Development of Intercollegiate Research Proposals and Networks

TO: Deans, Directors, Department Heads/Chairs and Faculty

FROM: R. Timothy Mulcahy, Vice President for Research

SUBJECT: Development of Intercollegiate Research Proposals and Networks

Objectives: to develop preliminary networks of interdisciplinary or interscholastic teams, to increase faculty members knowledge of sponsors’ interdisciplinary and strategic funding directions, and to enable faculty members to respond more quickly and collaboratively to emerging directions in research

General eligibility: all faculty members and others otherwise eligible to serve as principal investigators. Matching or cost sharing by collegiate units may be required.

Deadline: Applications accepted throughout the year.

These funds will be distributed through a competitive peer review process.

Awards will be made in 4 categories:

a) travel support;

b) preliminary development of collaborative teams or networks;

c) support for colloquia or meetings; and

d) administrative support to facilitate submission of large, multi-investigator proposals.

a) Travel support:

Awards up to $1500 will be made to cover cost of travel to meetings or briefings hosted by a funding agency to introduce and discuss new initiatives or to explore criteria for development of future Request For Proposals, or to meetings of multi-institutional consortia exploring interdisciplinary approaches.

Expenses can include airfare, conference fees, hotels and other cost associated with travel.

Evaluation criteria include breadth of disciplines involved and potential for future funding opportunities.

Proposal should be not be more than two pages and include:

• Explanation of the significance of the meeting relative to the potential for future interdisciplinary funding;
• Evidence of support from faculty members in other disciplines;
• A proposed budget; and,
• A plan to share with colleagues the information and ideas gleamed from attendance.

b) Preliminary development of collaborative teams or networks

Successful collaborations require more than great ideas. They require time and attention to foster the cooperative spirit and engage in exploration of the research question. Collaboration often starts by bringing colleagues together for an exchange of ideas and continues through participation in active discussion and development of a grant application. Participation by members of interested communities and organizations outside the University is strongly encouraged.

Awards up to $10,000 will be made to foster the development of intercollegiate or multi-institutional networks that demonstrate potential for securing external funding.

Allowable expenses include costs for meeting space, staff support to arrange for meetings and materials, web, teleconference and other costs of ongoing communication, or support for graduate assistants to conduct preliminary research. Faculty salaries, and general use equipment or supplies including computers, books, and subscriptions are not allowable.

Evaluation criteria include breadth of disciplines and communities involved, originality and quality of the approach, and potential for future funding opportunities.

Proposal should be not be more than four pages and must include:

• Explanation of the significance of the preliminary research topic relative to the potential for future interdisciplinary funding;
• Evidence of interest from non-traditional fields for collaboration from within the University of Minnesota or another university, as well as community partnerships;
• A plan to maintain interest and active discussion among the team or network;
• A preliminary approach for a grant application and likely sources for funding; and,
• A proposed budget, identifying support from college(s) and/or community partner(s).

c) Support for colloquia or meetings

Awards up to $2000 will be made to bring interdisciplinary colloquia or conferences to campus. These conferences should facilitate the exchange of ideas among faculty and other collaborators interested in developing or expanding connections or networks. Potential collaborations should be directed toward identifying knowledge gaps that could be better addressed through broad interdisciplinary collaboration.

Emphasis should be on discussion, learning the concepts and perspectives of different fields, and exploring grant application opportunities. Ideally the conference would result in a plan of action, including one or more ideas for grant applications.

Allowable expenses include staff support to help with scheduling and arrangements, rental of meeting rooms, parking for visitors to campus, and travel, meals, and accommodation for guest speakers. Faculty salaries should not be included and may not be considered as part of the matching contributions. However, similar personnel costs of community partners participating actively in the planning (not just attendance) may be considered as contributed effort, or in-kind contributions.

Evaluation criteria include breadth of disciplines and communities involved, originality and quality of the approach, and potential for future funding opportunities.

Proposal should be not be more than three pages and include:

• Explanation of the significance of the meeting relative to the potential for future interdisciplinary funding;
• Evidence of support from community partners and faculty members at other universities; and,
• A proposed budget.

d) administrative support to facilitate submission of large, multi-investigator, multi collegiate proposals.

There is a high cost associated with developing and assembling multi-investigator, multi-institutional grant applications. The cost is measured in additional paperwork, more complex coordination, and increased staff time. In order to facilitate and provide an incentive to prepare these types of grant applications, awards up to $2000 will be provided to offset the administrative costs of the unit having primary responsibility for the production and assembly. This is often, but not always, the department or collegiate office of the principal investigator.

To be eligible for this award, the grant application must be for a period of three or more years, have a minimum total cost of $5 million or more, and be in response to a Request for Application or Proposal (RFA, RFP) to a broad agency announcement, or proposal for a multi-collegiate center or multi-university project or consortium.

Proposal should not be more three pages and include:

• A brief description of the project (a draft of the abstract) ;
• A web reference or citation to the RFA or RFP (if applicable);
• The nature or complexity of the additional administrative work or tasks involved; and
• A proposed budget.

Application Process: Applications, which will be reviewed by an internal committee within two to four weeks of receipt, should summarize the plans, participants, and anticipated benefits, and address specific items for the type of request being made.

Please send your original application and TWO copies to:

The Office of the Vice President for Research
Attn: Peggy Sundermeyer
420 Johnston Hall
101 Pleasant Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55454

Reporting: At the end of grant period, PIs should submit a brief report, 1-2 pages, describing activities, participants, outcomes, specifically grant applications made or in process, and ideas for further development (or discontinuation) of the activity. The report should also include a summary of expenditures.

Questions? Contact Peggy Sundermeyer at sunde005@ umn.edu or call 612-626-7850.