UNI 2014-15 CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT COMPETITION
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
OVERVIEW AND FUNDING SOURCES
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP) and Business and Community Services (BCS) are
pleased to announce the 2014-15 Capacity Building internal grant programs. Project grants are available
through the National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive
Research) program (I - see below).
In addition, research projects with commercialization potential will be supported by funding from the State’s
Regents Innovation Fund (II - see below)
A third category of funding will be available to support travel for grant-seekers to visit federal funding
agencies (III - see below). The purpose of these programs is to build UNI’s capacity for scholarship,
research and creative activities, to support interdisciplinary work, to enhance the ability of faculty and staff to
apply and compete for external funding and to transfer UNI research to the marketplace.
Programs
Descriptions
Max.
Grant
Amounts
Deadlines
Project Start/End Dates
I. Iowa NSF
EPSCoR Project
Grants
For small to largescale projects that
can be funded
through any NSF
program, including
planning activities
for interdisciplinary
proposals
$15,000
Letter of Intent:
Nov. 3, 2014
Application: Nov.
17, 2014
Jan. 15, 2015May 31, 2016
II.
Commercialization
For projects with
commercial potential
$15,000
Letter of Intent:
Nov. 3, 2014
Application: Nov.
17, 2014
Jan. 15, 2015- June 30,
2015
III. Travel Grants
For faculty travel to
meet with program
officers at funding
agencies
variable
(based on
need)
Letter of Intent:
Not required
Application: Nov.
17, 2014
Jan. 15, 2015- December
30, 2015
GENERAL APPLICATION & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
To be reviewed and considered for funding, applications MUST:
1.
Include a Letter of Intent, when required by the specific grant program(s)
2.
Be received by RSP by 5:00 PM on the grant program deadline date
3.
Include all materials required by the specific grant program(s)
4.
Follow the required formatting and page restrictions
Application Cover Sheet
All applications must include an Application Cover Sheet. The Application Cover Sheet will be available from
the RSP website on the front page at www.uni.edu/rsp by October 17. The signatures of the project director
and the project director’s department head are required on the Application Cover Sheet. Deans will be
notified of applications. The Cover Sheet may be signed and sent as a hard copy or it may be scanned after
signatures are obtained and submitted via email with the other items by the deadline to Christy Twait at
christine.twait@uni.edu. If submitted by hard copy, direct the Cover Sheet to Christy Twait, 213 East Bartlett
Hall, mail code 0394. Hard copies must also be received by the deadline.
Project Narratives and Other Application Materials, If Required
Email all other application materials (project narratives, references, budgets, biosketches) required for the
grant program(s) to which you’re applying to Christy Twait at christine.twait@uni.edu. Please reference the
grant program(s) you are applying to in your email subject line. Please do NOT submit hard copies.
Other Requirements and Limitations:
● Applicants who have received prior internal grant awards MUST demonstrate significant progress
and/or outcomes to receive further funding consideration.
● Awardees must meet all applicable compliance requirements prior to initiating projects. For example,
if human or animal subjects review is required for the project, that process must be completed before
the project can move forward.
All items must be received by Christy Twait in RSP by 5:00 PM on or before the program deadline
date. Late applications will not be considered.
QUESTIONS
Please direct questions to Christy Twait at christine.twait@uni.edu or 319-273-3217. All RSP staff can also
be reached at 319-273-3217.
GUIDELINES & APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS BY GRANT PROGRAM
I. Iowa NSF EPSCoR PROJECT GRANTS – $ 1,500 - $15,000
In this grant program, average grant amounts are anticipated to be $5,000-10,000, with the maximum award
amount of $15,000. The purpose of the Iowa NSF EPSCoR Project Grants is to support research and
development activities at UNI that enhance the ability of faculty and staff to apply for external funding,
particularly to federal agencies. The Iowa NSF EPSCoR program is an inter-institutional effort to enhance
research capacity in NSF-fundable areas and promote the development of a diverse workforce across the
state.
Since all funds for this category come from the Iowa NSF EPSCOR program, projects that address the
priorities of any NSF program will be eligible in this category. Grant applicants should indicate in their
narrative how it meets the priorities of a particular NSF program. Actual grant applications may be proposed
to NSF, another federal funding agency (e.g, Institute for Education Sciences, NASA, etc.), or a national
foundation.
All awardees must agree to submit an external grant proposal by May 31, 2016. An important
consideration in determining which projects will be funded is the extent to which the project is a good match
for the external grant opportunity, pertains to the priorities of the Iowa NSF EPSCoR project priorities, and
otherwise likely to be competitive. Contact with Christy Twait (christine.twait@uni.edu) or Lori Miller
(lori.miller@uni.edu) from RSP prior to submission is therefore strongly encouraged.
