COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH
Berkeley Division
2008-2009
Annual Report
This report summarizes the activities of the Committee on Research (COR) for 2008-2009
I. RESEARCH POLICY & ISSUES
Guests: Vice Chancellor for Research Graham Fleming, AVC-Research Administration and Compliance Patrick
Schlesinger, and SPO Director Pam Miller; Professor Sharon Fleming, Chair, Animal Care & Use Committee;
Professors Chris Ansell and Jane Mauldon, Co-chairs, Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects.
Late in the semester, L&S Dean Janet Broughton submitted a proposal to the committee to reallocate a proportion
of COR funds to provide a basic, sustained, and flexible level of support to Arts and Humanities faculty. The
committee agreed to discuss the proposal at the first meeting of the 2009 fall semester.
COR commented on the following proposals:
- Committee on Computing & Communications recommendations on minimum computing guidelines
- Berkeley Social Enterprise Alliance
- Revisions to APM028
- UCORP Concept Paper “UC Seminar Network”
COR proposed a change to the Sponsored Projects Office “5-day rule” for submitting proposals. The VCR
approved the following revisions to the rule to provide PIs with some flexibility within meeting SPO submission
requirements: Proposals submitted to SPO with a draft technical section on or before the five business day
deadline will be considered “on time” if the proposal is complete in all other respects. This is designed to give PI’s
additional time to refine the technical component and thereby improve the proposal’s chances for success.
Other items:
-
COR continued to be the “lead” Senate committee for CPHS oversight.
-
Professor J. Miguel Villas-Boas, past COR Chair (and current committee member) served as co-chair of the
Senate Task Force on University/Industry which submitted its report to the Divisional Council in late fall.
-
Professors Steve Glaser, Colleen Lye, and Stephen Raphael represented the committee on the systemwide
University Committee on Research Policy (UCORP).
-
Chair Hei Sook Sul and Professor George Roderick participated on the Campus Technology Council.
Changes to the COR REG program
- Faculty with $25K in all funding sources in the applicable grant year will not be eligible for grant
consideration.
- Emeriti faculty awards will be limited to $500 maximum.
- Because of the uncertainty over its total budgetary allocations, the committee postponed
its grant cycle to early fall semester 2009.
-
The committee developed a framework to guide its funding decisions. The principles include rewarding
productivity; considering the availability of applicants funding support; use of COR funds to “seed projects;
status of extramural support and expected termination; concentrating diminishing funding on primarily active
faculty, and those who lack the capacity to secure outside funding.
II. RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAMS
(A) FACULTY RESEARCH GRANTS (FRG)
This program consists of competitive awards averaging about $4,500 to provide funding to initiate
research experimentation, humanistic scholarship or creative projects. The following Table describes the
number of awards and amounts awarded per academic subgroup in 2007-2008. (The departments
included in each subgroup, and information by department is presented at the end of this report.)
Faculty Research Grants 2008-2009
*COR SUBGROUPS
Biosciences
Humanities
Physical Sciences
Social Sciences I
Social Sciences II
TOTAL
Number of
Proposals
28
35
12
32
26
133
Funds requested
223,905
330,974
102,865
284,277
138,800
1,080,821
Number of
proposals
awarded
28
30
9
27
24
118
Amount
awarded
118,800
134,499
61,548
135,300
75,500
525,647
(B) JUNIOR FACULTY RESEARCH GRANTS (JFRG)
This program provides junior faculty, in the first three years of their tenure track, with the initial
“start-up” funds associated with a major research project or creative endeavor. The intent is to
support assistant professors early in their career who may not presently meet the requirements of
other research funding institutions or agencies. COR intends that its awards function as leverage to
secure future extramural funding. These awards average around $5,500.
