The University of Southern Mississippi
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH COUNCIL

Summer Faculty Research Grants 2009-2010

Funding for the 2009-2010 Summer Faculty Research Grants has been suspended.

GUIDELINES FOR SUMMER FACULTY RESEARCH GRANTS (2008)

Eligibility

1. Proposals from faculty holding tenure track appointments at the professional ranks are eligible and will be given equal consideration.
2. Compensation can be requested for one, two, or three course equivalents (three, six, or nine credit hours) .
3. Awards will be made only to individual scholars and will be based on summer salary at the present professorial rank.
4. Acceptance of a summer research grant award for three course equivalencies prohibits additional university employment during the term of the grant. If partial release time (one or two courses) is requested, the recipient is eligible to engage in other university employment (e.g., teaching or administrative duties), but total university compensation may not exceed three course equivalencies. The term of the grant shall coincide with the summer semester; from the day classes begin through the last day of regularly scheduled classes. A grant in itself does not require the recipient to maintain residence at the University.
5. Awards may be offered at a lower amount than requested based on funding availability or time justification.
6. Applicants who will not be employed by the University during the academic year following the summer for which the grant application is made are ineligible. Those awarded sabbaticals immediately preceding or following the summer are fully eligible to compete.
7. College Research Committee members, University Research Council members, and recipients of a Summer Faculty Research Grant award during the previous three years are not eligible to submit proposals.
8. Junior faculty are encouraged to apply.

Awardee Obligations

1. If funding is awarded, recipient agrees to complete the proposed plan during the Summer 2009 term.
2. LETTERS Day Poster Session
   1. Recipients of the previous year's Summer Faculty Research Grants must participate in the annual Summer Faculty Research Grant poster session held as part of the LETTERS (Lives Enriched Through Their Endeavors: Research and Scholarship) Day celebration. Posters should acknowledge the support provided by the SFRG. Assistance with poster production is available.
3. Final Report
   1. Recipients of Summer Faculty Research Grants must submit summary reports to the Office of the Provost by the last day of classes during the summer for which support was provided. If the purpose of the grant was to complete a project underway, a copy of the manuscript or results must be submitted. If the purpose was to write a grant for extramural funding, a copy of the grant application must be submitted. For new projects a detailed summary of the summer's accomplishments will serve as a progress report.
   2. Failure to submit a final report may be cause for the university to recapture the funds allocated to the recipient and to disqualify that individual from future internal research grant opportunities.

Application Instructions:

1. If you need help with the submission process, please contact Dr. Sharon Rouse (601-266- 4668 ) or your URC college representative, who will assist you in the process.
2. Acceptable file formats: Applications may be submitted as Word or PDF files. Supplemental materials will not be accepted. For your convenience a Word template is available.
3. Length Limitation: The complete application comprises a maximum of FOUR (4) pages total, consisting of a one page cover page, two page project description, and one page curriculum vitae. Using the Word template as a guide, the cover page should include the information preceding "Project Description," including the "agreement" section. The length of the narrative component ( "Project Description," sections I. through V.) may be adjusted to fit your needs but must not exceed two pages total of single-spaced 12-point text . The final component is a ONE (1) page curriculum vitae.
4. Level of award: Applicants for the 2009 Summer Research Grant will be considered for full or partial awards. Level of award will not affect review recommendations. Request for partial awards should be made for projects that require less than full summer support.
5. Be clear and concise about the course equivalent requested and the time the research tasks will take. The URC reserves the right to reduce the award if this seems appropriate.
6. Avoid jargon and write for a general audience. Your application will be reviewed by the URC and college subcommittees, representing diverse backgrounds.
7. You may wish to compose your application using a standard word-processing program, and then cut and paste from the original document.
8. Curriculum Vitae: The total length of text for the CV should not exceed one single-spaced page of 12 point word-processed text.
9. When the Application is Complete: Submit application (Word or PDF files only) to Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) via e-mail attachment to sponsoredprograms@usm.edu on or before the deadline.

Selection Procedures

1. Notice of this award mechanism will be disseminated beginning the last full week of classes in the spring semester. Applications will be due on or before 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 3, 2008. Awards will be announced the following spring semester.
2. Proposals will be judged on the basis of the following criteria:
   1. Intrinsic merit of the research. This criterion is used to assess the likelihood that the research will lead to significant new discoveries, advances, or understanding in its field. Support may be requested for projects currently underway, provided that there is no budgetary duplication with other funding sources. Support may be requested for the production of extramural grant applications, provided a draft of the application can be completed during the award period.
   2. Researcher competence. This criterion relates to the capability of the investigator and the likelihood that research will be completed in the time specified by the investigator.
   3. Reasonableness of the timeline. Can it be accomplished within the timeline indicated?
   4. Clarity of the proposal. It should be written in language that can be understood by one not of the discipline.
   5. Specificity of the proposal. What specifically does the applicant propose to accomplish with this grant in the summer?
3. PROPOSALS THAT DO NOT COMPLY WITH THESE GUIDELINES WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY DENIED.
4. Each College Research Committee will review and rank that college's grant proposals (with “1” representing the best proposal) and provide the URC with four (or fewer than four, at the college's discretion) best proposals along with a summary evaluation and ranking for each. The summary evaluation should indicate that the proposal complies with the competition guidelines. The College Research Committees will provide feedback and notification of status to all applicants. The final rankings of the College Research Committee's RECOMMENDED proposals must be submitted to the chair of the URC's SFRG committee (Dr. Sharon Rouse) by Friday, October 31, 2008.
5. The URC will check the proposals for compliance with the competition guidelines, and will rank the proposals taking into consideration the rankings and summary evaluations received from the college committees. The URC's recommendations will be forwarded to the Vice President for Research and Economic Development by Friday, December 5, 2008. The process is complete upon the Vice President's approval.
6. Confidentiality will be maintained at all stages of evaluation.

Appeal

1. Any appeal concerning College Research Committee decisions should go to (1) the College Research Committee, (2) the University Research Council, and (3) the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, in that order.

Faculty Summer Research Grant proposal review procedures summary:

1. College Research Committee
   1. Check applicant's eligibility. The following are not eligible:
      1. Non-tenure track faculty
      2. Members of the College Research Committee/University Research Council
      3. Applicants who received this grant during the past three years
   2. Choose and rank the top four proposals to be forwarded to SPA
   3. Prepare a brief summary assessment for each of these four proposals which will be presented to the URC by the Chair of each College Research Committee.
2. University Research Council
   1. Rank the proposals.
   2. Check applicant's eligibility. Previous grant recipients (over three years before) who have not submitted final reports should not be eligible for a new award.
   3. Prepare final recommendation of ranked proposals to be sent to the office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development. They will be forwarded to the Office of the Provost.

If you need help with the submission, please contact Dr. Sharon Rouse (601-266-4668) or your URC college representative, who will assist you in the process.

Submit Application

To complete the submission process:

1. Send your complete application to Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) via e-mail attachment to sponsoredprograms@usm.edu on or before 5:00 pm Friday, October 3, 2008.
2. SUBJECT LINE should read: Summer Faculty Research Grant Application
3. Attach application (Word or PDF files only)