University and College Boilerplate Language
Most grant programs require information in either the proposal narrative or in other
documents supplementary to the narrative about the environments where the proposed
research will be done. For instance: IES proposal narratives require a section called
Resources; NSF requires a supplementary document called Facilities, Equipment and
Other Resources; and NIH requires a supplementary document called Resources. Below
are University and a variety of College boilerplates that can be used for the purposes of
providing required facilities and resources information. These boilerplates should be
modified so that they are project-specific. The purpose of facilities and resources
documentation is so that proposal reviewers can see that you have the capacity to do
the work you propose. The more you tailor boilerplate information to your project, the
better reviewers will perceive you.
Florida State University (FSU) is one of the nation’s elite universities. FSU—with the
Carnegie Foundation’s highest designation, Doctoral/Research University-Extensive—
offers a distinctive academic environment built on its cherished values and unique
heritage. Sixteen colleges comprise the academic organization of the University.
Courses of study are offered leading to the baccalaureate degrees in 88 programs,
master’s degrees in 102 programs, and doctorates in 67 programs. The University also
offers fully-accredited programs in both law (J.D.) and medicine (M.D.). The total
enrollment of the University in Fall 2014 was 41,773 students, including 32,621
undergraduates and 6,845 graduate students. Approximately 84.7% of students attend
full-time. Of the total enrollment, 63.7% is Caucasian and 55% are female. With an
average GPA of 4.0 (4.4 among honors students) and median SAT scores of 1850, the
nearly 6,200 students who enrolled in 2014–2015 elevated the university’s academic
standing to new heights. In the last five years, FSU students have won more than 75
nationally competitive awards, including three prestigious Rhodes scholarships, three
Truman scholarships, five Goldwater scholarships, five Hollings scholarships, three
Pickering fellowships, and 36 Fulbright grants. FSU led the state in the number of
students who received Fulbright fellowships during the 2012–2013 academic year, and
was lauded by The Chronicle of Higher Education for being among the nation’s top
research institutions in producing student Fulbright scholars. U.S. News & World Report
ranks FSU the second most efficient high-quality university in the country for 2015. The
University also ranks 43rd among all public national universities in the U.S. News &
World Report 2015 edition of "America's Best Colleges"—evidence that Florida State
combines an outstanding education with economic value.
Strozier Library and the seven other campus libraries contain more than 3,000,000
volumes, of which more than 1,000,000 are available electronically. The library
subscribes to more than 887 databases and 86,500 e-journals. The library is a member of
the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for Research Libraries, and the
Association of Southeastern Research Libraries. Through the library user information
system, students and faculty have access to the Education Index Retrospective &
Education Full Text, ERIC (Proquest and EBSCO), Educator’s Reference Complete,
SAGE Research Methods Online, Dissertations & Theses (PQDT), and other indexes.
The Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) is the primary advocate for students
with disabilities and monitors the environmental, social, and academic conditions
affecting these individuals. As such, the SDRC works with faculty and staff to provide
accommodations for the unique needs of students both in and out of the classroom. Its
mission is to collaborate with and empower students to create accessible and inclusive
environments by identifying, minimizing, and where possible, eliminating barriers to
equal access while encouraging equal participation for students with disabilities. The
Center’s Adaptive Technology Lab houses computers and other electronic devices used
by students with special needs, including scanners, braille embossers, closed circuit
televisions, and text readers. By providing support services at no cost to students with
disabilities, the SDRC offers an opportunity for students to achieve their academic and
personal goals.
The Office of Distance Learning (ODL) provides leadership, policy guidance, faculty
support and development, and other resources to promote, implement, facilitate, and
assess University initiatives related to teaching enhancement and technology-mediated
learning environments that support student academic achievement. ODL faculty and
staff members collaborate with distance learning faculty and teaching assistants to
promote instructional excellence through the use of effective educational and
communications technologies, evidence-based instructional principles and strategies,
and research studies on teaching innovations.
During FY 2014, the Office of Research received over $230 million in external grant
awards. Sponsored Research Administration and Accounting Services provide effective
contract and grant management systems to monitor compliance with fiscal and
reporting requirements as established by Federal and State law, agency regulations,
University policies and procedures, and generally accepted accounting principles for
sponsored projects awarded to the University.
Scale of sponsored research for FY 2014:
• External award dollars: $230,132,510
• Number of awards: 1,186
• Number of proposals: 1,121
• Number of patent applications: 99
• Number of patents: 39
• Number of licenses: 25
• Startup companies: 7
The College of Education (COE), ranked in the top 20% of the nation’s graduate
schools by U.S. News and World Report, provides more than 40 academic programs that
prepare administrators, teachers, researchers, policy makers, human service specialists,
and other professionals via bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, as well as
specialist’s certifications, with many opportunities for online/distance learning.