Junior Faculty Research Grants 2008-2009
COR SUBGROUPS
Biosciences
Humanities
Physical Sciences
Social Sciences I
Social Sciences II
TOTAL
Number of
Proposals
17
15
13
10
15
70
Funds requested
145,123
84,175
88,123
65,766
105,831
489,018
Number of
proposals
awarded
15
12
10
12
15
64
Amount
awarded
95,200
51,580
76,455
56,535
93,400
373,170
(C) Research Assistantship in the Humanities
This program is intended to provide intellectual and professional opportunities to graduate students
working in the humanities and social sciences. Projects must benefit a Graduate Student Researcher as
well as contributing to the faculty member’s research. These grants are up to $4,000.
Research Assistantship in the Humanities 2008-2009
COR SUBGROUPS
Biosciences
Humanities
Social Sciences I
Social Sciences II
TOTAL
Number of
Proposals
8
38
30
9
Funds Requested
32,000
147,400
116,500
36,000
85
331,900
Number of
proposals
awarded
(D) BRIDGE GRANTS
This program is Intended to assist mid-career faculty desiring to explore new
scholarly or research directions departing substantially-in theoretical content,
application, or experimental approach-from their professional path to date.
These are two-year grants of up to $20,000.
BRIDGE GRANTS 2008-2009
1
23
21
9
Amount
awarded
4,000
78,000
78,500
18,000
52
178,500
COR
SUBGROUPS
Number
Funds requested Number
Amount
of
of
awarded
Proposals
proposals
awarded
Biosciences
3
60,000
3
32,000
Humanities
3
60,000
3
45,000
Physical Sciences
5
100,000
0
0
Social Sciences I
4
79,913
2
30,000
Social Sciences II
0
0
0
0
TOTAL
85
299,913
52
107,000
E) RESEARCH ENABLING GRANTS (REG)
This program provides up to $1,000 to support basic research expenses.
RESEARCH ENABLING GRANTS 2008-2009
COR
Number of Funds
SUBGROUPS
Proposals
requested
Biosciences
Humanities
Physical Sciences
Social Sciences I
Social Sciences II
85
169
179
139
114
84,840
168,026
177,838
138,970
113,956
Number of
proposals
awarded*
86
173
191
138
115
Amount
awarded
85,840
172,026
189,838
137,970
114,866
TOTAL
686
683,630
703
700,540
*The number of proposals awarded includes "default" grants awarded to unsuccessful JFRG and FRG
applicants.
VI. CONFERENCE TRAVEL AND INTERCAMPUS TRAVEL GRANT PROGRAM
A COR travel grant supports a scheduled presentation of an applicant’s original research or creative
work at one of the following: a major meeting of a recognized learned society, an organized panel
discussion, or an organized symposium. Awards are available for poster presentations, discussants,
panelists, commentators, and conference/panel organizers.
As of June 30, 2009, 424 faculty utilized travel grants totaling $295,000 to underwrite their attendance at
scholarly gatherings.
The intercampus travel program provides up to $250 to faculty and graduate students for short-term trips
to:
1) use special research facilities (including the Huntington Library in Los Angeles);
2) collaborate with colleagues at other UC campuses; and
3) invite a faculty member from another UC campus to present a seminar at
Berkeley.
This year, the committee awarded $5,800 to 26 faculty and graduate students to undertake these
activities.
* CO R SU BG RO U P DE PA RTM E NTS
BIOSCIENCES
HUMANITIES
PHYSICAL
SCIENCES
Environmental
Art Practice
Astronomy
Science & Policy
Classics
Bioengineering
Management
Comparative
CEE
Integrative Biology
Literature
Chemistry
MCB
East Asian
Chemical
Nutritional Science & Languages &
Engineering
Toxicology
Culture
Earth & Planetary
Optometry
English
Science
Plant & Microbial
Film
EECS
Biology
French
Energy & Resources
Psychology
German
Group
Public Health
History of Art
IEOR
Vertebrate Zoology
Italian
Mathematics
Music
Mechanical
Near Eastern St.
