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CAS Faculty Research Grants

PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

Electronic Submission Deadline: January 13, 2025

Chair Approval Deadline: January 17, 2025

If you have questions, please contact Dr. Keri Brondo by e-mail kbrondo@memphis.edu.

2025 Guidelines for CAS Research Grants

PURPOSE

The CAS Faculty Research Grant program is an internal effort by the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) intended to support research and creative activity of CAS faculty and to enhance competitiveness for external funding and extend the research reputation of CAS faculty. CAS Faculty Research Grants can be used as seed funds for: (1) research projects that will produce pilot data for proposals to be submitted to outside funding agencies or (2) faculty embarking on research likely to lead to recognition of the faculty member, their department, and the University.

Funding for this program comes from indirect costs generated by externally sponsored contract and grant activity during the previous year. Therefore, it is expected that recipients of these grants will seek external funding if possible, within their discipline to continue their projects. Continued and expanded grant activity will ensure the future availability of these grants.

CAS RESEARCH GRANT AREA REVIEW COMMITTEES

To facilitate review by smaller groups with more specific expertise in the subject areas, CAS Research Grants are categorized into the college’s three grand divisions: Social Sciences; Humanities; and Natural Sciences.

Applicants are asked to self-select the most appropriate grand division for their area, based upon topic and methodology.

Applicants may also self-select to be considered for one of up to two awards made annually for research exploring social justice, race, gender, sexuality, and forms of inequality.

A CAS Research Grant Area Review Committee will be appointed by the Dean of CAS to review proposals in each area. CAS Research Grant applicants or their partners may not serve on Area Review Committees.

SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA

The Dean will award CAS Research Grants upon recommendation by the Area Review Committees. Criteria used in evaluating proposals include: project and budget justification, outcomes and significance of project (including plans for external funding, if applicable), appropriateness of project design and methods, qualifications of the applicant for implementing the project, probability of achieving project objectives, appropriateness of the schedule for project activities, and plans for dissemination of research results.

ELIGIBILITY

Individuals eligible for an award must be full-time tenured faculty, tenure-track faculty or research faculty* with primary appointments in the College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Memphis at the time of proposal review. Applications from faculty who have not submitted a final report on a previous Faculty Research Grant (FRG) will not be considered. It is expected that the grant recipient will remain at The University of Memphis for at least one year following the conclusion of the grant period. A faculty member will not be eligible for more than one grant within five years. Example: If you received an award for a project beginning July 1, 2020, or later you are not eligible this year.

Eligible individuals submitting CAS Research Grant proposals may also submit proposals to other University of Memphis internal grant mechanisms. However, faculty receiving grants from any other internal mechanisms will may not accept a CAS FRG for the same project.

* Eligible research faculty job titles are research assistant professor, research associate professor, and research professor.

DURATION OF GRANT
FRGs are awarded for one fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2025. Expenditures must be consistent with the financial policies of the University of Memphis and in keeping with the University’s fiscal year-end closing schedule. In the case of default situations, such as the applicant’s inability to complete the project, unexpended funds will revert back to the CAS Research Grant pool account.

APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEADLINES

Final proposals must be submitted electronically to the CAS Dean's office, by Friday, January 13, 2025. Each proposal must be accompanied by electronic endorsements from the faculty member's Department Chair. It is the submitter's responsibility to ensure that the flow of approval and all email addresses are correct, and officially supported by the University. THE CAS DEAN'S OFFICE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LATE OR MISDIRECTED APPLICATIONS. Evidence of submission for approval must be obtained if either human or animal subjects will be used; the appropriate box on the Cover Page must be checked. IRB approval is required before funds will be awarded.

PROPOSAL FORMAT

Links to the online CAS Research Grant application form will be shared with CAS faculty by email and will be posted on the CAS web page (Click here for access to the electronic application form).

CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO ADHERE TO THESE PROPOSAL GUIDELINES AND TO EDIT THE PROPOSAL BEFORE SUBMISSION. PROPOSALS THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES OR INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL BE RETURNED WITHOUT REVIEW.

