FY 2019 STEP Program for Faculty Researchers Seed Grants for Transitional and Exploratory Projects
STE STEP Gran rant Pro rogram Web ebsite te www. www.siue. ue.ed edu/ u/fund unding/ ng/inter nterna nal- fund unding/ ng/ste tep.shtm html STE STEP Propo posal Library ry ◦ emai mail M. Diane ne Cox x fo for an an appoin ppointment, dia diacox@s @siu iue.edu
Program basics Review Criteria Application Sections Budget Planning Time for Questions
The Basics
Deadline: 3 rd Friday in February, 4: 4:30 30 p.m. m. ( (on on the the dot! ot!) by ema email Check with your Unit for Internal School/Unit for additional deadlines SUBMIT IN ONE FILE, PDF FORMAT to siueresearch@siue.edu
July 1– June 30
Seed Grants for Transitional and Exploratory Projects (STEP) provides seed funding on a competitive basis to SIUE faculty and staff to support research and creative activities. Seed funding is used to jumpstart junior faculty research or encourage to the initiation of new research directions. Seed grant funding is not intended to sustain or supplement current research programs. For or juni unior fa faculty - Proj oject cts mus ust: t: help undertake pilot projects that will aid in establishing careers as independent investigators and enable successfully applying for extramural funding; applicants in the pre-mid-term review stage of their career may submit proposals to revise dissertation material. However, applicants must make a strong argument for how the STEP project may propel the applicant’s career in a significant and lasting research direction. For or es establi lished fa faculty - Proj oject cts mus ust: t: perform transitional and exploratory research (particularly on novel or pioneering ideas), to determine project feasibility, and to develop preliminary data to support extramural applications. demonstrate how the STEP project represents a significant transition in their research as opposed to previous activity. Successful proposals by established faculty will outline specific differences between the STEP project and previous scholarly activities, including publications and conference presentations, so that an educated lay reader is able to discern the new direction of the proposed project.
Faculty development (including conference travel) Institutional research Public service and consulting Departmental or curriculum development
Full-time continuing members of the faculty Research staff members on continuing appointments who have served as an investigator or co-investigator on an externally sponsored grant All ll PI PIs and Co Co-PI PIs mus must have compl pleted eted final reports ts and fulfille illed the ter terms and condit itio ions of previo iously sly SIU IUE funded re rese searc rch b before th they ey ar are e eligib ible le for this his pro rogram. This i s inclu ludes s submissio ssion of final repo eports an and ex d exter ternal gra rants. s.
Personnel – Who can be on the proposal? Primary Investigator (PI) Co-PI Key Personnel (include c.v., does not have to meet requirements) G.A.s and student workers Just remember that personnel tends to be the most expensive budget portion .
Up to $16,000: awards average $5,000 - $10,000 Annette and Henry Baich award: $1000 for best STEP application in sciences (disciplines covered by Sigma Xi)
Program Review and Criteria
1. Proposal are submitted to Unit Designee/ Research Committee by date indicated in Unit timeline for review and ranking 2. Rankings are sent to ORP 3. Rankings and proposals are re-reviewed by the Research and Development Committee. 3. Applicants are notified of final decisions by early April.