Engineering
Philosophy
Material Sciences &
Rhetoric
Engineering
Scandinavian
Physics
Studies
Statistics
Slavic Languages
& Literatures
Spanish &
Portuguese
Theater, Dance &
Performance
Studies
SOCIAL
SCIENCES I
AfricanAmerican St
Anthropology
Economics
City & Regional
Planning
Education
Ethnic Studies
Gender &
Women’s
Studies
Geography
History
Landscape
Architecture
Linguistics
Political Science
Social Welfare
Sociology
SOCIAL
SCIENCES II
Agriculture &
Resource
Economics
Business
Demography
Economics
Journalism
Jurisprudence
& Social Policy
Law
Public Policy
School of
Information
Faculty Research Grants 2008-2009
DEPARTMENT
African-American St.
Anthropology
Architecture
ARE
Art Practice
Bioengineering
Business
Chemistry
City & Regional Planning
Classics
Earth & Planetary Science
Economics
Education
EECS
English
ERG
ESPM
Ethnic St.
French
Geography
German
History
History of Art
IB
Law
Linguistics
Mechanical Engineering
Molecular & Cell Biology
Music
AWARDS
1
8
3
4
3
1
9
1
1
1
1
8
1
2
8
1
6
1
1
2
1
5
3
6
3
1
1
3
2
AMOUNT
5,500
44,000
10,500
13,500
12,260
4,250
27,050
8,000
4,000
4,430
4,250
27,800
5,000
20,090
32,354
3,300
22,900
7,000
4,300
10,000
4,200
30,000
18,500
20,900
7,200
3,000
6,458
12,000
8,800
FULL
1
4
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
4
1
5
4
ASSO
ASST
EMERITUS
2
1
2
1
2
1
1
3
5
1
1
2
2
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
4
3
4
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
2
1
Nutritional Sciences &
Toxicology
Optometry
Physics
Plant & Microbial Biology
Political Science
Psychology
Rhetoric
Scandinavian
Slavic Languages &
Literature
SSEAS
Spanish & Portuguese
TOTAL
3
4
3
1
1
5
5
1
17,000
19,000
18,500
5,000
4,000
22,000
29,530
4,275
3
3
3
2
2
3
118
7,200
9,000
8,650
525,647
2
1
1
65
31
1
1
1
1
2
1
2
2
2
1
21
Junior Faculty Research Grants 2008-2009
(FACULTY IN THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF THEIR TENURE TRACK APPOINTMENT)
DEPARTMENT
AWARDS
AMOUNT
Architecture
3
16,000
ARE
2
12,500
Art Practice
1
4,000
Bioengineering
1
10,500
Business
5
29,000
Chemical Engineering
1
5,000
Chemistry
1
6,000
City & Regional Planning
1
3,000
Classics
1
4,000
Economics
2
14,500
EECS
4
31,000
English
4
17,200
ESPM
3
14,000
Gender & Women’s St.
1
2,500
Geography
1
6,000
German
3
9,380
History
1
5,000
IB
2
15,000
School of Information
3
19,000
Law
3
18,400
Linguistics
Mechanical Engineering
Molecular & Cell Biology
Music
Nutritional Sciences &
Toxicology
Optometry
Physics
Psychology
Sociology
SSEAS
Statistics
Theater, Dance &
Performance Studies
TOTAL
2
1
1
2
9,535
10,000
4,000
9,000
2
2
1
5
2
1
1
15,000
13,000
11,000
34,200
9,500
5,000
2,955
1
64
8,000
373,170
1
Research Assistantship in the Humanities Grants 2008-2009
DEPARTMENT
Anthropology
Business
Comparative Lit
East Asian Studies
Economics
Education
English
ESPM
Gender & Women’s St.
