General Campus Grant Funding

The General Campus Research Grant Committee is currently soliciting applications for research support for funds beginning January 1, 2016. Funds will not be provided for expenses incurred prior to the submission deadline date.

The next deadline for submission of applications is October 15, 2015. Applications received after October 15, 2015 will be returned to the applicant without exception.

Application Process

Eligibility Information

1. Members of the Academic Senate in all fields are eligible to apply for individual grants.
2. Individuals who are not members of the Academic Senate but are established investigators may seek support through:
   1. joint applications with members of the Senate, or
   2. the recommendation from the Department Chair for an exception supporting the applicant's request and advising the Committee of his/her status in the department.

Guidelines

1. General

   Project descriptions should be written in general terms and comprehensible to non-specialists. Priority will be given to original projects, especially by junior and recently arrived faculty with no extramural or intramural support. Faculty with more than $40K in unencumbered discretionary or start-up funds will receive a lower priority. Research grants funded by the Committee will not exceed $20,000. Effective July 1, 2014, the 10-year cumulative total is $60,000. Since the Committee is particularly interested in promoting new projects that will lead to extramural support, applicants should indicate when such funding is likely.

2. Supplies and Expenses/Salaries/In-Field Travel/Equipment

   Funds may be awarded for supplies, field work, research assistance, general assistance, travel for research purposes (written quotation from agency required), and equipment (vendor price quotation required). For graduate student support, identification of the graduate student is required. Salary support for postdoc fellows, PGRs, or other appointments in academic series is not allowed.

3. Manuscripts

   Limited funds are available to support the final preparation of manuscripts for publication. Manuscripts must exceed 200 double-spaced, typewritten pages. Application must include the title, number of pages, and a detailed price quotation. Funds will not be awarded if a publisher's advance has been received.

4. Computer Equipment

   Applications for computer equipment/software must be justified on a research basis. (Vendor price quotation required). Applicants must indicate what kind of computer equipment they currently use.

5. Audio/Video/Photographic Equipment

   Requests for funding of Audio/Video/Photographic equipment (price quotation required) should be accompanied by a letter from the Department Chair justifying the request in view of already existing equipment in the department. The award will be made to the academic department, not to individual faculty. The department is obligated to make certain that the equipment is accessible to the entire faculty.

6. Unallowable Expenses

   The Committee does not award funds for: books; curricular, administrative and teaching aid studies; individual subscriptions or periodicals; professional society dues; honorariums; stipends; reprints; publication costs; telephone charges; postage; typewriters, calculators, office furniture; minor office and computer supplies (paper, pens, pencils); maintenance and repair of equipment.

7. Human and Animal Subjects

   1. Research involving the use of human subjects (including the use of questionnaires, body fluids, and tissues) must be approved by the Human Subjects Committee before funds can be allocated. Approval number and date must be provided to the Committee. Application forms are available in the Human Subjects Committee Office.
   2. Research involving the use of animals must be approved by the Animal Subjects Committee. A copy of the approval or protocol number should be appended to the application. Animal Use Protocol forms are available from the Animal Subjects Committee Office.

Use of Funds

Funds are not discretionary; justification of all items requested is essential.

Requests which would result in cumulative support beyond $60,000 over a ten year period will not be approved. The cumulative total will be taken into consideration in establishing priorities on future applications. Expenditures of research grant funds must conform to the Committee allocations by categories and purpose. Savings in any category cannot be redirected and must be returned for redistribution; grantee's 10-year cumulative total will be credited.

The grantee is responsible for the administration of the grant, including overdrafts, and must review the budget and promptly return any funds that will not be spent before the grant expires. Any unexpended funds remaining on the expiration date will automatically revert to the Committee for redistribution.

Any equipment purchased from an Academic Senate research grant becomes the property of the University upon acquisition and is retained by the University upon completion of the project for which the funds were awarded.

All expenditures are subject to applicable University regulations. Policy and Procedure Manual References:

• General Policy:  150-75 through 150-79
• Human Subjects: 100-5
• Animal Subjects: 100-6
• Accounting: 300-60 & 300-80
• Travel: 365-1 through 365-7

Any unexpended balances returned prior to the ending date of the grant will be credited towards grantee's ten-year cumulative total.