FACULTY RESEARCH GRANT GUIDELINES
(Approved Spring 2012; Revised Spring 2013, Fall 2013)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Last Tuesday in September
 Visit the Research and Sponsored Programs website for specific deadline date(s):
http://www.stcloudstate.edu/osp/internal/ResearchGrants.asp.
 Proposals received after the deadline or incomplete proposals (see Application Checklist) will not
be considered.
 No more than one application per individual can be submitted or funded during any application
round.
Furthermore, an individual may be funded only one time per fiscal year. (Approved by Faculty
Senate November 20, 2012)
 The updated research application combines the long-term and research grant applications into
one and defines research broadly. (Faculty Senate minutes from 9/20/11)
1. Purpose
 A faculty research grant funds scholarly activity greater than 14 days related to Criterion 2 of
Article 22 of the Master Agreement (Scholarly or Creative Achievement or Research).
 Research is broadly defined as creative achievement and/or the scholarly pursuit of
knowledge using recognized procedures in the applicant’s discipline/area of study.
 Funds available under this proposal are to be utilized for the execution of well-conceived
scholarly plans, not for the development of a well-conceived scholarly plan.
2. Funding
 Funding is provided through the IFO/MnSCU Master Agreement (Article 19). The average amount
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to be awarded by the committee is approximately $60,000 per year. The committee generally
funds 10-15 proposals averaging $4,500. Proposals must receive at least 60% of the possible
points to be eligible for funding.
Grants are listed rank order with highest score listed first. The total possible points available for
the research grant proposal is 36 + up to 8 points based on funding received from FRG in the
previous three years. Scores are determined after deleting the high and low scores on the 36point rubric. (Mean score is available upon request.) Those applications receiving the minimum
of 60% of the points (21.6 points) are then awarded up to 8 additional points based on previous
funding.
The committee funds scholarly activities that are goal-oriented and problem-driven (directed in
their outcomes) and that link the proposed project to who the applicant is and what the
applicant does professionally.
Proposals requesting funds for the following as standalone activities will NOT be considered:
 Preliminary project development (e.g., literature review), course development, study
abroad, dissemination costs for completed projects (e.g., dissertation defense,
submission/binding fees; journal page charges; etc.), and
university/college/school/department initiatives.
Equipment and supplies requests for basic infrastructural items (e.g., computers, glassware,
easels, etc.) will NOT be funded.
 If equipment or supply items requested fall outside of these basic infrastructural needs,
justification must be provided, along with documentation of costs for these materials.
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Funding limits:
 Faculty compensations are limited to $3,000 ($600 per week for up to five weeks) plus
associated 22% fringe costs.
 If SCSU non-faculty is a co-investigator, compensation is capped at $500 for that individual
unless sufficient rationale is provided to support the request.
 Per Diem expenses are capped at $588 per month or the standard contractual per diem rate,
whichever is less. Lodging expenses will be capped at $150 per day or $2,000 per month,
whichever is less.
Proposals will be funded up to a maximum of $10,000.
While all submitted proposals will be considered for funding upon the time of submission,
applicants who merit funding will not have funds available to them until all university documents
associated with the scholarly activities are completed (e.g., IRB, travel, work revision, etc.)
3. Applicant criteria
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Applicants must be faculty with bargaining unit status – whether tenure-track, non-tenure track,
qualifying fixed term or qualifying adjunct (>3 credits in the academic year) – both at the time of
application and at the time of grant activity. Please refer to the relevant sections of the current
collective bargaining agreement.
No more than one application per individual can be submitted or funded during any application
round. Joint submissions are allowed, but count as the one submission allowed per individual.
Faculty Research Grant recipients may receive a short-term grant in conjunction with the Faculty
Research Grant.
Submissions are limited to 10 pages, not including the curriculum vita or documents supporting
budgetary requests (e.g., quotes for travel, equipment, lodging, etc.).
All proposals should be 12-point font with 1-inch margins, double-spaced and paginated.
Proposals failing to meet these guidelines may not be considered for funding.
4. Preparing the coversheet
 List all Faculty Research Grants received within the past three years, award date and award
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amount. Note that all final reports for past grants must be turned in by the application deadline
to be eligible to apply for additional funding.
Grant applications must have all signatures as listed on the cover sheet to be considered
complete.
5. Preparing the narrative
PLEASE INCLUDE THE HEADINGS BELOW IN YOUR NARRATIVE. BE SURE TO REVIEW THE EVALUATION
RUBRIC WHEN COMPOSING THE NARRATIVE.
 Background/Literature Review (Need/significance/value)
This part tells why the study should be undertaken. It should include a statement of the problem
or purpose of the proposal and tie that to the relevant literature that supports the need for the
study. It should include a concise statement of the objectives of your proposal, as well as any
other information related to what you propose to do. Background information to justify the
need for your scholarship is essential (bibliography, etc.).
 Include enough information to bring a lay reader to the point that they can understand the
proposal’s objectives and strategies and how the proposal relates to the applicant’s
professional development. In addition, information should be provided explaining how the
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proposed activities relate to the proposer’s field of expertise and study, and how the
proposal will provide a contribution to that field. It is not the committee’s responsibility to
be an expert in the proposer’s field, but rather it is the proposer’s responsibility to
communicate their expertise in the field.
 Applicants are invited to include a brief curriculum vita of no more than one page
enumerating up to five scholarly achievements. (This is optional.)
Goals and Objectives
In this section specific, tangible goals and objectives should be enumerated that align with the
scholarly need described in the previous section. At least one objective must be a scholarly
product. Scholarly products are outcomes that will be evaluated, assessed, and/or critiqued.
