REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (ROUND ONE)
for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity
FY 2015-2016
Project Period July 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015
INTRODUCTION
The Research Council of the University (RCU) invites applications for mini-grants, assigned time, or
combination of mini-grant and assigned time to conduct research, scholarship, and creative activities. This
ROUND One is a call for proposals for research to be conducted during the 2015 Summer and/or Fall quarters.
1) Funding Level
For ROUND One, CSUB has funds available for course release time (Fall Quarter only) and mini-grant
support for research, scholarship, and creative activity during Summer and/or Fall 2015.
2) Eligibility
All faculty (full-time and part-time) may apply for funding of one proposal per year to support research,
scholarship, and creative activities; joint authorship proposals are acceptable. All proposals will be judged
on merit; however, proposals from tenure-track faculty facing tenure and promotion decisions will be
given special consideration. Individuals who have been supported previously through this program are
eligible to reapply; however, individuals who have received support for the past three (3) consecutive years
will receive lowest priority to allow other faculty greater opportunity for support. Required final reports
including title or citations of books/manuscripts, papers and grant applications, from previous awards
must be on file with Grants, Research and Sponsored Programs Office or you will be precluded from
current and future RCU support. Individuals who received RCU funding for Round Two 2014-15, your
final report is due on August 14, 2015.
3) Deadline
PROPOSALS SUBMITTED AFTER THE DATE AND TIME SPECIFIED WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED!!
All requests must be signed by Department Chairs and received by Grants, Research and Sponsored
Programs Office (DDH D-108) no later than Noon, Friday, May 15, 2015. Faculty are responsible for
ensuring that the Department Chair has sufficient time to review and sign the cover page of the proposal.
Awards will be announced by late May 2015.
TYPES OF REQUESTS
1) Mini-grant
All faculty may apply for funding for one mini-grant per year. Funds will be provided to faculty for mini
grants to support promising research, scholarship, and creative activities. Priority will be given to those
projects which provide support for student researchers. Travel needed to collect data; consult materials
otherwise not available locally or accessible through the internet is allowed. Conference travel may be
allowed, provided that such travel is clearly justified as an integral and necessary part of the proposed
research. Faculty are encouraged to submit projects for which the mini-grant serve as seed money for
future extramural funding.
Mini-grant funds can be used to pay undergraduate and graduate students as project assistants, to cover
supplies and services needed for project completion, to purchase special equipment needed for this project,
and to cover necessary travel expenses. Proposals requesting support for private consultation, the
Office of Grants, Research and Sponsored Programs • CSU Bakersfield • DDH/D108 • (661) 654-2231
RCU Guidelines Revised April 21, 2015
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development of university course curricula, contracted textbooks/software programs will not be
considered. All ROUND One funds should be encumbered and travel completed by December 31, 2015.
2) Assigned Time
Only tenure and tenure-track faculty are eligible to apply for assigned time. Faculty can apply for assigned
time to be released from one course (normally 3-7 WTU or up to 150 hours) during Fall Quarter 2015.
Faculty must justify the need and use of the assigned time. Please consult with your Department Chair
regarding replacement issues prior to writing your proposal.
PROPOSAL FORMAT REQUIREMENT
The original and six (6) copies of the completed proposal are to be submitted to the Office of Grants,
Research and Sponsored Programs (GRASP). GRASP will not do photocopying. The proposal format is
provided below.
1) Cover Page (two pages maximum). The original cover page is attached to this RFP. Be certain to fill out all
sections completely. Attach the signed original cover page to the original proposal. All copies of the
proposal must have a copy of the cover page with appropriate signatures.
2) Description of Proposed Activity (limit to single spaced two pages max.; 12 pitch font size; 1 inch
margin; and one page of reference)
(a) ABSTRACT. Give a concise statement of the problem and purpose for your study including
methodology. Note that reviewers may not have a background in your field, so try to keep disciplinespecific technical terms and concepts (including mathematical formulae) to a minimum and do not use
undefined acronyms or abbreviations.
(b) PROPOSED ACTIVITY. Give an overview of the proposed activity that clearly shows how the problem
statement is to be addressed, with a timeline and milestones as appropriate.
(c) SIGNIFICANCE. Please state and justify the importance/significance of your project.
(d) OUTCOMES. State clearly the anticipated outcomes of the proposed activity, including plans for future
extra mural support and dissemination.
(e) STUDENT INVOLVEMENT. Define clearly the type of activities for student involvement in the project
and describe the educational merit of that involvement or indicate if student involvement is not
applicable.
Proposals requesting additional funding for on-going programs must specify how the current proposed
activity will extend/complement earlier efforts.
3) Resources ($5,000 max. cash award and/or one course release time), Rationale, and Description of Other
Support (limit to two pages)
(a) Provide an itemized budget and justify with explanation of each budget item.
(b) Provide justification for any request for release time.
(c) List the source and amount of any previous financial support and/or release time for this or any related
project.
(d) List other sources (Faculty Development, SRS, Dean, startup, etc.) of support and/or release time you
have received from CSUB in the last five (5) years.
4) Vita (limit to two pages for each faculty member). Provide a vita which contains information relative to
your ability to carry out the proposed project, highlighting outcomes of prior funding from the RCU.
5) Submit a one to two page summary report detailing the outcome of past RCU award
Office of Grants, Research and Sponsored Programs • CSU Bakersfield • DDH/D108 • (661) 654-2231
RCU Guidelines Revised April 21, 2015
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CHECK LIST
It is important that all proposals conform to the instructions provided in the Request for Proposals (RFP).
Conformance is required and will be strictly enforced. Proposals that are not consistent with these
instructions will not be considered by RCU.

Formatting: Application must be single spaced, 1 inch margin, and 12 pitch font.

Cover page: Must be signed by you, your chair, and not to exceed 2 pages maximum.

Proposed Activity: Must be limited to one page of reference and 2 pages maximum containing the
following subsections: Abstract, Proposed Activity, Significance, Outcomes, and Student Involvement, if
any.

Resources: Must be limited to 2 pages maximum; contain itemized budget with justification; contain
justification for release time, if applicable; contain a list of all previous support from CSUB in the past 5
years, including startup funds, release times, Dean’s support, RCU, etc.

Vita: Must be limited to 2 pages maximum and contain information relative to your ability to carry out the
proposed project.

Outcome of prior support: Submit a one to two page report detailing outcome of prior RCU support
CONFORMANCE WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION
It is important that all proposals conform to the instructions provided in the Request for Proposals (RFP).
Conformance is required and will be strictly enforced. Proposals that are not consistent with these
instructions will not be considered by RCU. Particular attention is given to proposal length, content and
formatting, including the page limitation on the Description of Proposed Activity and other proposal
sections, such as the budget and vita.
Human or Animal Subjects Research
Are humans or animals involved as subjects in your research project? If so, please supply an
IRB (humans) or an IACUC (animals) authorization letter prior to award decision.
Human Subjects:
Please see definition of human subjects research at the following link:
http://www.csub.edu/grasp/Research%20Compliance/IRB/DefHSResearch/index.html
Animal Subjects:
The principal investigator on every IACUC protocol, as well as others having substantial contact with the
animals must be certified as having appropriate training in the Humane Care and Use of Animal Subjects
(HCUAS). Training materials for this purpose are available online HCUAS
Training.
For additional information please contact the
Office of Grants, Research & Sponsored Programs, DDH D-100 [x2233]
Office of Grants, Research and Sponsored Programs • CSU Bakersfield • DDH/D108 • (661) 654-2231
RCU Guidelines Revised April 21, 2015
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