Discussion Points Is it a new direction for an established faculty member? Is the budget aligned with request and timeline? (Summer Salary when all work during Academic year) Do they meet criteria as detailed in the Reviewer Rubric? The rubric is available on STEP website (details the criteria, content expected in each category)
Review Criteria Categories The alignm nment nt of the project with the STEP purpose (25%) The origin ginalit lity/c /cre reativ tivity ity and s significan cance e of the proposed research or creative activity (20%) The clarity rity an and appro ropria priate teness of of the r e resear earch ch design ign and proc d procedure (30%) The research proposal’s pot potentia ial for or exter ernal al fund unding (25%) The appropriateness of the budget et an and stre trength of of the he b bud udget ju justif tificatio tion (comments only)
Each area is scored on a scale of Poor or (1), (1), Fai Fair (2) (2) , Goo ood (3), (3), VG (4), (4), Excel ellen ent (5) (5) (VG G and E con onsi sider ered ed in th the “funda dabl ble” ran ange) e) ◦ Applicants get scored under each criterion ◦ Scoring Rubric posted on STEP website
Application Sect ions
Application Cover Page o Form on website – complete all areas o Abstract (150 wds) o Ensure appropriate signatures are affixed Narrative/Project Description o 10 double-spaced , numbered pages with 1”margins o Use following fonts with minimum size Times New Roman 11 point/Ariel 10 point o Include sections headers for: • Alignment with STEP purpose • Introduction and Background • Procedures/Project Plan • Facilities • Timeline • Anticipated Results • Last page needs to be the External Funding Potential Form SUBMIT IN ONE FILE, PDF FORMAT to siueresearch@siue.edu
Alignment with STEP goals ◦ not same as an abstract, speak directly to program goals Intro and Background ◦ Make an argument for significance, contribution to field ◦ Don’t forget lit review Procedures and Project Plan ◦ Methods and why these are the best methods ◦ If portions are risky, mention “plan B” ◦ Plan needs to be tied to intended outcomes Facilities and Resources ◦ even if it’s only your office and computer Timeline ◦ chart format recommended Anticipated Results ◦ Publications and presentations ◦ External grants –target specific grants, argue your competitiveness USE FORM
AGENCY PROGRAM DEADLINE AMOUNT External Funding Potential You must provide a written plan for external funding in the narrative. You will use this chart (pg.11 of the narrative) to list potential funding sources. The programs do not have to be an exact match, but use the section to build the argument that your planned STEP outcomes are supported by the funders' research mission, forecast, trajectories or current funding direction. Include argument for your research and competitiveness for external funding potential. In your discussion, include alternatives if the direction of the funders you list in the table changes.
Budget o Form on website – complete all areas o Read the Budget section in the Guidelines carefully o Make sure you have thought about why each line is critical to the success of your project! Budget Justification o Maximum 2 pages, double spaced o Address each budget line item o Include rationale for including each item in the budget o REMEMBER, inadequate explanations can result in non-funding References o No page limit o Only include pertinent references SUBMIT IN ONE FILE, PDF FORMAT to siueresearch@siue.edu
Appendix o Only include items necessary to reviewers understanding of the research project o May include evidence of access to needed resources/people such as: o Letters of Commitment o Subcontractors experience o Sample surveys/protocols o DO NOT include graphs, charts or other items that belong in the Narrative o DO NOT use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitation of the Narrative. Curriculum Vitae (CV) o Maximum 2 pages o PI & CoI must each submit a CV (up to 2 pages o Include only activities relevant to the proposed project SUBMIT IN ONE FILE, PDF FORMAT to siueresearch@siue.edu
Previous Funding Form(s) o Use form on STEP website o Use one page per previous grant o Applies to any external funding received and any internal funding received in the last 3 years o These forms are used to assess applicant’s capacity for o producing strong outcomes and o meeting the terms and conditions of an internal award o If applicant has not received any funding previously complete a single form with the statement, “No internal or external funding received” SUBMIT IN ONE FILE, PDF FORMAT to siueresearch@siue.edu
Budget Considerations
Allowable cost categories ◦ call staff replacement during academic year ◦ summer salary ◦ student workers (hourly rate); G.A.s (salary) ◦ commodities ◦ contractual services ◦ equipment ◦ some telecommunications ◦ travel – directly related to collection of data only ◦ participant incentives ◦ other
Costs related to the “ineligible activities” Salary for collaborators external to SIUE Office supplies and items that should normally be provided by a department No funds are available for equipment maintenance or repair Conference travel No funding is available for telecommunication, except for the purposes of telephone surveys
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