Guidelines

Please be sure to read all the guidelines thoroughly. Each item should be prepared and labeled as a separate section.

A. Letter of Intent (LOI)

The letter of intent must be submitted electronically by 10/20/14 and will require the following information:

1. Principal Investigator: name, title, department affiliation, email address
2. Indicate Specific Program Area: (1) Science, Engineering, Math, Technology, Social Science; or (2) Arts, Humanities, Business, Law, Engagement
3. Project Type: Single PI or Multi-PI
4. Key Personnel: Co-PIs, Department Affiliation, Role on Project
5. Project Title: Limit 200 characters
6. Project Abstract (limit 500 words): Succinctly state the objectives, methods to be employed, and the significance of the proposed activity to the advancement of knowledge, pursuit of scholarly activity, or contribution to creative work.
7. Compliance: Indicate if your proposed project involves human subjects, vertebrate animals, or the use of recombinant DNA, biological agents, or toxins.
8. Submitting LOI. Please use this link to submit your LOI online.

 

B. Full Proposal (invitation not required)

The full proposal must be submitted by 11/17/14. Instructions for electronic submission of proposals will be provided to applicants upon receipt of LOI. Proposals must address each of the areas below and must include distinct headings/sections.

1. Cover Sheet: PI/Co-PIs, department affiliation(s), department head(s), project title, contact information of submitter, and specific program area (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Social Sciences or Arts, Humanities, Business, Law, Engagement).
2. Proposal Abstract (250-500 words): Briefly describe the proposed project, its significance, and expected outcomes. If unchanged, applicants can resubmit abstract used for LOI.
3. Compliance: Projects requiring IRB (Institutional Review Board), IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee), or IBC (Institutional Biosafety Committee) review, must have committee approval on or prior to the award date. For information on whether your project requires approval, please refer to the websites IRB (human subjects), IACUC (vertebrate animals), or IBC (recombinant DNA, biological agents, or toxins). If you already have approval, please include a copy of the approval letter in the appendices. If you are waiting approval, indicate that approval is pending.
4. Project Plan: The Project Plan should not exceed 5 pages for single PI proposals or 8 pages for multi-PI proposals (12-pt font and 1” margins). The Project Plan should address each of the areas below in sufficient detail using the headings provided. Proposals should be written in straightforward language keeping in mind that reviewers will be drawn from the general area and will not necessarily possess specific expertise in the area of study. Proposals should avoid the use of technical or discipline-specific jargon. Acronyms that are not universally understood should be spelled out the first time they are used.

a. Significance. Provide a clear and compelling rationale for the proposed project, scholarly activity, or creative work.  Indicate how the proposed project will advance knowledge, address an important scientific or scholarly problem, demonstrate intellectual or creative significance, and/or benefit society in meaningful ways? If applicable, include hypotheses to be tested, specific goals/aims, and relevant background/information or preliminary data in support of the project.
b. Impact and Outcomes. Indicate how the proposed project demonstrates innovation, creativity, or potentially transformative concepts or outcomes? How does the project reflect institutional, state, national, and/or global priorities? For multi-PI, interdisciplinary proposals, indicate external funding opportunity that will be targeted as a result of the REP.
c. Feasibility and Timeline. Describe the plan for carrying out the proposed activities, including research design, work plan, methodological approach, availability of resources, and timeline for completion of tasks/milestones. Indicate a mechanism to assess success and evaluation of outcomes. If funding is requested for more than one year, provide a rationale and justification for the request.
d. Investigators/Collaboration. Describe how the PI and/or collaborators are well-suited to carry out the proposed project. For multi-PI proposals, indicate how the project brings together individuals from different disciplines and how the collaboration will advance the proposed project. For single PI proposals, indicate how the proposed work enhances and/or advances the PI’s scholarship or creative products.
e. Resubmissions. If proposal is a resubmission, provide responses to reviewers’ comments. Indicate how and where the reviewers’ comments were addressed. If you are resubmitting a proposal from the previous internal grant competition (e.g., faculty large grant), you must use the new format and address reviewers’ concerns as best as possible within the new guidelines. Some of the reviewers’ feedback may not be relevant with the new format and will not need to be incorporated.

5. Proposed Budget: List and justify each budget item. You should use the budget template provided (see Budget Preparation Instructions) to list the items and their respective costs. On a separate sheet, provide a justification for each budget item.

6(a) Extramural Support: List information on extramural research proposal activities for the last FIVE YEARS (pending, funded, not funded) using the headings listed below. If you have never applied for extramural funding, identify the source/opportunity for extramural funding you plan to seek. If you are a Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) on a project, be sure to identify the Principal Investigator (PI) and the total budget for the project Project.

• Title
• PI and Co-PIs
• Extramural Sponsor
• Funding Period
• Award Amount
• Status (currently active, closed, pending, not funded)

6(b) Intramural Support: List information on internal support you have received from the university for the last FIVE YEARS. Intramural support is defined as support from all University of Connecticut sources, including start-up funds, internal program support, Agricultural Experiment Station (Hatch) Awards through the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, University Cost Centers and Specialized Service Facilities, Connecticut Sea Grant Program, National Undersea Research Center (NURC), Center for Health Intervention and Prevention (CHIP), Provost Academic Plan, Humanities Institute, University Centers and Institutes, and Institute of Water Resources (WR), etc. Be sure to include the outcome of the awards in terms of publications, subsequent extramural funding, etc. In addition, if you are Co-PI on a project, be sure to list the PI and total budget for the project.

i. Start-Up Funds: when received, amount received, and amount remaining. If start-up funds remain, explain overlap with REP funding request.
ii. Other Intramural Support:

• Project Title
• PI and Co-PIs
• Intramural Source
• Funding Period
• Award Amount
• Status (currently active, closed, pending, not funded)

7. Future Funding and/or Activities.  The applicant should specify where extramural grant proposals will be submitted and/or the high level disciplinary accomplishments that will result from this REP funding.

8. NSF/NIH style CV.  Include your most recent publications or publications most relevant to the work proposed.

         9. Appendices.  Additional information may be submitted only when it is truly essential for adequate peer review of  the proposal. Appendices should be limited to a maximum of 5 pages.