProgram Information
The Senate Research and Scholarship Committee funds proposals based on the consensus of its interdisciplinary members. The committee is aware of the limited resources it has available and the sizable number of requests for funding it receives each year. While it does not claim the stature of the National Science Foundation or National Endowment for the Humanities, like those institutions it makes every effort to support proposals that have a high potential for fulfilling research objectives and that will contribute significantly to the researcher’s field. The committee strongly encourages interdisciplinary research.
When evaluating proposals, the committee places a very high priority on the clarity of the proposal and the applicant’s attention to essential details. The proposal must include sufficient detail to convince the committee that the proposed research is scholarly, that it will make a significant contribution to the applicant’s discipline and, where appropriate, that it will provide a foundation for further research, including information about any applications the applicant plans on submitting for extramural funding. If the proposed research is experimental in nature, then the applicant must clearly describe the experimental design, indicating how data will be collected, analyzed and interpreted, including a brief discussion of potential pitfalls and alternative plans. Although the page limits force the proposals to be brief, they are sufficient for proposing a highly focused and well-justified project. Finally, the committee gives higher priority to proposals that represent scholarly research, rather than the development of technical applications, instructional aides, etc.
Eligibility
Support is available to full time (1.0 FTE) faculty on the Morgantown and Charleston campuses. Applicants must be eligible for election to the Faculty Senate. Additionally, applications will be considered for faculty equivalents or medical residents if research is considered a required component of the position. A letter from the department chair must accompany such applications explaining research requirement.
Application
Senate Grants for Research and Scholarship (application)Prepare and type your proposal according to the specific instructions included for each section located on the application form. All instructions must be followed to be considered for funding. Applications that do not adhere to the format requirements will not be reviewed. Write your proposal with such clarity that it may be understood by any member of the committee. Keep in mind that the committee is interdisciplinary and reaches decisions by consensus.
Each page of the application must be consecutively numbered. Proposals must use a typeface no smaller than 10 points and have at least 1/2” margin on all sides of the page. The Proposal Body (Sections III-VII) is limited to five pages single-spaced plus references and attachments. The application is comprised of ten sections:
Section I: Cover Page
Provide the project title and abstract, using only the space provided. Complete the contact information for the principal investigator and co-investigator, if applicable. Indicate the budget period keeping in mind that the budget period must fall within the July 1, 2012-June 30, 2013 time frame. Indicate any previous Senate Research grants you have received in the past five years. Do not include any Faculty Travel or Development grants you have received, only count awards received from the Senate Research grant program. If your project involves the use of human/animal subjects or biohazards, IRB approval must be obtained before funds will be released to you on July 1, 2012. If you are currently undertaking the process of obtaining an approval number, indicate “in progress” on the cover page.
Scholarship/Seed Grant
Beginning in 2012, the Senate Research program will proportion funding between Scholarship and Seed projects. Applicants must indicate if they are applying for a SCHOLARSHIP GRANT or a SEED GRANT in Section I of the application. Scholarship grants include research and other creative endeavors that traditionally do not attract external funding sources. Funds may not be used to primarily generate data or gather material for graduate theses or dissertations. Seed grants are oriented to acquiring data, performing analysis, or pursing research targeted at seeking substantial external funding. Applications will only be reviewed for one grant program. Applicants cannot apply to both funding sources in the same fiscal year. The Senate Research Committee is dedicated to providing equitable funding to both application pools.
Approvals
The applicant, his/her departmental chair, and college dean/division director must sign off on all applications by typing name on the cover page. If the project is an interdisciplinary project involving more than one college/department, approvals must be provided for the Co-I as well.
Section II: Budget
A thoroughly explained and justified budget is one of the most important components of a successful application. The budget should provide an important indication of the soundness and thoroughness of your proposal. Itemize the budget by the indicated categories. Indicate clearly under “Budget Justification” how each item in the budget will support your project. Identify the types of equipment, supplies, and printing needed. Without a persuasive explanation of your budget, the entire application could be jeopardized. If necessary one [1] additional page may be attached for the budget justification
Personnel
If you are requesting summer salary, specify the period during which you should receive such funds. Six-week summer salaries will be considered only for nine-month employees, not to exceed 1.5 times the investigator’s monthly salary, to a maximum of $8,000 including fringe benefits. The $8,000 salary funding limit also applies to Co-Investigators that are part of an interdisciplinary project. Although the Senate Research Grant Program is primarily intended to support the activities of the primary investigator(s), the committee recognizes that certain projects require one or more assistants in order to fulfill important objectives. Please indicate clearly in your application why you need assistance, what the assistants’ qualifications are, and the basis for calculating their salaries (e.g., established university salary, minimum wage, etc.). In calculating the final budget, be sure to include the correct fringe benefit rates to the actual salary. For example, if the current fringe rate is 25%, the maximum actual salary that a faculty member could receive is $6,400 with $1,600 in fringe benefits to meet the $8,000 salary maximum.