Students work alongside faculty to improve primary, secondary, and postsecondary
education throughout both Florida and the nation with a foundation of strong academic
preparation and extensive classroom experience. The College’s award-winning faculty
members pursue research and scholarship that expands the frontiers of knowledge in
their areas of expertise. Their cutting-edge research enriches and informs classroom
teaching and their achievements gain national and international recognition. The COE’s
Fall 2014 enrollment was 2,123 graduate (1,056) and undergraduate (1,067) students,
and the diverse student population represents a multitude of ethnicities from over 45
countries. The COE has 76 tenured and/or tenure-track faculty and 33 non-tenure
earning faculty and has generated over $18 million in external funding. In addition to
the newly renovated and expanded Mode L. Stone Building, ten state-of-the-art
facilities supplement the COE’s academic mission by offering support and resources to
faculty and students, including the Assistive Technology Center, Cyber Lounge, Daily
Living Skills Classroom, Graduate Student Carrels, Science Lab, Teach LivE Virtual
Classroom, Learning Resource Center, Tech Sandbox, Sport and Exercise Psychology
Lab, and Robert M. Morgan Instructional Systems Multimedia Studio.
The Learning Resource Center in the COE provides support services, lab facilities,
study rooms, and classroom facilities to students and faculty, with access to K–12
software, printers, iPads, scanners, disc players, laptops, projection systems,
camcorders, and other educational technology.
The Office of Information and Instructional Technology (OIIT) in the COE offers a
range of support services as well as three computer labs with over 150 computers and a
variety of equipment for checkout. OIIT allows access to over 1,000 pieces of K–12
software, laser printers, scanners, disc players, laptops, projection systems, video
editing devices, and camcorders. Specialty software (such as HLM6, SPSS 22, Lisrel 8.80,
SAS 9.4, and NVivo 10 SP5) are loaded on computers in the computer lab. OIIT
maintains wireless in the COE building and the technology-enhanced classrooms, all of
which have the following: LCD, PC, laptop drop, DVD/VCR, wireless, and power for
laptops.
The Office of Academic Services and Intern Support in the COE provides a variety of
services to students and faculty including professional support in admission, final
degree clearance, professional intern and field experience coordination as well as
assessment and reporting of student-related data.
The Office of Research in the COE employs two full-time grant managers as well as an
HR representative, an accountant, and an editor. The office currently manages 25
externally funded projects and many of these projects are federal multi-year
commitments. The office offers an array of pre-award services, which include providing
assistance in identifying funding opportunities, preparing proposals and budgets, and
completing university and funding agency proposal forms. Post-award services include
budget monitoring and preparing monthly budget reports; processing paperwork
related to purchasing, travel, and personnel matters; ensuring compliance with sponsor
and university policies; submission of performance and/or annual sponsor reports; and
managing grant close-out activities. In addition, there is sufficient office space available
to house the staff of new projects.
The School of Teacher Education (STE) provides exemplary leadership both within
and beyond traditional school settings. As one of the premier programs in the state and
region, STE faculty is undertaking initiatives in early childhood, elementary, middle,
secondary, special education, and visual disabilities to improve teaching and learning
practices in Florida schools and related agencies. STE supports scholarship, professional
practice, and professional development of its faculty members as they engage in
teaching and learning, research/scholarship, and service to the state of Florida. A
commitment to advancing the discipline is evident through the caliber of leadership
among faculty, students, and constituents and the adherence to a tradition of
meaningful research that impacts teaching and learning for children and adults in
today’s world.
The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies develops leaders and
policy analysts who are committed to improving PreK–20 education through its study,
development, implementation, and evaluation at all levels of government and in a wide
range of institutions, schools, and international agencies. Faculty research focuses in the
areas of financing education, and teacher quality and access to education for all
learners, and bears consistent influence on educational policies and programs in
Florida, the nation, and the world.
The Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems provides three
unique academic program areas: Educational Psychology, Instructional Systems and
Learning Technologies, and Psychological and Counseling Services. The faculty are
renowned for their insightful exploration and assessment of human behavior and the
development of innovative research methodologies. Faculty research interests include
the design, development, and evaluation of advanced systems to support learning;
performance improvement of individuals and organizations; preservice teachers’
learning and development; teacher professional development; youth transitions to work
and postsecondary education; college student retention; career development,
counseling, and services; rehabilitation psychology; interventions and training
approaches for professionals to work with youth affected by physical and emotional
trauma; personal and contextual factors that influence the progression of adolescents
and young adults along a distress and suicidal continuum of experience with a focus on
stress, coping, resilience, help-seeking, and diversity of background; development,
utilization, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based interventions to enhance
sport performance, well-being, and mental health in collegiate athletes; psychometric
issues in educational and psychological testing, test construction, and large scale
assessment; use of correlational and regression studies in meta-analysis; and the
application of statistical procedures to education and psychology research.