These grant funds may be used for a wide variety of projects or activities, including pilot studies, small-scale
research or demonstration projects, evaluations, validations of methodologies, instrument testing,
development of research partnerships, or other activities that are necessary to be successful in obtaining
external funding. Because the NSF EPSCoR theme is energy-related, projects with an energy focus will be
given preference consideration over other projects should the proposals otherwise be considered equal in
their review. Applications are encouraged from faculty and staff who have previously submitted external
proposals and are proposing activities to improve proposals for resubmission.
These grants may also be used to set up larger and longer-term projects, which often will require more than
one investigator. Projects that involve multiple investigators and/or are multidisciplinary are strongly
encouraged. Funds may be used to support faculty and staff interested in developing larger, institutional
level projects, which may require the involvement of multiple UNI departments or divisions and/or the
development of external partnerships.
Project grant applicants must identify the external grant opportunity to which applicants intend to apply and
explain the appropriateness for the proposed project. Applicants must include the opportunity’s deadline, or if
not available, the next anticipated deadline. To underscore the importance of well-matched projects and
funding opportunities, RSP will review all grant opportunities for suitability. Consultation with RSP
prior to submission of project grant applications is encouraged; please contact Lori.Miller@uni.edu or
Christine.Twait@uni.edu..
Eligibility: All faculty and staff
Project Periods: All funds must be spent between Jan. 15, 2015 and May 31, 2016. (Note, Project Grant
funds may be allowed to carry forward to 2015-2016, but if doing so, awardees are encouraged to spend as
much of the funds as possible during FY15.)
Eligible Expenses: The types of costs that may be incurred are, for example, small equipment, supplies,
subject stipends, travel costs, conference registrations, data analysis, technical support, obtaining research
documents, student wages, grant review fees, workshop or training fees. Other expenses may be allowed;
all expenses are subject to approval. Pending appropriate administrative approvals, faculty salary may be
requested to fund a one-semester course release (at the adjunct rate during the 2015-2016 academic year)
and/or up to one month of 2015 summer salary. (See budget form for instructions.) Any salary funding
requested should be well justified in the project narrative as being essential to accomplish the work.
Grant Submission Requirement: As a requirement of the award, all grantees must submit a proposal to
their specified external grant opportunity by May 31, 2016. Awardees will also report on project progress to
RSP as needed throughout the project period. RSP will report outcomes to the College Deans and the
Provost.
LETTER OF INTENT (LOI ) - REQUIRED
Deadline Nov. 3, 2014
Letters of Intent instructions:
- Letters of Intent are required for application under the Project Grants program.
- E-mail Letters of Intent by 5:00 PM Nov. 3, 2014 to Christy Twait at christine.twait@uni.edu.
- E-mails should include: 1) a brief description of the project; 2) the grant opportunity you have in mind; 3)
identification of the Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PIs on the project.
- Letters of Intent are only intended to assist RSP in developing the grant review committee(s). You should
not wait until the LOI is submitted to begin working on your complete proposal.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Deadline Nov. 17, 2014
A complete application for a Project grant will consist of:
1) Application Cover Sheet (Use provided form.)
2) Project Narrative
Maximum length: 8 pages, double-spaced; 12 pt font; 1” margins
Narrative content:
A.
Goals and Objectives/Specific Aims
1.
Introduce your project or topic, and specify what you hope to accomplish and/or, if
research, what your research questions are.
2.
Describe the stage or phase of the proposed work.
B.
Need and Significance
1.
C.
D.
E.
Explain why this is an important activity or topic, grounding it in what you and others in
your field have already established and what still remains to be done. How will this
project contribute to your field and/or to the community, state, or nation?
2.
How does your project meet the priorities of any NSF funding program?
Design and Methods
1.
Be specific about your project or research design and/or exactly who will do what and
when. Make certain your design aligns with your stated goals and objectives.
2.
Include a project timeline.
3.
Explain how you will know if you have accomplished your objectives.
Grant Opportunity
1.
Identify the funder and grant opportunity to which you plan to submit a proposal.
2.
What is the next deadline? If not available, provide the next anticipated deadline.
Describe your timeline for preparing the grant proposal by the deadline.
3.
Explain your reasons for choosing this particular funder and grant opportunity and why
it is appropriate for the project you are proposing.
4.
How will the proposed project and activities enhance your ability to apply for external
funding?
Qualifications and Resources
1.
Who will be working on this project in which capacities?
2.
What resources, qualifications, experience, and/or expertise do you and each of the
other members of the team bring to the project? (Briefly, why are they on the team?)