Equipment & Supplies
Do not include requests for ordinary equipment, supplies, or printing routinely provided by your department or college. If equipment or services seem not merely essential to your project but also your department’s future direction, the committee will wonder why the department is not prepared to underwrite those expenses. Do not ask the committee for funds to purchase items that can be borrowed from other university departments.
Printing Costs
Senate Grants are not awarded for the sole purpose of preparing books or textbooks or the costs of publication. However, funding may be requested to publish results or exhibit a product arising from the work funded by the grant. See “Research Outcome Funding” in the Additional Funding section of the Budget.
Travel
Give basis for any travel expenses including destination, duration, mode, and cost of transportation, meals, and lodging in accordance with state travel regulations. Additional funding is available to support travel to present your research results. See “Research Outcome Funding” in the Additional Funding section of the Budget.
Research Outcome Funding
In an effort to encourage visible academic research at WVU, Senate Research applicants can also apply to receive an additional $2,000 in support of travel to present a paper (with proceedings) or publish results (in archival media) or exhibit a work of art in a major forum. A copy of the paper or account of the exhibition will serve as a final report for the additional funds. Please indicate on the application if you plan to publish or present the results of your work at a national forum and if you are seeking an additional $2,000 in travel funds from the Senate Research Committee. Faculty who receive this additional support will not be eligible for funding from the Faculty Travel program July 1, 2012-June 30, 2013 to support travel related to their Senate Research award but will be eligible to apply for Faculty Travel funds to support travel not related to their Senate Research award.
College/External Funding
The Senate Research program will allow up to $5,000 in additional funding to match support from a college or a qualified external source. Such funds should not be associated with an existing award. If you are providing additional funding, please indicate how much support is being provided on your budget and attach documentation from the dean and/or the external source of such support
Funding Limits
The Senate Research program budget cap is $16,500 for projects in a single discipline or $24,500 for multidisciplinary projects. The budget cap for applicants requesting $2,000 to support outcome funding to present, publish, or exhibit the results of their research raises to $18,500 for a single investigator or $26,500 for multidisciplinary projects. If applicants are providing matching funds from their college or from an external source, the Senate Research program will match those funds up to $5,000, thereby raising the budget cap to $21,500 for a single investigator or $29,500 for a multidisciplinary project. If an applicant seeks additional travel funding and provides additional funding, the budget cap for a single investigator would be $23,500 and $31,500 for multidisciplinary projects.
| Project | Single Investigator | Multidisciplinary | ||
| 1. Research project with no additional request for presentation/publication funds to present research results and no additional matching funds | $16,500 | $24,500 | ||
| 2. Research project with no additional request for presentation/publication funds to present research results, but providing an additional match of $5,000 or more from college or external source | $21,500 | $29,500 | ||
| 3. Research project with an additional request for presentation/publication funds to present research results but not providing additional matching funds | $18,500 | $26,500 | ||
| 4. Research project requesting additional presentation/publication funds to present research results and with additional match of $5,000 or more from college or external source | $23,500 | $31,500 |
Sections III-VII: Proposal Body
This section is limited to a total of five [5] pages single-spaced plus references and attachments.
Section III: Significance of Project
Clearly state the need for your project. Describe the contribution of your project towards increasing knowledge in the field of study.
Section IV: Background
Briefly summarize the current and significant work in the field of study of this proposal. Please be selective rather than exhaustive.
Section V: Objectives
Precisely list the objectives of the proposal considering time, funds, and available project personnel.
Section VI: Project Plan
Describe the experiments, methods of analysis, and/or other investigative approaches of the project. State what is to be done, when it is to be done, where it will be done, and who will do it. Clearly state if human subjects, animals, or biohazards will be involved.
Section VII: Expected Outcomes
If successfully completed, indicate the anticipated contributions this project will make to your professional development and to the university. Please quantify the anticipated outcomes. Examples of academic research outcomes include the authorship of a journal paper, the presentation of a paper or work of art at a reputable forum, the production of an archival data set of which will support substantive future research, or the submission of a proposal for external funding.
Section VIII: Biographical Sketch
Attach a brief, selective vita (no more than two pages including references) listing employment record, faculty rank, professional accomplishments, publications, etc. In the section provided, briefly describe work that is pertinent to the proposed project and provide evidence to demonstrate your ability to carry out such a project plan.
Previous Awards
Indicate any previous Senate Research funding you have received and if that award led to you submitting an application for external funding outlining when the proposal was sent, to whom, if it was awarded, and if so, how much funding you received.
List your publication citations resulting from previous internal and external awards.
Section IX: Related Funding
Describe the funding you have received to date for proposed or related projects. State whether similar proposals are also being submitted to other funding sources and identify them. Also include any anticipated sources of funding if this project is successfully completed.
Section X: Proposal Review Consultants
You MUST include the names of two reviewers from within WVU and two reviewers from outside WVU that are qualified to evaluate the project. Reviewers may not be your departmental chair, dean, PhD advisor, or close associate. The committee may, but is not obligated to, ask these people to serve as review consultants. These reviews will contribute to the committee’s decision. Applicants should feel free to provide names of those individuals from who the committee should not solicit reviews.
