Social Sciences Funding Program 2008-2009
Objective
The objective of the Social Sciences Funding Program (SSFP) is to provide seed funding to develop pilot data and to conduct preliminary work that will enable UI researchers to submit competitive applications for external research grants. Although the research to be performed may benefit students and lead to publications or dissertations, the primary outcome of the SSFP is to provide preliminary data for Principal Investigators (see below) to seek external grants.
SSFP awards will be directed to newer investigators trying to develop a research agenda.
Seasoned researchers (defined as established/independent investigators with a well-developed research program) striking out in a new research direction may apply, but only those applications that clearly define a distinctly new research area will be considered. Applications from senior researchers that extend or augment existing research are not considered responsive to this request for proposals. If you are unsure as to whether the topic meets criteria for SSFP funding, please contact the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) at 335-2119, for feedback.
We expect the proposed pilot project and the subsequent submission of an external grant proposal to be a top-priority for the applicant. Therefore, all proposed projects must be designed to be completed and all funds spent within a 12-month grant period. Additionally, projects are to result in an application for an external grant within six months of the end of the grant period.
Principal Investigator (PI) Eligibility
All tenure-track or tenured faculty, clinical faculty, research scientists, research engineers, associates, and other staff members for whom research and scholarship are assigned as one of their primary job responsibilities and have at least a 50% university appointment during the year of the project are eligible to apply for SSFP awards. These individuals are designated as PI-eligible applicants. The award is made to only one individual. There are no Co-PIs for the SSFP internal funding initiative.
Visiting faculty, lecturers, postdoctoral associates, fellowship trainees, medical residents, graduate students, and undergraduate students are not eligible.
Applicants early in their academic careers are encouraged to apply. However, applicants with existing start-up packages are required to describe and clearly justify how the SSFP funds will substantively provide pilot data that cannot be obtained under their start-up package.
More senior applicants are eligible to apply for SSFP funds, but only if they are embarking on a distinctly new research direction that can be clearly differentiated from their existing research portfolio.
An applicant may appear as a PI on only one proposal. Submissions by the PI to multiple programs (AHI, BSFP, MPSFP and SSFP) will not be allowed and, therefore, the applicant must choose one program best suited to his or her application.
Recipients (PI only) of AHI, BSFP, MPSFP or SSFP grants awarded in 2007-2008 are not eligible for this call for proposals.
Eligible Expenses
Eligible budget items may include: research assistant salary, postdoc salary, undergraduate stipends, and graduate student stipends (fringe benefits and graduate student tuition costs must be included in the budget; more information), equipment, supplies, animal care costs, payment to subjects, computer services, and any other costs relevant to the creative and scholarly activity. Domestic or international travel expenses are eligible only when the travel is required to conduct the research. (Applicants are strongly encouraged to seek support for international travel from the Office of International Programs.)
The budget should be consistent with generating feasibility data for submission of external grant support. Information and specific justification for each line item of the budget are required.
If questions arise as to eligibility of budget items, contact the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) for guidance (335-2119).
Ineligible Expenses
Salary for the PI and PI-eligible personnel is not allowed.
Travel to attend conferences or present findings is not eligible under SSFP.
"Bridging" support to maintain research operations for interim periods between grant termination and funding renewal is not allowed. Contact OVPR for information to specifically request bridging support.
Budget
An appropriate budget ($30,000 or less) should be designed to permit the completion of all grant related activities within 12 months of the award date. If project costs (e.g., $35,000) exceed the amount requested on the SSFP budget ($30,000 maximum), then other confirmed sources of funding (for the remaining $5,000) must be identified and shown on the budget. The DEO must endorse the availability and projected use of any additional funds required. Detailed justification must be included in the on-line form as to why each item of the budget is necessary for the research project.
Enter budget items, costs and justification in appropriate areas of the on-line form. Do Not submit a budget as part of the PDF document described below.
Budget categories are:
- Salary (salary for the PI and PI-eligible personnel is not allowed): Salary + fringe for all eligible personnel on project (e.g., research staff, graduate students, undergraduate students). Note: graduate student tuition costs must also be included as a budget expense (see: www.grad.uiowa.edu/students/FinancialSupport/TuitionScholarship/StudentFAQ.htm). The PI and PI-eligible personnel (tenured faculty, tenure track faculty, clinical faculty, associates, research scientists, research engineers) may not receive salary support as part of the SSFP.