For students, simply explain how they will participate. Colleagues from other
institutions or other consultants may also work on the project as necessary.
3.
If applicable, explain how you will work with any external organizations, such as other
institutions, schools or community organizations.
3) List of all internal grant funds previously received (not included in Narrative page limit) Include all internal
grant awards received by the PI/PD and any Co-Investigators from their college(s), RSP, other
funding from the Provost or Graduate College during the past 3 years, and indicate the specific
outcomes from each (e.g., external grant(s), publications, presentations, patents, etc.).
4) References, if applicable (not included in Narrative page limit)
5) Budget (Use provided form.) Budget must be in the provided Excel form and request no more than the
amount listed for the grant program maximum. Also, do not automatically request the maximum
allowed; request only as much as you actually need to carry out your particular project. Projects may
receive partial funding if all budget items are not well justified.
6) Budget Narrative (not included in Narrative page limit) Include a narrative budget description justifying
each of the requested expenses. In addition, the narrative must include the following:
a) Are there any other resources, cash or in-kind, being contributed to the project?
b) If so, what are the sources of those?
c) Describe any other funds you’ve already received to date or anticipate receiving in support of this
project.
7) Biosketches. Attach a 1 – 2 page bio sketch for each key personnel included in the project (summary of
educational and work background, key relevant publication, etc.). Students are not considered key
personnel.
REVIEW CRITERIA & PROCESS
Review and evaluation of applications will be based on:
● quality and completeness of the narrative sections
● the significance or need for the activity
● the capacity of the project director and/or team members to carry out the activity
● the suitability of the identified funder and grant opportunity
● the appropriateness of the budget
● if applicable, outcomes from prior awards.
Application narratives should be well-written for a non-specialist audience. Applications that do not comply
with the proposal formatting and application requirements will be returned without review.
RSP will organize a peer review committee to evaluate and score all applications and make funding
recommendations. Based on those recommendations, RSP will consult with the Provost and make the final
funding decisions. Award decisions will be made in time for Jan. 15, 2015 project start dates.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Awardees will complete a project outcomes reporting form, provided by RSP, describing how the funds were
used and the outcome achieved by May 31, 2016. A copy of the report should be submitted to each
appropriate Department Head, College Dean, and to RSP. Project Grant awardees may also be required to
prepare a poster or other type of presentation on their funded activities for a fall semester campus
symposium. Depending on project end dates, awardees will prepare presentations for the fall of 2015 or
2016. Failure to submit grant reports on time or to meet other grant requirements may make the recipient
ineligible for future internal funding.
II. COMMERCIALIZATION GRANTS – Up to $ 15,000
The purpose of this grant program is to provide seed money for research activities that involve late-stage
product or process development with the greatest potential for commercialization. Proof of concept
projects will be considered but priority will be given to research and development projects that are closer to
commercial application. Priority will be given to projects in Iowa’s targeted clusters: Bioscience, Information
Solutions (including educational technologies), and Advanced Manufacturing.
Eligibility: All faculty and staff
Project Periods: All funds must be spent between Jan. 15, 2015, and June 30, 2015.
Eligible Expenses: The types of costs that may be incurred are, for example, small equipment, supplies,
salary, travel costs, data analysis, technical support,and student wages. Other expenses may be allowed;
all expenses are subject to approval. Pending appropriate administrative approvals, faculty salary may be
requested to fund a one-semester course release (at the adjunct rate) and/or up to one month of 2015
summer salary. (See budget form for instructions.) Any salary funding requested should be well justified in
the project narrative as being essential to accomplish the work. Equipment that has a useful life of one year
or more must become UNI property.
LETTER OF INTENT (LOI) - REQUIRED
Deadline Nov. 3, 2014
Letters of Intent instructions:
- Letters of Intent are required for application under the Commercialization grant program.
- E-mail Letters of Intent by 5:00 p.m., Nov. 3, 2014 to Christy Twait at christine.twait@uni.edu.
- E-mails should include: 1) a brief description of the project; 2) identification of the Principal
Investigator (PI) and Co-PIs on the project.
- You should not wait until the LOI is submitted to begin working on your complete proposal.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Deadline Nov. 17, 2014
A complete application for a Commercialization grant will consist of:
1) Application Cover Sheet (Use provided form.)
2) Project Narrative
Maximum length: 8 pages, double-spaced; 12 pt font; 1” margins
Narrative content:
A.
Description and scope of the applied research project or invention.
B.
Discuss the commercial potential of the research product or invention including: 1)
identification of target markets/customers, 2) identification of the marketplace ( i.e., what
companies are already producing this or something similar), 3) identification of commercial
uses (how might this be used in the marketplace), 4) identification of selling price, and 5)
identification of marketing plans (how might people expect to hear about this product in the
marketplace).