Application Submission
All applications must be submitted electronically. Hard copies will NOT be accepted under any circumstances. The proposal must be forwarded via email to your departmental chairperson for approval. The chairperson will then forward the application to your dean’s office. OSP will only accept applications from dean’s or their designees. Applicants should make all efforts to submit their application in one document.
The committee will only accept one proposal per applicant per funding cycle.
Deadline for the 2013 Senate Grants for Research and Scholarship is November 7, 2012. Proposals must be received electronically by the Office of Sponsored Programs by 4:45 p.m. on the day of the deadline at:wvu_internal@mail.wvu.edu.* Due to the highly competitive nature of this grant program, late applications WILL NOT be accepted.*
Via e-mail, OSP will send notification to all applicants confirming receipt of Senate Research Grant applications. If you do not receive such notification within a few days of the grant deadline, please contact OSP as soon as possible.
Proposal Evaluation & Review
The major criteria for evaluation will be an assessment of the substantive merit of the proposal as determined by the committee. A copy of the committee’s written evaluation form has been provided.
The committee’s evaluation will constitute 80 points of a 100 point score. The remaining 20 points will be determined by investigator’s tenure status, rank, and any prior Senate Research Grants the applicant has received, according to the following outline:
| Rank | Points | Previous Senate Research Awards Received | Points | |||
| Assistant Professor | 14 | 0 awards | 6 | |||
| Associate Professor | 10 | 1 award | 3 | |||
| Full Professor | 8 | 2 awards | 1 | |||
| Three+awards | 0 |
Each proposal will have at least one primary reviewer and a secondary reviewer from the Senate Research Committee. Applicants must also provide the names of two internal and two external persons with expertise in the field. The scores provided by the internal and external reviewers will not be factored into the final score for applications.
Post-Award Requirements
The principle investigator bears all responsibility for managing an awarded project and completing the final evaluation. Future publications resulting from this project should be forwarded to the committee.
A final project evaluation and report is due to the Office of Sponsored Programs within 60 days of the end of the project period. A form for this report will be distributed approximately 30 days after the end of the project.
NOTE: If you are the recipient of a Senate Research Grant and do not expect to return to WVU, you are obliged to notify the Office of Sponsored Programs. Senate Grant funds will then be reallocated. Acceptance of a position at another institution will be considered as a resignation from participation in the Senate Research Grant program. If you accept a Senate Research Grant and do not return to WVU for the academic year that corresponds to the award, you will repay the amount received under the program.
2011 Senate Grants for Research and Scholarship Funding Recipients
Nathanael Andrade, ECAS History
Taura Barr, Nursing Health Restoration
Karl Barth, CEMR CEE
Thomas Bredehoft, ECAS English
Adam Henry, ECAS Public Administration
Joseph Hodge, ECAS History
Maja Holmes, ECAS Public Administration
Xiangying Jiang, ECAS Foreign Languages
Hope Koehler, CCA Music
Hailin Li, CEMR MAE
Lucy Mauro, CCA Music
Mary McClung, CCA Theatre & Dance
Tania deMiguel Magro, ECAS Foreign Languages
Ashish Nimbarte, CEMR IMSE
Erika Osborne, CCA Art & Design
Paola Pergami, MED Peds
Daniel Pisano, ECAS Physics
Rhonda Reymond, CCA Art & Design
James Siekmeier, ECAS History
SilverMoon, ECAS History
Matthew Talbert, ECAS Philosophy
Can Talug, MED Urology/Surgery
Michael Vercelli, CCA Music
Nicholas Zegre, AG Forestry
2012 Senate Committee on Research and Scholarship
The charge of the Research and Scholarship Committee is to study matters associated with maintaining and enhancing the university’s environment for research, scholarship, and creative endeavors and make recommendations to the Senate as deemed appropriate. It shall evaluate applications for Senate research fund support.
Jason Huber, PHARM, Chair
Mitch Finkle, MED, Chair-Elect
Geri Dino, MED
Stan Hileman, MED
Susan Hunter, ECAS
Jennifer Knight, MED
Emily Murphy, EXT
Xiadong Shi, ECAS
Janet Snyder, CCA
Magesh Sundaram, MED
Jonathan Cumming, Provost’s Office, Ex-officio
Curt Peterson, Vice President for Research, Ex-officio
Alan Martin, Sponsored Programs, Ex-officio
Additional Information
Do not hesitate to ask for advice. Colleagues in your field can often offer criticism that will help clarify and strengthen a proposal. In evaluating your application, the committee will not rely exclusively upon the recommendations of the reviewers whose names you have provided, nor will it rely on the opinion of any single committee member.
Additional questions may be addressed to:
Jason Huber, Chair of the Committee, 304-293-1474
Cindy Jarvis, Office of Sponsored Programs, 304-293-3998
