YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF GRANTS & SPONSORED PROGRAMS
INTERNAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
In the interest of encouraging and rewarding grant activity among faculty/staff, Youngstown
State University offers the following internal incentives as a means of fostering a positive
intellectual climate on campus and helping promote research and professional development:
Faculty Development Travel Under the terms of the YSU/OEA Agreement, the University
will budget an annual sum for each member of the eligible faculty, to be used for faculty
development travel. Further information about applying for these funds is available from the
Office of the Provost.
Faculty Improvement Leaves (FIL) All eligible faculty members who have completed three
full academic years of service and following completion of any previous FIL may be granted
leave of up to one academic quarter at 100% of budgeted salary for the same purposes as
Sabbatical support is extended. Please contact the Office of Human Resources for further
information and applications.
Professional Development and Research Allocation ("Dean's Release") Each year, the
University allocates a release from teaching duties equal to one-half teaching hour for each
member of the OEA-member faculty as of October 1 of the preceding year. The reduction of
teaching load is prorated among the undergraduate colleges based on the percentage of the
eligible faculty in each college. In each undergraduate college the teaching load reduction is
assigned to members of the eligible faculty in increments of two to four hours of release time as
a means of assisting faculty engaged in (A) professional development, (B) research, particularly
if related to professional accreditation, and/or (C) academic/institutional research. Further
information about this release time opportunity is available through the dean of the respective
college, the Office of the Provost, or the OEA representative.
Research Assistant Program The dual purpose of this program is to promote enhanced faculty
research and scholarship while giving students the benefit of access to faculty mentorship. All
full-service faculty working on a specific research project (as distinct from projects of an
instructional or institutional nature) are eligible to apply for the services of juniors, seniors, and
graduate students carrying a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or higher who are enrolled full time
while assisting on the project. Students may participate for up to twenty hours per week and are
paid at an hourly rate, excluding tuition and fees, which are prohibited under State law. Faculty
apply for research assistants by responding to a request-for-proposal (RFP) issued by the
Graduate School each spring, with annual funding decisions made by the Graduate Dean prior to
academic year end. Additional information and request forms are available from the Office of
the Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Research.
Research Professorships Each year, under the terms of the YSU/OEA Agreement, a
designated number of faculty are to be appointed "Research Professors" whose course load is to
be limited to not more than 15 teaching hours during the two semesters of the academic year.
All faculty, except those who have held Research Professorships both in the current and
immediately preceding academic years and those whose external grants applications provide for
release time during the same period, are eligible for appointment consideration. Applicant
screenings are conducted by a faculty committee chaired by the Graduate Dean. Requests for
further information and application forms may be directed to the Dean or Administrative
Assistant, School of Graduate Studies. A Chairs Research Professorship Program also is
available. Interested chairpersons may obtain additional information and applications from the
Office of the Provost.
Sabbaticals/Administrative Professional Leave All eligible faculty members who meet the
criteria specified in the current YSU/OEA Agreement may be granted leave of up to two
academic semesters at 100% of budgeted salary "to undertake further education, to carry on
research, to secure appropriate professional experience, or to perform discipline-related
community service." A separate Chairs Sabbatical Program also is available. Please consult the
YSU/OEA Agreement, or contact the Office of the Provost for more information on sabbaticals.
Professional development leave for YSU administrative staff members not covered under
collective bargaining agreements also is available on a limited basis. Further information on
these leave opportunities is available in the Office of Human Resources or it may be obtained
from the Executive Vice President.
University Research Council (URC) Grants This institutional grant program provides limited
seed money, on a competitive basis, for new research, scholarly and other creative projects,
especially whenever other sources of project support are not available. All full-service faculty
are eligible for URC Grant support, which is based on the submission of a short proposal to the
Dean of Graduate Studies and the University Research Council. URC Grant funds may be used
for: project technical assistance, data collection travel, materials and services, and equipment.
URC Grant funds are not available for other purposes. Proposal requests of $500 or less may be
submitted at any time to the Graduate Dean for a possible award of discretionary grant funds,
until such funds are depleted. The University Research Council also reviews all requests over
$500 (maximum near $5000) within the same fiscal year, regardless of the amount, at a review
session held each spring. Application packets are available by calling the Graduate School or
visit their website.