CUNY Junior Faculty Research Award in Science and Engineering Description of Program and Solicitation for Faculty Nominations Deadline: Monday, December 3, 2012 Read Carefully for Eligibility Purpose The CUNY Junior Faculty Research Award in Science and Engineering Program aims to cultivate the excellence and ensure the promise of research-intensive, early-career, science and engineering faculty at CUNY. It is expected that this early career opportunity will advance the research programs of the faculty recipients through boosting their research productivity and accelerating their ability to attract significant external funding. Eligibility All untenured tenure-track junior faculty who have a promising and innovative research program in the life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics or engineering will be eligible. Applicants must have completed a terminal degree (e.g. PhD, MD). All untenured faculty in STEM disciplines are encouraged to apply. Applicants need to demonstrate a commitment to teaching, research, and service, and show evidence of this in the materials submitted. Application Development and Structure Applicants are required to provide evidence of their scholarly output and professional impact; they should also emphasize potential future contributions. Application packages must include a 500 word description of their research that incorporates a statement of its significance to the individual’s professional development and to the University research program. The description should address the innovativeness and potential scholarly and societal impact of their research. The application package must also include a curriculum vitae in NIH or NSF format (4-page limit), a brief description (in paragraph form) of how the funds will be used, a nominating letter of support from the applicant’s department chair or school dean, and two letters of recommendation, at least one from a CUNY faculty member. To be eligible for consideration, the letters of recommendation must be received by the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research by the application deadline. cuny.edu/research/faculty-resources/internal-funding-programs/CUNYJFRASE.html 1 Proposal Evaluation The awards from this program should be viewed as an early career opportunity for junior faculty to advance their research programs. Thus, the application will be evaluated on the basis of the likelihood that the research program will continue to evolve and flourish beyond the funding period. Initially, the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research will screen the proposals for eligibility and completeness. An external selection committee composed of distinguished research faculty and administrators will evaluate all eligible proposals. This panel will be representative of the broad range of STEM disciplines, and each proposal will have two reviewers. Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria: Innovativeness of the research, the potential to receive external funding and a demonstrated record of scholarly achievement and promise. The recommendations of the external selection committee are final. Funding Each CUNY Junior Faculty Fellow will receive a one-year $50,000 award. It is anticipated that four awards will be given in year 2 (2013). At that time the program will be reviewed and evaluated for future funding. Faculty recipients will be awarded RF funds for a period of one year, February 1 – January 31. Extensions for any remaining RF funds beyond the 12-month funding period will only be considered under special circumstances. Funds can be used for any of the following categories: Other Than Personnel Services (OTPS) including: research supplies, equipment, travel and field expenses Personnel costs (Research Associates and Research Assistants) Faculty release time at adjunct rates One month of summer salary (Please note: The cumulative maximum that can be budgeted for summer salary is $5,000) Fringe benefits CUNY Junior Faculty Research Award funds may not be used to purchase desktop or laptop computers, personal storage devices such as iPods and iPads, or any other handheld electronic device. No line item budget will be required until the grants have been awarded in late January. cuny.edu/research/faculty-resources/internal-funding-programs/CUNYJFRASE.html 2 Compliance issues: All faculty and any student research assistants funded by CUNY Junior Faculty Research Awards must complete Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training in compliance with federal requirements. For further information, see the CUNY Research Compliance webpage: http://www.cuny.edu/research/compliance.html. The Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and the Biohazards Committee must approve research involving human subjects, animals, or biohazards prior to the release of any funds. If applicable, we recommend that you submit your IRB or IACUC applications to the relevant authority simultaneously with your CUNY Junior Faculty Research Award proposal, in order to allow sufficient time for these applications to be approved. Without IRB/IACUC approval, CUNY Junior Faculty Research Award funding will not be allocated for any human or animal subject research. For more information about IRB and human subjects research, visit: <http://www.cuny.edu/research/ovcr/human-subjects-research.html>. Terms and Conditions of Support Total funding allocated for the competition in 2013 is $200,000 for four awards. All awardees must submit a brief report highlighting their major accomplishments and activities at the end of the award. Each awardee will be expected to present his/her research at the Junior Faculty Science and Engineering Fellows Seminar Day. As awardees progress through their careers, they will be asked to serve as mentors for the CUNY Summer Undergraduate Research Program (C-SURP). For more information visit: <http://www.cuny.edu/research/sr/csurp.html>. For program evaluation purposes, all applicants, as well as recipients will be required to provide the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research with updated CVs, upon request, for the five-year follow-up assessment period. Specific Submission Guidelines Complete proposals must be submitted electronically via the J Frase website ONLY.) and can be uploaded as a Word .doc or in .pdf format. cuny.edu/research/faculty-resources/internal-funding-programs/CUNYJFRASE.html 3 Complete Application Package Completed nomination form (online) 1) Signed letter from the nominator - scanned and uploaded 2) Signature Page – scanned and uploaded 3) Proposal Summary (500 word vision statement)- uploaded 4) Nominee’s curriculum vitae (4-page NIH/NSF format)- uploaded 5) List of scientific publications and patents (if not included in vitae) 6) A list of Currently Available and Pending Funds (do not include internal or startup funds) 7) Brief Budget Narrative 8) Proposal Checklist The original should be signed by the PI and College Grants Officer and be submitted through the website. (This signed checklist serves as an acknowledgment by the PI and Grants Officer that the submitted proposal package is complete.) 9) 2 letters of recommendation (at least one from a CUNY faculty member) may be included in the web application package or emailed to researchprograms@mail.cuny.edu by the application deadline. Approvals, Submission, and Timetable The proposal must be approved and signed (on the checklist page) by an appropriate administrative official at each campus, and should follow normal campus procedures for proposal approval at those campuses. The complete electronic copy of the proposal should be uploaded on the website for the Junior Faculty Research Award in Science and Engineering Program. Due to the disruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy, we have decided to extend the deadline of the JFRASE competition. Proposal must be time stamped no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, December 3, 2012.. Please alert all your colleagues to this change. If you have any difficulties in uploading your proposal, please contact Regina Masterson regina.masterson@mail.cuny.edu (212) 794-5552. No original signed proposal checklist, signature page, and nominating letter need be faxed or mailed. Signatures may be scanned and uploaded within the application. The reference letters may be emailed separately or uploaded on the website. We anticipate that funding decisions will be made by the end of January. cuny.edu/research/faculty-resources/internal-funding-programs/CUNYJFRASE.html 4