Revised March 11, 2014
Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities
Grant Program
Request for Proposals
Deadline: Monday, April 7, 2014, 4:30p.m.
Background.
Cal Poly is committed to the teacher-scholar model in which faculty integrate excellence in
teaching with excellence in research, scholarly and creative activities. The teacher-scholar model
enables faculty to fulfill Cal Poly’s mission as an institution committed to quality undergraduate
and graduate education, to the advancement of knowledge through basic and applied research, to
the enrichment of society through creative activities in the arts and humanities, and to serving our
community. The Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities (RSCA) Grant Program, supported by
funds from the Provost’s Office and the Chancellor’s Office, is intended to help faculty remain
engaged in their disciplines beyond the classroom and to contribute new knowledge through robust
programs of scholarship focused on strengthening California socially, culturally, and economically.
The annual funding from the program is intended to provide more internal resources to help faculty
pursue a broader array of professional activities.
Who may apply?
Tenure-track and tenured faculty are eligible to compete for funding. Equal priority will be given to
those in disciplines with few outside sources of support for research, scholarly, and creative activity
and those who submit projects likely to lead to the acquisition of external funding. These resources
will be focused on tenure track faculty to support their establishment of scholarly programs and on
tenured faculty seeking to open new scholarly directions. The funds from this program will not be
used as an ongoing internal source to sustain a faculty member’s ongoing research, scholarly or
creative endeavors.
What types of projects will be funded?
The program is intended to fund all types of research, scholarly, and creative activities. This
includes but is not limited to empirical and theoretical research, applied design and development,
pedagogical research, writing of books, and the production of art. Proposed projects must be
related to the generation of new knowledge and learning.
What types of projects will not be funded?
Grants will not be awarded for instructional improvement, course development, or evaluation.
However, it will be relevant to the reviewers to know how the scholarship or creative activity will
improve your teaching and benefit the instructional program.
What review criteria will apply?
Proposals will be evaluated according to standard criteria, including intellectual merit, feasibility,
significance, and the qualifications of the faculty project director and collaborators. As noted above,
the following additional criteria will be taken into account in assigning funding priority:
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Potential of the funding to “seed” the programs of tenure track faculty
Potential of the funding to help tenured faculty open new scholarly directions
Potential of the project to attract future funding
Support of fields and disciplines with minimal access to external funding
Degree of alignment with major college/campus initiatives
Significance and role in advancing the field or discipline
Impact on student learning
When can projects begin?
Projects may begin on July 1, 2014.
For what may funding be used?
All justified and normally allowable expenses will be considered: faculty assigned time and/or
additional compensation; support for student assistants; support for temporary personnel
(consultants, collaborators); supplies; services; equipment; and travel. Assigned time must be used
during the academic year and additional compensation must be used during the summer. If unable
to take the assigned time as proposed, it can be converted to additional compensation. The value of
the conversion cannot exceed the value of the assigned time and is capped at one month of summer
salary. All funds awarded must be used for the specific, approved purposes and may not be
converted to other uses without prior authorization.
For what may funding not be used?
Grants will not be awarded solely for the purpose of attending conferences, courses, workshops or
professional meetings. However, proposals can include a budget line for travel to conduct scholarly
work. Reimbursement rates will be based on Cal Poly travel guidelines:
https://afd.calpoly.edu/fiscalservices/travel_guidelines.asp.
When must projects be completed?
Projects must be completed by June 30, 2015; under special circumstances, extensions may be
given.
How many projects will be supported and at what funding levels?
Total funds to support the program this year are $382,711 (increased from $250,000 with additional
funds provided by Chancellor’s Office). Grants will be funded up to $13,500.
Is there a specified proposal format?
Proposals should include the following:
1. A cover page (please use the attached template) that is signed by the relevant department
head(s)/chair(s) and dean(s).
2. Core content that includes:
 an abstract that introduces the proposed work;
 a description of the project that includes the methodology, objectives, theoretical
justification, and significance of the project;
 a timeline for completion of the project;
 a description of how the findings will be used; and
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
a statement justifying the requested resources needed to complete the project.
Please use the attached template. The body of the proposal should not exceed 5 pages,
exclusive of references and other supplemental materials.
3. A detailed budget (please use the attached template) in which line items are clearly related to
the scope of work is required.
4. A current curriculum vitae for applicant(s).
5. A list of former, current, or pending support for this or related work, the sources and amount
awarded, scholarly products resulting from the support, and -- if support from Cal Poly was
provided in the past -- the outcome must be described.
Additional Information: The proposal should be written for reviewers who are not experts in the
applicant’s specific field. It is critical that applicants write their proposal so that their nondisciplinary colleagues can judge the merit of their proposals.
When will I be notified?
All proposals will be reviewed by the Academic Senate Grants Review Committee and additional
internal or external reviewers as necessary. Applicants will be notified in Spring quarter whether
their proposals have been recommended for an award with funds available July 1, 2014.
