POLICY STATEMENT CONCERNING
RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY GRANTS

FAM 516

 

FSD 88-02.R4
Faculty Affairs Committee
April, 1993

 

1.  Purpose and Scope

The purpose of these grants is to facilitate faculty in their research, scholarship, and creative activity which will ultimately lead to their professional growth and to the enhancement of the student educational experience. Preference will be given to proposals not previously funded but which show evidence of initial preparation has already taken place. These grants are in the following categories:

a.  Mini-grants (up to $5,000).

The specific purpose of mini-grants is to provide "seed monies" to support new projects or new phases of longer term projects that hold promise of extramural funding. Faculty submitting a mini-grant proposal must indicate the place of their project in their long-range research program. These grants may be used for support such as student assistants, clerical help, duplicating, computer time, assigned time, and supplies and services. In addition, mini-grants may be used to fund equipment and/or travel specifically related to the project.

b.  Summer Fellowships (for one or two months).

Summer fellowships are designed to provide faculty with financial support to start, continue or complete a substantial project of creative scholarship or research, or an appropriate activity related to the faculty member's academic discipline. Examples of such a project are completion of a manuscript, specialized course work or training, an exhibition or a performance. Fellowship stipends will be equivalent to the faculty member's monthly salary (1/12 of annual salary) in effect at the close of the academic year. Faculty awarded a summer fellowship may accept no additional employment funded by the CSU or CSU auxiliaries during the specified month(s) of the summer fellowship (i.e., no summer session, extension, state supported grants, etc.).

c.  Quarter Term Leaves with Pay.

Quarter term leaves with pay are awarded to develop or complete a substantial project of creative scholarship or research, or an appropriate activity related to the faculty member's academic discipline such as completion of a manuscript, specialized course work or training, an exhibition or a performance.

Faculty receiving a quarter term leave shall be required to teach the equivalent of two quarters following the leave and shall be required to provide appropriate signed documentation that they will return for the specified amount of time.

2.  Funding

Total funds available for these grants are determined annually in accordance with allocations from the Chancellor's Office. Chancellor's Office funding for Faculty Professional Development is allocated to the three grant categories by the Faculty Professional Development Coordinating committee (FPDCC). The available funds are distributed to the schools and library based on the following formula:

  (f+u) T

(F+U)

Where "f"= FTEF in School, "u"= number of un-tenured faculty in School, "F"= FTEF in University, "U"= number of un-tenured faculty in University and "T" = total number of dollars.

The School/Library Professional Awards Committee will distribute the funds to faculty in accordance with FPDCC allocation guidelines.

3.  Eligibility

4.  Application

5.  Criteria for Evaluation

5.1 Proposals must clearly demonstrate quality in terms of the following:

a)	Clarity:   The proposal must clearly and concisely describe the project as a whole using non-specialist language whenever possible.
b)	Objectives:   The proposal must describe the objectives of the project and elaborate on the following: 1) the reasons for the applicant's undertaking the project; 2) the purpose of the project; 3) the projected results of the project; 4) how the results fit the applicant's future research plans; and 5) the project's relation to other activity being conducted by the faculty member.
c)	Methods:   The proposal must clearly describe the activities, including methods and procedures, which will be conducted and must clearly show that these are designed to meet the stated objectives.
d)	Feasibility:   The proposal must present an organized plan of action which demonstrates that the project is feasible. When appropriate, a budget shall be included to demonstrate that the project can be conducted in a manner that utilizes effectively the resources requested.
e)	Results:   The proposal must elaborate on the expected end product of the project. This can be results such as publications (i.e. books, monographs, articles or scholarly papers), creative activity (i.e. gallery showings, concerts or theatrical productions), and external grant proposals.
f)	Prior Grant Activity:   The proposal must include the faculty member's prior record in the use of grant awards in the three categories.

5.2	Proposals for Mini-Grants must clearly indicate that the budget requested is necessary. Itemized expenditures are required.
5.3	Proposals must clearly show the significance of the project in terms of both the professional development of the faculty member, and also the body of knowledge of the faculty member's academic discipline, teaching fields, or areas of library expertise.

6.   Approval and Awards Process

6.1	Proposals for these grants shall be called for by Graduate Studies in accordance with schedules established by the Dean of Graduate Studies.
6.2	The following special approvals may be required before submitting proposals:

6.2.1	Proposals requiring the use of human subjects for research purposes shall be approved by the Institutional Review Board, should time permit, before they are submitted. Those still requiring I.R.B. approval after the grants evaluation shall not be finally released until after such review.
6.2.2	Proposals requiring the use of animal subjects for research purposes shall be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) before they are submitted.
6.2.3	Proposals requesting assigned time must have the signatures of the department chair and school dean indicating that consultation has occurred.

6.3	If a faculty member who has submitted a proposal is serving on a School/Library Professional Awards Committee, the School Dean/University Librarian will appoint a replacement, as described in subsection 7, who shall serve until consideration of that particular group of awards has been completed. Proposals shall be considered according to a blind review.
6.4	All proposals received within the announced deadline schedule shall be distributed to the appropriate School/Library Professional Awards Committee. The committee shall prepare a statement of merit for each proposal.

6.4.1	Each School Professional Awards Committee shall consist of five faculty members from that School; no more than one per department in schools where there are five or more departments. If there are fewer than five departments in that School, at least one member should come from each department. The Library Professional Awards Committee shall have three members. Members of each School/Library Professional Awards Committee shall be bargaining-unit-three tenure-track faculty who will not apply for any grants during their time of service, elected by the faculty/library of the school or library under the supervision of  the appropriate Constituent Unit Elections Officer. Committee members shall be elected to two-year staggered terms.
6.4.2	Statements of merit shall be forwarded to Graduate Studies or its designee and to the respective faculty members.
6.4.3	A faculty member may choose to respond to the statement of merit within five working days. This response shall go to Graduate Studies or its designee.

6.5	The School/Library Professional Awards Committee shall evaluate and rank all proposals by category and shall make recommendations for allocations. In making recommendations, the Committee shall consider:

a.	The quality (clarity, objective, method) and feasibility of the proposed project.
b.	Evidence of preparation or preplanning for the proposed project.
c.	Whether or not proposals fulfill the purposes for which the specified grant category was designed.
d.	The faculty member's prior record in the use of grant awards in the three categories.
e.	The amounts and appropriateness of the budget request.

6.6	Recommendations from the School/Library Professional Awards Committee shall be forwarded to the Dean/University Librarian, who shall give final approval of the awards. The approved awards shall be submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies for review to insure initial allocation guidelines have been observed.
6.7	After the process is completed, each applicant shall receive a copy of all material relating to his or her proposal, including the statement of recommendation. A copy shall also be retained in the office of the School Dean/University Librarian and in Graduate Studies.
6.8	Grants awarded under this policy shall not be subject to the grievance procedure except on procedural grounds.

7.  Exclusions

8.  Report