Academic Affairs and the Office of Sponsored Program Announce New Guidelines
for the
Grant Submission Incentive Program
Faculty across campus are encouraged to submit grants to enhance their research and undergraduate research,
programming and professional development which further the mission of the University. The new guidelines for
the Grant Submission Incentive Program are broader and recognize the efforts of all faculty submitting small,
medium and large budget grants to federal, state and private Foundations.
The revised incentive program is subsidized by the Indirect Cost Incentive Fund. The Indirect Cost Incentive
Fund provides for the distribution of a portion of recovered indirect costs (sometimes known as facilities and
administration costs) to departments and programs as an incentive for professional activity and future grant
writing. This incentive fund will be allocated on a case-by-case basis under the following guidelines:
Grants up to $10,000 are eligible for an award up to $250
Grants $10,001 - $49,999 are eligible for an award up to $500
Grants $50,000 and above are eligible for an award up to $1000
Find grant money and other information: An annual membership provides access to the Grants Resource
Center (GRC) , a unit of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). The GRC provides a
variety of publications and resources to enhance the research and sponsored programs capabilities of higher
education institutions since 1967. A subscription to GRC provides access to a comprehensive suite of tools,
services, and expertise to improve the efficiency and increase success in securing competitive grants from
federal and private sponsors.
o Login information for the Grants Resource Center
 Username: Western
 Password: Campus
Learn grant writing : Free professional development is available in grant writing, project development, budget
development, and evaluation on a one-on-one, small group and workshop basis by requested.
Revised 01/22/2015
Academic Affairs, Office of Sponsored Programs
Grant Submission Incentive Program
Background:
Western State Colorado University is dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and a fuller understanding of
humankind and the universe in which we live. It is Western’s goal to support the education and intellectual
development of its students and constituents, helping to develop better informed, better adjusted, and more
useful members of our global society. The development, protection, encouragement and promotion of a
program which provides intellectual stimulation and purposeful goals set a stage for purposefully supported
research at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The quality of teaching is enhanced by the active
engagement of Western’s faculty in scholarly or scientific investigation and research, and creative or artistic
work in fields related to those they are teaching. Participation in, or association with, an active program of
research, scholarly inquiry and analysis or germane creative activity is necessary for faculty to keep abreast of
the advances in their field and gives them ideas, methods, and tools to infuse their curricula and student
teaching with academic inquiry and exploration.
This incentive program is subsidized by the Indirect Cost Incentive Fund. The Indirect Cost Incentive Fund provides
for the distribution of a portion of recovered indirect costs (sometimes known as facilities and administration
costs) to departments and programs as an incentive for professional activity and future grant writing. This
incentive fund will be allocated on a case-by-case basis under the following guidelines:
Grants up to $10,000 are eligible for an award up to $250
Grants $10,001 - $49,999 are eligible for an award up to $500
Grants $50,000 and above are eligible for an award up to $1000
Purpose:
The intent of this incentive program is to encourage the writing of grants to state and federal agencies as well as
philanthropic foundations which further the mission of the institution and contribute to the whole student
experience at Western. The incentive grant money is to be used for the furthering of the applicant’s professional
development.
Eligibility:
The Incentive Award is independent of whether the grant for which the faculty or staff member applied was
awarded. All faculty and staff employed at Western under Academic Affairs at the time of submission of a grant
application are eligible, provided they would use the grant money on a project while employed at Western. In
Revised 01/22/2015
addition, each applicant must abide by the rules set forth for submission to include all paperwork and time
frames established in the incentive program as outlined below.
The Vice President of Academic Affairs makes the final decision based on the criteria described in this proposal;
please note that awards can only be disbursed provided funds are available in the designated budget line.
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions:
There are four steps to a grant submission eligible for this Incentive Award:
Step One: Submit Step One (Intent to Submit) paper work to the Office of Sponsored Programs at
least 2 weeks prior to the submission date of the grant application. See Attachment 1.
Step Two: Approval to submit and eligibility for incentive award will be acknowledged and
documented in the Office of Sponsored Programs. An email will be sent to the submitting
faculty/staff announcing acceptance and eligibility. The University may request additional vetting,
or revisions to the grant submission.
Step Three: Submission of completed Pre-Award Tracking Form for External Funding Awards at least
five (5) days prior to submission of the grant deadline. See Attachment 2.
Step Four: Acknowledgement of receipt by the funding agency will be forwarded to Academic
Affairs to confirm eligibility for an award consideration. Submitting faculty/staff will receive an
email regarding their award notification.
Review Procedure:
During a fiscal year, Academic Affairs expects to approve a total of 15 – 20 Incentive Awards. The Associate Vice
President of Academic Affairs appointed to supervise this activity will review each request in coordination with
the Director of Sponsored Programs and Grants to recommend approval or denial of the request to the Vice
President for Academic Affairs.
Review Criteria:
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The recipient is employed at WSCU at the time of the award and the entire contract with the agency will
be carried out at WSCU.
The grant application is aligned with the mission of WSCU and contributes to the scholarly, creative or
research activities of the faculty member and/or applies to their instructional practice.
The application includes credentialing of WSCU in the narrative and the program or project.
The quality of the application and the proposed project contributes to the reputation of our institution.
Revised 01/22/2015
Notification of Incentive Award:
Following successful submission of the grant application, the Office of Sponsored Programs will alert the
Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs of the completed submission. The Incentive Award will be
processed and deposited into the department’s funds under the name of the applicant. The applicant will work
with the Grants and Contracts Accounting Department to utilize the funds.
Use of Award:
Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to: Research-related travel for faculty, staff and students and
other professional development activities that support further research and/or instructional practices, or
programming on campus that serves the student experience. Prior approval for use of funds by the faculty
member is required. A written request for use of funds should be routed through the department chair for
approval by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.
All funds must be utilized by December 31 of the first academic year in which the grant award ends. Funds
remaining after the close of the first year of the grant will be returned to the Indirect Cost Incentive
Fund. Special accommodations for use of the Incentive Award funds at a later date can be requested in writing
and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Questions should be directed to:
Janice Welborn
Director of Sponsored Programs
Taylor Hall 321C
970. 943.3400
jwelborn@western.edu
Revised 01/22/2015
Attachment 1
Grant Submission Incentive Award Program
Intent to Submit Form
Name and Title:
Department:
Office Location:
Phone Number:
I intend to submit a grant application to (Name of Agency)__________________________________ on
(Date)_______________________ with a total request for funding of $_________________.
Briefly explain how the application meets the criteria as stated in the description of the Fund:
I am currently employed in a tenure-track or tenured faculty position.
My current position is: ___________________________________________________.
Signature____________________________________________ Date___________________
Recommended by the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Signature____________________________________________Date____________________
Accepted by the Vice President for Academic Affairs
Signature____________________________________________Date____________________
Revised 01/22/2015