Abstract: Limited to 350 words

Budget Justification: All cost categories requested should be clearly identified and justified.

Maximum budget allowance = $10,000.              **See details under project description. 

Applicants should only request what is necessary for the success of their proposed project.

Acceptable budget items and category limitations:

  • faculty summer salary ($5,000 maximum)
    • May be taken all in 2025 or split across years (July-August 2025, May-June 2026).
  • stipends for undergraduate and graduate research assistants ($10,000 maximum)
    • tuition and fees cannot be covered by FRG funds and sources of tuition and fees should be documented when academic year graduate stipends are part of the budget
  • domestic or foreign travel necessary for the collection of data or access to specialized instrumentation not available on campus ($5,000 maximum)
  • specialized equipment, software, or consumable research supplies ($5,000 maximum)
    • generally expected to be matched by the PI's department
  • course buyouts at CAS established adjunct faculty rates (up to 2 courses across the academic year)
    • must be approved by Chair and funds will go directly to department to cover release time
    • course buyouts that would result in a zero teaching load require provost approval
  • publication subvention ($5,000 maximum)
    • indexing, permissions, editing, production cost, and other publishing fees

Expenditures Not Covered by CAS FRG:

  • academic year faculty salaries
  • taking or developing courses
  • domestic or foreign travel to conferences
  • writing grant proposals
  • general purpose equipment

Project Description: Not to exceed 5 pages. Upload file in Adobe PDF format.

The description should be as complete as possible but limited to necessary and relevant material and written in a clear and straightforward style. The proposals will be evaluated by a review committee composed of faculty who may lack technical expertise in the specific project area. Consequently, it is very important that the text and materials be understandable to an audience of colleagues with varied backgrounds.

Use one-inch margins on all sides with 12-point type, single-spaced, and left justified (do not full justify).

The narrative must include:

  • A concise description of the research question to be addressed, the hypothesis to be tested, or the creative product to be developed.
  • A clearly described methodology appropriate to the project. Where necessary, the analytic strategy should also be described.
  • The outcome of the project, and the significance of the expected results.
    • Clearly distinguish outcomes and metrics that are achievable within the one-year FRG timeframe from longer-term objectives and outcomes that the award is expected to lead toward.
    • Include any plans for the development of future proposals for external funding as an outcome, with specific target programs and timelines.
  • The applicants' qualifications to complete the project and the potential impact of the project on the applicant's career and future funding, if appropriate.
  • Descriptions of materials, equipment, staff, participants, and facilities required for the project.
  • A detailed work plan with start and end dates, and the expected dates of all major milestones.

The evaluation of the proposal will take the above factors into consideration.

Appendices:

  • All questionnaires, instructions to participants, scoring forms, etc., if relevant to your project (not to exceed 5 pages).
  • Technical explanations
  • Bibliography (not to exceed 5 pages).

Summary Curriculum Vitae: Current University of Memphis Curriculum Vitae

  • Provide a PDF of your updated CV from the UofM CV site: https://www.memphis.edu/aa/resources/cv_information.php

FOLLOW-UP REQUIREMENTS
The applicant's submission indicates his/her agreement with the following requirements:

Report: The project director will provide a short report within sixty days of the conclusion of the grant period (August 30, 2025) via the online reporting form. Applications from faculty who have not submitted a report on previous FRG awards will not be considered. This report should explain briefly and in layperson's terms what work was done, whether milestones were met, what outcomes were obtained, what publications or presentations of the work are planned, what grant applications are planned, and what benefit the faculty member and the University obtained.

Acknowledgements: Any publication resulting from the research supported by a grant from the CAS Research Grant Fund shall include the following statement: "This work was supported in full or in part by a grant from The University of Memphis College of Arts and Sciences Research Grant Fund. This support does not necessarily imply endorsement by the University of research conclusions."

Proprietary Information: The applicant agrees to allow their funded proposal, unless it contains proprietary information, to be reviewed as an aid to new applicants.

For information on CAS Team Research Grant Program, please visit https://www.memphis.edu/cas/pdfs/team-research-grant-program.pdf.