C.
List any individuals or businesses who may have an interest in or you have worked with to
develop your invention or research product.
D.
If awarded, how will this grant move the product or process toward commercialization?
Provide a timetable.
E.
State if you have filed a preliminary OR full disclosure of the intellectual property (IP) with UNI
regarding your research product or process? Are you willing to file a disclosure per UNI IP
policy? Have you presented this in any specific or detailed way at a conference, in a
publication, or other public venue? Do you plan to do so?
F.
Describe long-range plans, dissemination, or commercialization of the product or process.
3) List all internal grant funds previously received (not included in Narrative page limit) Include all
internal grant awards received by the PI/PD and any Co-Investigators from their college(s), RSP,
other funding from the Provost or Graduate College during the past three years, and indicate the
specific outcomes from each (e.g., external grant(s), publications, presentations, patents, etc.).
4) References, if applicable (not included in Narrative page limit)
5) Budget (Use provided form.) Budget must be in the provided Excel form and request no more
than the amount listed for the grant program maximum. Also, do not automatically request the
maximum allowed; request only as much as you actually need to carry out your particular project.
Projects may receive partial funding if all budget items are not well justified.
6) Budget Narrative (not included in Narrative page limit) Include a narrative budget description
justifying each of the requested expenses. In addition, the narrative must include the following:
a) Are there any other resources, cash or in-kind, being contributed to the project?
b) If so, what are the sources of those?
c) Describe any other funds you’ve already received to date or anticipate receiving in support of this
project.
7) Biosketches. Attach a 1 – 2 page bio sketch for each key personnel included in the project
(summary of educational and work background, key relevant publication, etc.). Students are not
considered key personnel.
REVIEW CRITERIA & PROCESS
Review and evaluation of applications will be based on the commercial potential of the proposed project.
Application narratives should be well-written for a non-specialist audience. Applications that do not comply
with the proposal formatting and application requirements will be returned without review.
RSP will compile all applications and forward them for review to the Research Commercialization Fund Grant
Committee, comprised of five members: the Assistant Provost for Research and Sponsored Programs (who
shall chair the committee); Executive Director of Business and Community Services; University Intellectual
Property Officer/Technology Transfer Coordinator; and at least two faculty members of the University
Intellectual Property Committee. Applicants will be required to meet with the review committee for up to 30
minutes, including a 10-minute presentation of the proposed work.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Awardees will complete a project outcomes reporting form, provided by RSP, describing how the funds were
used and the outcomes achieved by June 30, 2015. A copy of the report should be submitted to each
appropriate Department Head, College Dean, UNI Intellectual Property Officer/Technology Transfer
Coordinator, and to RSP. Commercialization Grant awardees also are required to prepare a poster or other
type of presentation on their funded activities for a fall semester campus symposium.
III. TRAVEL GRANTS - costs TBD
The purpose of the Travel Grants category is to fund travel expenses for faculty members to visit with
program officers at federal funding agencies. Similar to the NSF EPSCoR Project Grants, the proposed work
does need to align with the priorities of at least one NSF funding program, although travel is not limited to
NSF program officers only. Faculty or staff need to have shown progress on a new proposal or are
requesting clarification from program officers on a previous proposal. The aim of this award is to provide
faculty additional support in obtaining external funding to continue their work on research, creative and other
scholarly endeavors.
Eligibility: Tenured and tenure-track faculty, and P & S project directors
Project Period: All funds must be spent between the date of award (anticipated Jan. 15, 2015) and
December 30, 2015.
Eligible Expenses: Travel to meet with program officers
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Deadline Nov. 17, 2014
A complete application for a Travel grant will consist of:
1) Application Cover Sheet (Use provided form.)
2) Project Narrative
Maximum length: 2 pages, double-spaced; 12 pt font; 1” margins
Narrative content:
a.
Brief overview of research proposal
b.
How the granting agency/program is a good fit for your research or scholarly work.
c.
Names of likely program officer(s)
d.
Your timeline for completion
REVIEW CRITERIA & PROCESS
Review and evaluation of applications will be based on:
● the quality and completeness of the narrative section
● the significance or need for the activity.
Application narratives should be well-written for a non-specialist audience. Applications that do not comply
with the proposal formatting and application requirements will be returned without review.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Awardees will complete an outcomes reporting form, provided by RSP, describing how the travel funds were
used and the outcome achieved by December 30, 2015. A copy of the report should be submitted to RSP.
Failure to submit grant reports on time or to meet other grant requirements may make the recipient ineligible
for future internal funding.