Almanac,
Vol. 44, No. 3, September 9, 1997
OF RECORD:
Revised Research Foundation Guidelines
Also Available on the Web (http://www.upenn.edu/VPR/VPRHP.html)
and in Deans' Offices
Statement of Purpose
The Research Foundation encourages the exploration of new fields across
a broad spectrum of disciplines. In doing so, the Foundation expands opportunities
for faculty to attract support and resources from external sources while
encouraging work in fields that are traditionally underfunded. The Research
Foundation is principally for faculty.
The Foundation supports two levels of grants. The first level, Type A
grants, provide support in the range of $500 to $5,000. The second level,
Type B grants, provide support in the range of $5,001 to $50,000. You may
be interested to know that last year about half of all proposals were funded
and that they were funded at half of the amount requested (on average).
The standard application for a Type A grant is briefer than that for a Type
B grant, reflecting the funding levels. However, the review criteria for
Type A and Type B grants are similar, and several general factors are considered
in evaluating an application for either type of grant. They are:
- Its contribution to the development of the applicant's research potential
and progress.
- The quality, importance and impact of the proposed research project.
- Its potential value for enhancing the stature of the University.
- Its budget appropriateness in terms of the project proposed, including
consideration of need and availability of external support.
The Application Process
The Research Foundation Board will review both Type A and Type B applications
in the fall and spring of each academic year. Applications for the fall
cycle are due on or before November 1 of each year, while spring
cycle applications are due on or before March 15 of each year. All
research projects involving human subjects or animals must receive Institutional
Review Board approval prior to funding. Questions concerning human/animal
research should be directed to Mrs. Ruth Clark at 898-2614. All research
projects involving the use of hazardous or biohazardous materials and/or
radioactive materials, must receive approval from the Office of Environmental
Health and Radiation Safety (OEHRS) prior to funding. Questions about this
approval process should be directed to (OEHRS) at 898-4453.
An Original and Ten Copies of the proposal with the cover sheet
should be submitted to the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, 212
College Hall/6381.
Type A Proposals are limited in length to ten single spaced pages
and should contain a brief description of the research and the specific
needs which the grant will cover. The proposal should include:
- The Research Foundation Proposal Cover Sheet* . Failure to fully
complete the Cover Sheet or exceeding page limitations will risk disqualification
from the competition.
- 100-word abstract of the project for the educated non-specialist.
- Amount of current research support (including start-up packages).
- Other pending proposals for the same project.
- List of research support received during the past three years. Include
funds from University sources such as school, department, or Research Foundation.
If you were funded by the Research Foundation in the last three years,
please submit a brief progress report with publications and grants proposed
or received (no more than one page).
- A one-page biographical sketch of each investigator listing educational
background, academic positions held, and five recent publications.
- A three- to four-page mini-proposal, outlining the project and its
significance.
- A budget that justifies the specific items requested and assigns a
priority to each item.
Research Foundation support for Type A proposals will focus on:
- Seed money for the initiation of new research.
- Limited equipment requests directly related to research needs.
- Travel expenses for research only.
- Publication preparation costs.
- Summer Stipends, with preference for applications from Assistant Professors.
Type B Proposals are limited in length to fifteen single spaced
pages. The proposal should include:
- The Research Foundation Proposal Cover Sheet*. Failure to fully
complete the Cover Sheet or exceeding page limitations will risk disqualification
from the competition.
- 100-word abstract of significance of the project for the educated non-specialist.
- Amount of current research support (including start-up packages).
- Other pending proposals for the same project.
- List of research support, including titles, amounts, and grant periods,
received during the past three years. Include funds from University sources
such as school, department, or Research Foundation.
- A brief curriculum vitae including publications for the principal investigator
and each researcher listed on the proposal.
- A proposal of not more than nine single spaced pages giving the objectives
and scholarly or scientific significance of the proposed work, a description
of the research plan and methodologies to be employed, a description of
the significance and impact of the project, a description of how a Research
Foundation grant will facilitate acquisition of future research funds.
- Budget (one page). Budget items should be listed in order of priority.
Research Foundation support for Type B proposals focus on several areas
of need. These are:
- Matching funds, vis-a-vis external grant sources.
- Seed money for exploratory research programs.
- Support for interdisciplinary research initiatives.
- Faculty released time.
Requests for student tuition and dissertation fees will not be considered
by the Foundation.
_______
* The Research Foundation Proposal Cover Sheet is not reproduced
here, but can be found on (and printed from) the Web, or requested from
the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.
Almanac, Vol. 44, No. 3, September 9, 1997
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