The Department of Sport Management prepares students to work in the diverse sport
industry, related service organizations, and academic institutions. Faculty research
includes the dynamics of organizational structures in community, youth, intercollegiate,
and professional sport; sport marketing, sport consumer behavior, sponsorship, and
branding; sports law; efficacy of minimum age rules in sport, education, and labor markets;
bias in judging, teaching, and investigating; corruption, manipulation, and gambling in
sports; the ways in which political, economic, and cultural forces influence the active body
in sporting and physical culture contexts; and sporting and global sport media issues
related to the cultural politics of race, gender, nation, and identity in the historical present.
The Center for Education Research in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science in the
College of Education is an intellectual organization where researchers, post-doctoral
scholars, graduate students, and practitioners work together to develop new research
projects and share evidence-based findings that will improve the teaching and learning
of mathematics, engineering, and science at the primary, secondary, and undergraduate
levels. The Center's mission is to provide support for, and foster collaboration among,
researchers interested in conducting externally-funded interdisciplinary research on the
teaching and learning of mathematics, engineering, or science, the conditions that
influence it, and the innovations that can maximize it.
The Center for Postsecondary Success (CPS) provides support for, and fosters
collaboration among, those who are interested in conducting research on student
success in postsecondary education. In addition, the CPS identifies and evaluates
institutional, state, and federal policies and programs that may serve to improve
student success. The overall goal of the CPS is to foster a culture and create a structure
where researchers, policy makers, and practitioners can come together to find solutions
to address issues facing postsecondary success through rigorous and timely research
and evidence-based policy and practice. Toward this end, the CPS
1. Produces top quality and policy-relevant research;
2. Tracks changing policy initiatives at the local, state, and federal level regarding
postsecondary success;
3. Contributes to educational policies, innovations, and initiatives conducive to
postsecondary success;
4. Establishes collaborative research teams, both at FSU and in the larger research
community; and
5. Prepares the next generation of researchers and scholars.
The Center for Sport, Health, & Equitable Development seeks progress through
strategic partnerships with community groups, government agencies, nonprofit, and
academic organizations. It engages in research, programming, and policy initiatives in
order to strengthen communities, address inequalities, and affect positive health
outcomes. Members of the Center strive to mobilize sport and physical activity toward
the development of healthy communities through collaborative engagement focusing
on equitable social and organizational progress.
STE’s Visual Disabilities program has existed at FSU since 1963. The current program
consists of two specializations: teacher preparation and orientation and mobility.
Primarily an undergraduate personnel training program that prepares candidates to
meet state standards for certification, continuing work at the master’s degree level is
encouraged of all undergraduates to develop further specialization within an
interdisciplinary area related to providing services to students with visual impairment
and to cultivate leadership skills. Since the initiation of the Visual Disabilities program,
over 800 individuals have completed certification requirements and/or received a
degree in this major. All students participating in the Visual Disabilities program are
provided assistance in locating employment, and most of these graduates have
remained in the field, providing direct service to students and adults with visual
impairments. Other participants have demonstrated leadership skills and accepted
additional challenging positions within the field of education to visually impaired
children and youth.
Within the program’s suite of offices, an extensive professional library has been
collected and is maintained. Contained within this library are over 1,400 volumes,
including most of the old “classics” and all of the latest publications dealing with
blindness and low vision. A complete set of the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness
(and its predecessor, the New Outlook for the Blind) dating back to 1950 is available. Also,
the journal, RE:view and its predecessor, the Education of the Visually Handicapped, dating
back to 1969, are available. In addition, the Visual Disabilities program has an extensive
library of educational videos and numerous examples of adaptive equipment for faculty
and student use.
Program and COE funds have been used to establish an Assistive Technology
Center used exclusively by students in the Visual Disabilities program. This Center
occupies a large room and includes 15 computer stations equipped monitors that are
connected to the Internet. All computers are accessible to students who are blind or who
have low vision. Other devices contained in this teaching classroom are a braille
embosser, a scanner, a CCTV, an Alva braille display, a Reading Edge, a Mountbatten
Brailler, 15 iPads, and handheld electronic viewers. All students are required to take a
course on “Vision Technology,” and students also use this lab to complete assignments
and become familiar with the technology they will use as practitioners.
In addition, the COE has built an independent living skills lab for exclusive use
by the Visual Disabilities program. This lab is used for teaching the acquisition of living
skills by children and adults with visual impairments. It is equipped with a full kitchen
and laundry.
FSU-Teach is an innovative and collaborative program between Florida State
University’s College of Arts and Sciences and College of Education that allows students
to expand their understanding of their science or mathematics majors, explore the
possibility of becoming mathematics or science teachers, and develop a deep
knowledge of teaching. FSU-Teach rests on the collaboration between mathematics,
science, and education faculty at FSU, as well as teaching experts in local schools, to
simultaneously prepare students for a career in a mathematics or science profession,
and the teaching of mathematics or science.