Strategy/Methods/Design
Often referred to as “procedures,” this part tells what is to be done, when, and how. The
amount and kinds of detailed information will vary according to the type of study undertaken,
e.g., experimental, statistical survey, documentary, or other creative endeavors. The plan
presented in this section should outline a systematic and feasible procedure for accomplishing
the goals and objectives proposed in the previous section.
Timeline
Here the applicant should provide a reasonable timeline for the execution of the
methodology/strategy described in the previous section that includes when specific
goals/objectives will be completed. Note that reasonableness will be evaluated in context of the
fiscal year covered by this award, with the assumption that the faculty member is performing
contractual obligations normally associated with his/her position.
Outcome/Benefit
In this section, the benefits of the goals and objectives proposed should be described in context
of their contribution to the proposer’s professional development, as well as what significance
the results might have for teaching, the discipline, the university, and society.
6. Preparing the Budget
 Budget
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This section should include a detailed budget. Math should be checked and fringe benefits
should be included in the calculation of compensation, if requested. A budget template is
provided as part of these application guidelines. Documentation of all costs must be included,
which could be provided from quotes, online ordering sources, etc.
Your budget is an estimate of expenditures. Since you will be judged on how realistic your
budget is to accomplish your research project, you should try to take as much of the direct cost
of the project into account as possible and obtain current rates for each item (e.g., equipment,
student wages, etc.). Place each cost under the appropriate heading noting how you computed
the total and the relationship of the item to the project.
Be sure to clearly show a connection between the requested budget expenditures and the
strategy of the project or study. In addition, clarify the project duties of all personnel receiving
compensation. You may wish to submit a separate “Budget Justification” page that contains a
list of your budget requests along with a concise description of the need for each requested
item (including personnel supported via compensation) in carrying out the proposed project or
study. Also, be sure to identify when these expenses will be incurred (i.e. if you’re traveling in
July, you would typically have to purchase airfare 1-3 months in advance).
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Budgetary items for which research money may be allocated include:
(a) personnel (e.g. faculty compensation and benefits, non-faculty SCSU personnel as coinvestigator and benefits, clerical, secretary or student help); faculty compensation not to
exceed $3,000; non-faculty SCSU co-investigator not to exceed $500 unless sufficient
justification provided
If more than one investigator, must state in the proposal who is responsible for which part
of the project and budget.
Note: Approval to pay student assistants more than minimum wage may be allowed with
prior approval of the Office of Human Resources.
(b) supplies that are essential to the research (attach documentation to support cost)
(c) equipment that is essential to the research (attach documentation to support cost)
Note: The equipment purchased belongs to St. Cloud State University.
(d) travel clearly essential to the research, not for dissemination. Include all travel expenses
such as airfare, mileage, transportation, per diems, lodging, etc. If international travel is
involved, the applicant is required to meet with a staff member in the Office of Research
and Sponsored Programs to discuss budget items which can be reasonably funded
according to university guidelines. Attach documentation to support cost.
(e) computer services (attach documentation to support cost)
(f) other identifiable direct costs (attach documentation to support cost)
Note: Utilization of research funds to pay subjects will be determined on a case-by-case
basis, but it is generally not allowable unless payment is itself a variable being studied.
Note: If you request an honorarium for an expert outside SCSU, you must provide the
individual’s credentials, justification for the award, and explanation of your relationship
with the individual.
 All university policies which apply to regular departmental accounts also apply to research
grant funds, including travel allowances, appointment procedures, salary limits for students
or clerical help, and purchase procedures.
Budget Justification
A detailed budget justification should be provided on a separate page(s). Requests for monetary
support for project participants (faculty compensation, student support, clerical, etc.) must be
justified in context of what specific tasks are going to be performed by each participant and how
the total cost was calculated (xx hours multiplied by the hourly rate). If funding is requested for
personnel beyond the applicant, detail should be provided explaining why the activities being
performed by additional participants are beyond the ability or expertise of the proposer.
PLEASE NOTE: The committee reserves the right to tentatively fund proposals that meet the
criteria pending discussion with the proposer(s) concerning how to more cost effectively achieve
their goals with the intent of generating additional money to fund more proposals.
7. Hints for writing a successful grant application:
 Use the criteria and evaluation rubric as a guide when writing the grant application.
 Proofread the grant proposal carefully to be sure your ideas are clearly communicated.
 Ask a colleague (outside your discipline) or committee member to read a draft copy before
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submitting the final version.
Use the Application Checklist as a guide when putting together all the parts of the grant
application.
Follow the heading guidelines provided in the narrative instructions.
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If you have any questions about the application or would like clarification of any item, please
contact a member of the Faculty Research Grants Committee
(http://www.stcloudstate.edu/osp/internal/ResearchGrants.asp) or someone from your
department/college/school who has received a faculty scholarship development grant in the
past.
8. Selection process
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Proposals are initially screened to see if they meet the minimum guidelines for eligibility listed
(see Applicant Criteria, page 2).
Eligible proposals are scored by individual committee members. The committee consists of up to
two members from each college/school.
The highest and lowest scores are dropped and an average of the remaining scores is calculated.
Proposals not receiving 60% of the possible points are ineligible to receive funding.
Those proposals receiving a mean score of 60% or more of the possible points are rank-ordered
from highest to lowest.
Funding begins with the highest scored proposal and then proceeds to the next highest scored
proposal, until funds are exhausted.
It is possible for a proposal to meet the criteria for funding but not be funded because of
budgetary limitations.
The committee reserves the right to limit budgetary requests viewed as excessive in context of
reasonable need to accomplish the goals and objectives outlined in the proposal.
Applicants should allow six to eight weeks from the application deadline for the selection process
to be completed. Faculty Research Grants committee recommendations are subject to Faculty
Senate and Provost approval. All other approvals normally required by the university related to
travel shall still be required for purposes of the project outlined.
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