Geography
History
History of Art
Law
Linguistics
Near Eastern Studies
Philosophy
Political Science
AWARDS
1
5
1
1
1
2
9
1
1
1
12
3
1
2
1
1
1
AMOUNT
2,000
10,000
4,000
4,000
2,000
8,000
30,000
4,000
4,000
4,000
48,000
10,000
2,000
8,000
4,000
4,000
4,000
1
2
1
2
3
1,000
4,000
2,000
6,500
10,000
1
1
1
3
1
54
3,000
178,500
25
Rhetoric
School of Information
Sociology
SSEAS
Spanish & Portuguese
Theater, Dance &
Performance Studies
TOTAL
FULL
ASSOC
ASST
1
4
1
EMERITUS
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
3
4
1
2
1
8
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
12
15
2
Research Enabling Grants 2008-2009
DEPARTMENT
AWARDS
AMOUNT
FULL
African-American St.
1
1,000
1
ARE
8
7,900
6
Anthropology
13
12,985
8
4
1
2
2
1
4
Architecture
9
9,000
4
Art Practice
6
6,000
1
Astronomy
1
1,000
1
Bioengineering
1
1,000
ASSOC.
Business
37
36,994
Chemical Eng.
4
4,000
2
Chemistry
18
17,990
10
2
13,000
10
3
13
1
Classics
10
Comparative Lit
7
Demography
2
EMERITUS
1
1
1
21
CEE
City & Regional
Planning
AST.
8
6
SR.
LECTURER/LECTURER
SOE/Other Senate Title
Default
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
5
5
1
1
1
1,000
10,000
7,000
2,000
4
2
1
3
1
3
1
2
1
Denied
1
1
Earth & Planetary
Science
6
East Asian Studies
7
Economics
10
Education
5
1
6,000
3
3
1
10,000
6
2
1
9
8,985
2
4
3
EECS
Energy & Resource
Group
11
2
11,000
7
English
40
39,866
15
ESPM
9
8,900
Ethnic St.
11
11,000
Film Studies
2
2,000
6,960
1
1
3
12
4
9
6
1
1
1
4
4
2
1
2
2,000
2
3
6
2
2
1
French
Gender & Women's
St.
10
4
9,500
Geography
5
5,000
German
9
9,000
5
2
1
4,000
4
1
4
History
19
19,000
10
6
History of Art
Industrial
Engineering &
Operations
Research
10
14
10,000
4
3
3
6
5
1
2
I-School
Integrative Biology
5
15
4
1
2
4
Italian
5
5,000
1
Journalism
Jurisprudence &
Social Policy
6
7
5,977
3
Landscape Arch.
1
Law
30
13,995
5,000
15,000
9
3
1
1
3
5
1
1
7,000
1,000
1
29,995
22
3
5
3
3
3
1
2
8
Linguistics
15
15,000
6
Mathematics
41
40,300
28
3
MSE
5
5,000
2
1
2
3
1
1
6
Mechanical Eng.
30
29,873
26
MCB
19
19,000
12
Music
12
12,000
6
Near Eastern
10
10,000
7
2
Nuclear Eng
Nutritional Science
& Toxicology
5
7
4,950
2
1
Optometry
4
4,000
3
Philosophy
14
13,750
7
3
1
3
Physics
Plant & Microbial
Biology
23
2
22,730
11
2
4
6
Political Science
22
3
3
2
1
6
4
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
7,000
1
2
2
2,000
22,000
13
1
17,950
12
1
9
8,990
7
2
Public Policy
10
10,000
5
1
Rhetoric
5
4,950
Psychology
Public Health
18
2
2
Scandinavian
3
3,000
1
Slavic Studies
11
11,000
5
Social Welfare
2
2,000
1
Sociology
South & Southeast
Asian St.
25
1
25000
15
Spanish &
Portuguese
7
Statistics
17
Theater, Dance
Vertebrate Zoology
TOTALS
5
2
3
2
3
1
2
1
6
3
1
2
1
1
1,000
4
3
17,000
12
1
2
5
3
5,000
2
1
2
1
1
703
700,540
397
123
7,000
3,000
1
66
111
6
16
4