Money available for time to seek external funding for projects

The project development award program was established to encourage and enable faculty to obtain significant funding from external agencies by providing release time to develop fundable proposals. External proposals developed under the PDA program should seek funding for research and scholarly activities that contribute to the mission of the university.

Because the program is funded through indirect costs generated from previously successful externally funded projects, projects developed under this award are expected to generate sufficient indirect costs to continue the program. Applications for the development of proposals that do not generate indirect costs (NEH fellowships, for example) will not be considered.

A faculty member may request up to one quarter release time (spread over at least two quarters during the academic year), plus the equivalent of one summer research grant, to work on developing a proposal for extramural funding. As a second option for those who cannot arrange release time during the academic year, a faculty member may request full salary for two summer months to work full-time on developing the proposal.

In addition to the release time, faculty members may request funds to hire students, purchase supplies, and travel, if necessary, to conduct preliminary research or to visit potential funding agencies.

The Research Advisory Committee will evaluate and recommend proposals to be supported based on the following criteria:

• Project Development Awards are intended to allow faculty the time to obtain preliminary data and develop a proposal that will be ready for submission by the end of the award period. The scope of the project must warrant the amount of support requested. (Note: For smaller projects the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs offers Pilot Project Grants which provide up to $3,000 to assist faculty in initiating pilot projects that will generate data needed to develop proposals for extramural funding.)
• Specific agencies, foundations, and/or programs must be identified in the application. Applicants are encouraged to study the agencies' programs and to discuss the project with program officers to determine the appropriateness of the agency.
• The proposal resulting from the Project Development Award is expected to contain sufficient support to engage undergraduates in the faculty member's research, to contain support for some graduate students, to fund a portion of the faculty member's time throughout the project period and sufficient indirect costs. Multi-year proposals for external funding are encouraged.
• For faculty who currently have externally funded projects the proposal must not be for an extension of the current work nor for a renewal or continuation of the existing grant.
• The opportunity to expand professional scholarship of the faculty member as well as contribute to the mission of the university will be considered.

Completed applications must be received by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs by October 6, 2011 for fall quarter competition and by February 9, 2012 for winter quarter competition. Applications should include the following information:

• Project Development Program Application Cover Sheet (available in Office of Research and Sponsored Programs in Old Main Room 530 and online.
• Detailed project description (not to exceed five pages; organized like a typical extramural proposal). The description should be written in clear, non-technical language that a colleague from another discipline can comprehend and review fairly.
• Bibliography
• Current vita
• Relevant supporting documentation

Awards will be announced Oct. 26 (fall competition) and March 1, 2012 (winter competition).