- Equipment: Amount requested for equipment only. Specify each item.
- Supplies: Amount requested for research supplies, such as purchase of CDs, books, animals, animal care per diem costs, glassware, sera, etc. Specify all major categories.
- Related Services: Amount requested for services performed by non-academic units. Examples include costs to utilize the Small Animal Imaging Facility, DNA Facility, Central Microscopy Facility, etc.
- Travel: Amount requested for all travel-related costs (e.g., airfare, lodging, meals, long-term housing, etc.) Specify each trip. Only travel directly related to the conduct of the proposed research will be considered. Travel expenses to attend conferences and to report results are not eligible.
- Other: Amount for costs not covered in other budget categories. If you believe an item does not fall within any of the categories listed, enter it under “other” and justify it in the text box provided.
The funding period is for 12 months from the date of the award. It is expected that all 2008-2009 SSFP funds will be spent during the 12-month period immediately following the award.
Proposal Guidelines
All internal funding proposals must be submitted electronically via the UIRIS website at https://uiris.research.uiowa.edu/ by November 21, 2008. This is a secure site. To gain access to it, you must use your HawkID and password.
It is essential that applicants write their proposals so that the research is comprehensible to nonspecialists. All too often the PI writes the proposal in complex technical language with a significant number of abbreviations, formulas and symbols. The PI is strongly advised to write in more straightforward language that emphasizes why the area of investigation is important and how the team will conduct the research. To that end, limit the amount of highly discipline specific jargon used. Minimize the number of abbreviations used. Restrict description of overly technical components of your research. Remember that most reviewers will not be experts in your field of study. Your objective is to assist the reviewer in understanding the goals, merits and feasibility of your project.
The application must contain the following sections in the order indicated, with each section being clearly identified and beginning on a new page. Type font must be 11-point Times, Times New Roman or Arial, and margins must be at least .75 inches.
Project Narrative
1. Summary (maximum: one page double-spaced): Provide a brief overview of the general purpose and main procedures of the project that is comprehensible to nonspecialists. Define all abbreviations and acronyms and keep the number of abbreviations to a minimum.
2. Project Description (maximum: four pages single-spaced; bibliographical references, figures, tables, and illustrations are exempt from the four-page limit):
- Provide an explanation of the purpose of the research. Provide convincing arguments as to the significance of the proposed project.
- When appropriate, provide a statement of the hypothesis to be tested or generated.
- Provide methods and procedures (if data collection is involved, discuss analysis). This portion of the application should comprise two pages of the write-up.
- Provide bibliographical references relevant to the application (exempt from the four-page limit).
This entire section may be as technical as the subject demands, but jargon should be kept to a minimum. Clarity and comprehensibility should be maintained at the level of a nonspecialist.
3. Innovation (maximum: one page double-spaced): Describe what is novel and/or new about the research proposed. Provide convincing arguments about the originality and creativity of the project. What differentiates your research from others? How will the idea, approach, process, or outcome lead to a new way of thinking or research direction?
4. Resources and Environment (maximum: one page double-spaced): Describe available resources. Characterize adequacy of resources to carry out proposed research.
5. Feasibility of the Project (maximum: one page double-spaced): The aim(s) of the project should be well correlated with the time and funding limitations of the SSFP award. Provide a candid assessment of the likelihood of completing the proposed research. Describe how the project fits into the applicant’s career plans.
6. Timeline (maximum: one page double-spaced): Provide a clear schedule (12 months) for the research project with identified milestones related to hypotheses and/or aim(s). Include the six-month post award timeline that describes continuing efforts related to data analysis, grant writing, grant submission deadlines, etc.