What are the reporting requirements?
Following completion of the grant, a 3- to-5-page summary of project results must be filed with the
Office of Research and Economic Development no later than October 1, 2015. A template will be
provided to ensure all necessary information is provided.
Where can I get more information?
Additional copies of this RFP and the cover sheet can be downloaded from the Office of Research
and Economic Development website at www.research.calpoly.edu or obtained from that office (38154; (805) 756-1508).
Proposal Submission.
Using the attached template, incorporate all components of your proposal, including the cover
sheet, into a single Word or .pdf file. Name your file as follows: Lastname_Firstname.doc (or
.pdf).
By 4:30p.m. on Monday, April 7, 2014:
 Submit a hard copy and email your file to the Dean’s office for your College. Please contact
your Dean’s office to confirm to whom you should submit your proposal.
 If you have questions regarding this RFP, contact Debbie Hart at (805) 756-1508 or
dahart@calpoly.edu. You also can contact your Dean’s office for questions regarding the
submission of the proposals.
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Revised March 11, 2014
Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activities
Grant Program
Proposal
Title of Proposal: Click here to enter text.
Faculty Name(s):
Click here to enter text.
Click here to enter text.
Department(s):
Click here to enter text.
Click here to enter text.
Rank:
☐ Professor
☐ Associate Professor
☐ Assistant Professor
☐ Professor
☐ Associate Professor
☐ Assistant Professor
Status:
☐ Tenured
☐ Tenure Track
☐ Tenured
☐ Tenure Track
Newly Appointed :
☐ Yes ☐ No
☐ Yes
Release Time Requested:
__ # of WTUs (1-8)
__ # of WTUs (1-8)
☐ No
Department Head/Chair Name(s): Click here to enter text.
Click here to enter text.
Signature(s):
__________________________
__________________________
College Dean Name(s):
Click here to enter text.
Click here to enter text.
Signature(s):
__________________________
__________________________
Deadline for Submission, 4:30pm, Monday, April 7, 2014
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Click Here to Enter Project Title
Budget
Faculty Additional Compensation
[Faculty name]
[Faculty name]
Rate
$0.00
$0.00
Hours
0
0
Total Comp.
$0
$0
Faculty Benefits/Fringe (calculate at 9.76%)
Total Faculty Additional Compensation
$0
$0
Faculty Assigned Time (Replacement rate ~ $1650 per WTU)
[Faculty name]
[Faculty name]
Total Faculty Assigned Time
Rate
$1650
$1650
Student Salaries
Undergraduate Research Assistant(s)
Graduate Research Assistant(s)
Rate
$0.00
$0.00
WTUs
0
0
Total Cost
$0
$0
$0
Hours
0
0
Total Salary
$0
$0
Student Benefits/Fringe (calculate at 2.91%)
Total Student Salaries and Benefits
$0
$0
Travel
[trip 1 destination]
[trip 2 destination]
Total Travel
Cost
Equipment, Supplies, and Materials
[detailed list not necessary, except for items over $500; insert rows as needed]
[detailed list not necessary, except for items over $500; insert rows as needed]
[detailed list not necessary, except for items over $500; insert rows as needed]
Total Supplies and Materials
Cost
Other Expenses
[due to source of funds, incentives for research subjects will not be allowed]
[examples are: consultants, fees, transportation, insurance, etc.; insert rows as needed]
[examples are: consultants, fees, transportation, insurance, etc.; insert rows as needed]
Total Other Expenses
Cost
$0
$0
$0
TOTAL BUDGET REQUEST
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
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Template for Proposal -- Click Here to Enter Title of Project
Click Here to Enter Name(s) of Principal Investigator(s)
Project Abstract. Provide an introduction which identifies the research question and summarizes the
project.
Project Description. Include methodology, goals and objectives, and theoretical justification. Also
indicate here the scholarly significance including the impact on student learning and involvement in
research. Your description should include measures that can be used to evaluate the success of your
project. This description should be written for reviewers who are not necessarily experts in your field.
Project Timeline. The grant period will be July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015. Outline a schedule of tasks,
including in which month(s) they will be commenced/completed. For example, you could list the tasks in
a chart such as this:
Task/
Activities
[task 1]
[task 2]
[task 3]
[task 4]
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar Apr May Jun
Use of Findings. Provide information on how the findings will be used. If the proposed project is
preliminary to seeking external funding, provide detail on potential sources of funding.
Budget Justification. Provide a statement to justify the use of assigned time, additional compensation,
need for supplies and travel, support for student research assistant salaries, plus any other types of
expenses that will be required. This is not the budget but an outline to explain the types of expenses and
why they are necessary.
[The information above should not exceed 5 pages.]
Attachments. Please attach:
 a budget (template provided),
 references,
 current curriculum vitae of the PI and all collaborators,
 information on former, current, and/or pending support, and
 other supplemental materials, such as a list of any publications that resulted from this previous or
ongoing work.
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