Page content relevant to:

    Research Excellence Program

    Part 1. PROGRAM OVERVIEW

    Light Bulb with SeedlingProgram Goals

    The primary goal of the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) Research Excellence Program (REP) is to provide seed funding to promote, support, and enhance the research, scholarship, and creative endeavors of faculty at UConn, including (but not limited to) the strategic and emerging areas delineated in the Academic Plan. As an outcome of these awards, recipients are expected to submit proposals to extramural sponsors (e.g., federal, state, private, industry, foundation) and/or carry out activities consistent with the highest standards of accomplishment in their discipline.

    REP Funding Priorities

    The program’s primary objective is to fund proposals of high scholarly merit, as evaluated through the peer review process overseen by the OVPR, that create new opportunities for extramural funding and/or activities consistent with high achievement in the discipline. Proposals for research projects in all areas and for a wide variety of purposes are encouraged. Prospective PIs should note the following:

      • Overall quality of the proposed scholarly endeavor as judged through a significant peer review process will be the primary criteria for award.
      • No preference will be given to proposals based on academic rank of the PI or Co-PIs.
      • Proposals with a strong likelihood of obtaining external funding and/or generating activities consistent with the highest standards of the discipline will be given the highest priority.
      • In addition, significant consideration will be given to proposals that are aligned with the Academic Plan.
      • Prospective PIs should consult Research Development Services in the OVPR for help in the development of competitive proposals. Junior faculty are especially encouraged in this regard.
      • Multi-PI, interdisciplinary projects can be proposed to the REP competition.
      • Proposals addressing opportunities for technology commercialization may be proposed to the REP competition.

    Basic REP Parameters

    Proposals can be submitted to one of two broad categories with differing levels of funding available. Proposals should be submitted to the category that best represents the project goals and outcomes rather than to a specific discipline.

    Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Social Sciences

        • Single PI awards capped at $25,000
        • Multi-PI awards capped at $50,000

    Proposals should emphasize how the research will advance knowledge in the Sciences (basic and applied life science, physical sciences, mathematical science, social and behavioral sciences), technology, engineering, or society (applied research, interdisciplinary research).

    Fine Arts, Humanities, Business, Law, and Engagement

        • Single PI awards capped at $10,000
        • Multi-PI awards capped at $25,000

    Proposals should emphasize how the research, project, or scholarship will advance the arts, humanities, business, law, education, creative endeavors, or engaged scholarship (community partnerships, evaluation research, participatory research).

    Multi-PI, interdisciplinary proposals in either category must include PIs across multiple academic units, and must target external funding opportunities as the central reason for a REP award.

     

    Funding Period

    Generally, only one award per PI will be granted in a given fiscal year and no more than two awards made during a five year period within a single type of award, with the exception of multi-PI interdisciplinary awards. In most cases, awards will be made for one year, unless a compelling rationale is made by the PI(s) for a longer funding period.

    Eligibility

    Tenured or Tenure-Track faculty members including: Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, and Full Professors. Clinical and extension faculty are also eligible to apply for REP grants. This competition is open to Storrs and Regional campus faculty only.

    Deadlines

    There will only be one REP competition per year.

      • A mandatory letter of intent to submit (LOI) must be submitted by 10/20/14. LOI must include prospective PI(s), project title and a maximum 500-word abstract describing the proposed work or project.
      • Full proposals must be submitted by 11/17/14. Awards will be made by 3/2/15.

     

    Categories of Support

    Under the newly launched REP competition, there will be more allowable categories of support than in previous years that can be requested. Thus, it is incumbent on the PI to make the strongest case possible for why a particular budget request is essential for the effective delivery of the project. For example, under the new guidelines, PIs may now request course buyout (within the capped budget limits), but the PI must explain why release time is vital to the project. In addition, the buyout rate will be the “internal” buyout rate capped at $5000 and not a percent of salary. Summer support is also allowed if critical to the project and adequately justified. Similarly, summer support will be capped at $3000 for individual PI proposals and $5000 for multi-PI proposals and not a percent of salary. Additional guidelines and instructions regarding course buy out and summer support are provided in PART 3: Budget Preparation.

    The following items cannot be requested: clerical or administrative personnel salaries, including personnel whose primary purpose is to explore funding sources and/or prepare grant applications; service/maintenance contracts on equipment; laboratory renovations, or other infrastructure renovations; institutional memberships in professional organizations; travel to professional meetings to present the results of the research; travel to explore extramural funding opportunities; costs associated with the publication of results of the research, including page charges, purchase of reprints, or journal costs.

    Resubmissions

    Consideration must be given to the reviewers’ comments on your original submission when preparing a resubmission. Whether you agree with them or not, these comments must be addressed. Individuals who wish to resubmit proposals from the previous internal grant program (faculty large grant) should adhere to the new criteria and format.

    Review Process

    Proposals will be peer reviewed by review panels created by the OVPR to assure that the appropriate expertise is available for proposal review. Because the two grant categories encompass a broad range of disciplines, efforts will be made to create a sufficient number of panels to appropriately review all proposals. Thus, it is especially important that the LOI provides a cogent and clear description of the proposed project. Review panels will consist of UConn faculty but may be supplemented by ad hoc reviewers (non-UConn faculty) when additional expertise is needed. Review panels will use guidelines, procedures, and evaluative criteria that are consistent with competitive extramural funding agencies. While the OVPR provides general feedback to those not funded, the OVPR’s decisions will be final and cannot be appealed.

    Final Report

    A two-page final report is required when the project is completed. Submission of the final report will be an important consideration in reviewing future proposals. Submit final reports to larisa.zagorski@uconn.edu.

     

    Proposal Package Components

    A. Letter of Intent (due 10/20/14) – must include PI(s), project title and abstract (500-words maximum), and specific program area:

    1. Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Social Science.
    2. Arts, Humanities, Business, Law, Engagement.

    B. Full Proposal Package (due 11/17/14) (invitation not required)

    1. REP Cover Sheet.
    2. Proposal Abstract.
    3. Compliance with IRB, IACUC and/or IBC.
    4. Proposal Project Plan (maximum allowable length is 5 single-spaced pages for single PI and 8 single-spaced pages for multi-PI, 12 pt font and 1” margins). Project Plans should address each of the areas below.

    a. Significance
    b. Impact and Outcomes
    c. Feasibility and Timeline
    d. Investigators/Collaboration
    e. If resubmission, response to reviewers’ comments

    5. Proposed Budget (format will be provided). If requests are made for a funding period of more than one year (not encouraged), please be explicit about the rationale for that request in the proposal project plan.
    6. Existing and Pending Extramural/Intramural Support.  For those PIs with existing funding or startup funds, this section should document these funds and explicitly address why the OVPR is being asked to provide additional funds.
    7. Future Funding and/or Activities.
    8. 2 Page, NSF or NIH style CV (samples/templates will be provided).
    9. Appendices where relevant (maximum of 5 pages).

    Please label each section of your proposal as itemized above. To be considered for funding, your proposal needs to be routed to all required signatories (i.e. department head) during the submission process as indicated by the REP Cover Sheet.