7. Justification of Why SSFP is Needed (maximum: one page double-spaced): Include statements explaining why the award money is essential despite any existing internal and/or external funding. For new PIs, provide specific information why SSFP funds are necessary if the PI has existing start-up funds available. If the PI is an established/independent investigator, clearly describe how the SSFP proposal is uniquely different from ongoing research. It is the responsibility of the seasoned PI to provide appropriate justification that identifies the distinctly new research direction from current or existing research activities. In addition, recall that the overarching goal of the SSFP mechanism is to acquire pilot/feasibility data as a prerequisite to obtain federal extramural funding. Lack of convincing arguments for the true need of the SSFP funding potentially disadvantages the review of the proposal.
8. Describe Major Deliverables to be Provided at the End of the Project (maximum: one page double-spaced): Provide a list of what specifically will be accomplished by the end of the project period.
9. Describe Potential Pitfalls of the Proposed Research (maximum: one page double-spaced): List possible problems and difficulties that may arise with the methods and approach described in the proposal. List possible ways to circumvent these pitfalls.
10. Specify the External Funding Agency for your Proposal (maximum: one page double-spaced): Identify the external funding agency to which you will target your proposal. Indicate proposal submission deadlines. Explain why there is a good fit between the agency and your research. Describe how the SSFP data are to provide the feasibility information for the targeted external grant submission. Applicants are asked to provide substantive information about the funding agency and their prospects for future funding and not merely list possible sources of support.
Curriculum Vitae(s)
Submit a CV (maximum three pages) or a NIH-type biosketch. CVs or biosketches must be included for PI and all co-investigators or collaborators (PI-eligible personnel). The CV or biosketch is also required to contain all current funding support (federal, state, foundation, departmental, and university sources, including start-up funding) from the last three years, as well as any pending support. Citations of sources of support must contain dates, PI, dollar amounts, and a brief but clear description of the work supported by the awards; if none, please so state.
The following elements are required for each CV:
- Education history;
- Academic and corporate positions held;
- All peer reviewed publications; and
- Funding support.
Upload Document
Combine all components of the Project Narrative with all Curriculum Vitae or biosketches into one PDF document. Using the appropriate commands as directed in the on-line application process, upload the PDF document.
If you are having difficulties creating the required PDF document, contact OVPR at 335-2119. It is strongly suggested to do so before the deadline in the event that OVPR is unable to provide assistance in a timely fashion.
DEO/Chair Endorsement
The applicant’s DEO/Chair will be sent an email message from the Office of the Vice President for Research requesting the endorsement of the proposal shortly after the proposal is submitted. The endorsement must be received electronically from the DEO/Chair by the due date indicated on the email. If the DEO is submitting a proposal, the review will occur at the collegiate level.
Review Criteria
All applications will be peer-reviewed by a committee composed of appropriate faculty and staff. Recommendations will be made to the Vice President for Research, who will make the final determination of awards.
Funding decisions are based on the following five criteria:
- SIGNIFICANCE (Impact, influence and effect on research. Who benefits?)
- METHODS and APPROACH (Soundness of approach, deliverables and pitfalls)
- INNOVATION (Novelty, originality, and creativity)
- FEASIBILITY (Consideration of candidate qualifications, other personnel, resources and environment, logical timeline, and appropriateness of project scope)
- NEED (Are SSFP funds necessary to obtain feasibility data for external grant? How are start-up funds being used? Is this a new research direction?)
- FUNDABILITY (Is there a good fit between the proposed research and the specified funding agency?)
The applicant is required to demonstrate that the project is feasible in the 12 month award period utilizing the requested budget. Prospects for subsequent external funding are a significant factor in considering all SSFP proposals.
Applicants should feel free to utilize the resources of the Division of Sponsored Programs for help in identifying probable sources for future funding.
Notification
The following is the anticipated timeline for the SSFP process:
- Submission deadline: November 21, 2008
- Reviewers invited and grant review sessions identified: December 2008
- Review meetings: January -- February 2009
- Award notifications sent February 2009
Applicants will be notified if these dates change significantly.
Project Report
During the grant period, awardees of SSFP grants will be sent a project report form and asked to complete and submit it no later than 18 months from the date of the SSFP award. The primary element of the report must be a copy of the proposal that the applicant actually submitted to an external federal funding agency (e.g., NSF, NIH, DOE, DOD) as a result of the SSFP grant.
Failure to submit a progress report will make the PI ineligible for any future OVPR internal funding programs.