Summer Competitive Scholarly
Research Grants
2015
Funding
 Comes from donations to the University
and is administered through the VCAA
office
 Can vary year-to-year
 Number and size of awards is based, in
part, on the amount of funding available
 Maximum award is $5000
Purpose-1
 Scholarly Growth of Faculty
– Disciplinary & creative activities that keep
faculty members abreast of developments in
relevant fields of knowledge
– Development of new areas of scholarly
competence needed within the campus
– Generating knowledge to inform public
policy
Purpose-2
 Scholarly Growth of Students
– Supports faculty-led research and creative
activity that includes students
– Must involve students in scholarly inquiry
– Must foster student achievement of levels
of competence in particular disciplinary
areas
Scholarship Included
 All Boyer categories of scholarship are
eligible for consideration (discovery,
application, integration, teaching and
learning)
Summer Grants are Ideal for:
 Projects already underway that you
could complete with concentrated time
and attention in the summer
 Research that can only be done in the
summer
 Launching the first phase of a new
project
Getting Started
 Guidelines are posted under “Faculty
Resources” at
http://www.uis.edu/academicaffairs/
 Basic Information
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Project title
Name of faculty member
Faculty member’s college
Contact information
Date of submission
Proposals Must Include
Project Description (3 – 5 pages in length)
 Description of project &
its relationship to
literature in the field
 Statement of need and
description of the
problem
 Objectives and goals
(distinguish between
summer and longer-term)
 Explanation of how project
fits your overall scholarly
agenda and how award
would advance agenda at
this point
Proposals Must Include-2
 Discussion of student
involvement (if
applicable)
 Identification of
anticipated outcomes,
particularly from the
summer research
 Discussion of probability
of subsequent external
funding to continue or
expand project
 Listing of previous NIAs
and/or campus support
received for research
during the past 4 years
and report of progress
Proposals Must Include-3

A Formal, Detailed Budget--Up to $5,000
• Contractual
– Student base rate of $8.25 per hour
– Higher rate must be justified – may require department/college approval
• Travel
– Itemized & based on current state rates (check OBFS travel section –
http://www.obfs.uillinis.edu/)
– May be used for travel to do research, meet with co-PIs
– May not be used for travel to conferences
• Commodities or supplies
– Detailed with costs identified
• Stipend for Faculty Member
– Cannot exceed the hourly rate for researcher’s salary
– Cannot be duplicative of stipend or salary already being earned for same
period of time
• Equipment
– Itemized list with accurate prices
Proposals Must Include-4
– Bibliography/References (if applicable)
– A two-page vita
• List recent publications & activities most
relevant to the proposed project
Proposal Hints
 Remember the awards are competitive
 Follow best professional practices for grant
applications
 Proposals should be complete, but succinct
 Adhere closely to the guidelines
 Discuss any other summer assignments—
teaching, administrative
Submission Requirements
 All grant proposals must be submitted to
the Dean of the College
– Submit an electronic copy to your Dean
– Electronic submissions must be sent as a
single document in an email attachment
(Word or PDF)
Dean’s Role
 Dean will forward proposals with
comments to the Grants, Contracts, and
Research Administration Office
Research Board
– Composed of individuals from various
disciplines, so present information in terms
understandable to the non-specialist
– Members may not know you or may not be
familiar with your scholarly history
– Makes recommendations to the Provost
Criteria-1
– Priority given to proposals that involve
complex and careful research not currently
receiving campus support
– Preference for projects for which there are
limited opportunities for external funding at
this stage of the project
Criteria-2
– Priority given to projects that hold the
promise of attracting future external
support
– Preference for funding expenses that
would otherwise prohibit an activity from
taking place or that would come from the
researcher’s pocket
Criteria-3
– Clear explanation of the project’s fit with
one’s scholarly agenda
– Clear statement of goals, methods, and
expected results
– Probability of successful completion of
proposed activities during the summer
If You Receive a Grant
 Keep receipts and itemize
 Work with Jackie Gillock on specific expenditure
questions
 Spend funds by August 16, 2015
 Contact Kathleen Furr if you need to amend your
budget after the proposal is approved
 Submit final report to Research Board by September
4, 2015
 Contact Kathleen Furr if you need to request an
extension of the report deadline
Timeline
– Submission deadline to Dean
• March 27, 2015 by 4:00 pm
– Deans’ submission deadline to Research Board
• April 3, 2015
– Notification of awards
• May 1, 2015
– Funds must be spent by
• August 16, 2015
– Final report to Research Board
• September 4, 2015