OU ’ s NEW Challenge Grant Program

1. OU’s NEW Challenge Grant Program Information Session, 2011

2. Overview • Program Background and Purpose • Program Timeline • Proposal Development Suggestions • Where to get more information • Q&A

3. Background and PUrPose • “Challenge” reflects three important aspects of the program: • CGP challenges faculty to think boldly and for the long-term, outside the boundaries of traditional programs and disciplines and well beyond the next performance, publication or experiment. • CGP challenges the University to invest thoughtfully and strategically in outstanding endeavors, providing collaborative environments that support and reward scholarship, particularly involving multiple disciplines. • CGP is intended to assist faculty in identifying and addressing intellectually stimulating and challenging problems and opportunities. • CGP is intended not to support incremental extensions of existing work, but rather activities that require an investment of institutional seed-funding for the purpose of building strategic foundations to advance individual and collaborative faculty scholarship.

4. Background and Purpose • Eligibility • The CGP competition is open to all regular faculty (as defined in the Faculty Handbook Section 3.1.1) on the Norman Campus (including Norman Campus programs at OU-Tulsa). • Research faculty, HSC faculty, Staff, Instructors, Adjuncts, etc. are eligible to serve as co-PIs if the proposal is led by a regular faculty member from Norman (including Norman-campus programs in Tulsa). • Renewable Term faculty with ranks of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor ARE considered Regular Faculty and ARE eligible for CGP funding. • Because CGP is distinct from programs operated by the Research Council, faculty are eligible to receive funding from CGP even if they currently receive funding from the Research Council. • A regular faculty member can only be Principal Investigator (PI) on one CGP proposal but can be on other CGP proposals as a co-investigator (co-PI).

5. Background and PUrPose • Why this program and why now – Aspire 2020 • Why isn’t this just part of the Research Council’s portfolio of internal funding? – too proscriptive • Why the emphasis on “Challenge”? • Why the emphasis on “Accountability”? • How many years will this program exist? – Minimally, 2 years (FY 2012 and 2013)

6. Funding • Up to 2 projects at a maximum of $100,000 per project; all disciplines are eligible • Up to 4 projects at a maximum of $50,000 per project; all disciplines are eligible • Up to 6 projects at a maximum of $25,000 per project; all disciplines are eligible • Up to 10 projects at a maximum of $10,000 per project for all disciplines, with five awards at this level set aside for non-physical science and engineering disciplines • As a PI, you may only submit one proposal; however you can be co-PI on other proposals

7. Program Timeline • 1 March: Required notice of intent is due • 15 Feb - 21 Mar: Information Sessions • 21 Mar - 15 May: Proposal Development • 16 May, 5 PM: Proposals Due • 17 May - 8 Jun: Peer reviews conducted • 15 June: Decisions announced • 1 July: Funding awarded

8. Program Timeline • Why is the Notice of Intent Required? • How many proposals do you anticipate receiving? • How many proposals do you anticipate funding? • Why does this program require working with the Center for Research Program Development and Enrichment (CRPDE)? • Why are proposals due after the end of the semester? • Who will be reviewing these proposals?

9. Proposal Development • REQUIRED Notice of Intent • Due March 1, 2011 • Online form found at: http://crpde.ou.edu/cgp_notice_of_intent • Requires names of participating faculty, department affiliations, email – very basic information • Proposal Title • 300-word proposal description • Description of anticipated use of funds (i.e., how much are you requesting and what will you use the money for)

10. Proposal Development • Notices of Intent will NOT be used to select and invite full proposals. • If you submit a Notice of Intent, the expectation is that you will submit a proposal by May 16, 2011. • If you don’t submit a Notice of Intent, you cannot submit a proposal for the May 16 deadline. • If you submit a Notice of Intent for a particular topic, you should submit a proposal on that topic (and not change to another topic). • You can add other investigators or make changes in project personnel after the Notice of Intent has been submitted. • You can make budgetary changes after the Notice of Intent, but we do not advise you to change across the levels of funding

11. Proposal Development • All proposals submitted to the CGP must be developed in collaboration with the Center for Research Program Development and Enrichment. • Proposals are limited to 5 pages (1” margins, no less than 10 point font), including figures/tables, but not including references, detailed budget, or supporting documentation. • Successful proposals will: • Describe, in a compelling manner, a research program or project that will benefit significantly and demonstrably from a seed-funding award. • Provide a self-contained account of the context in which the funding is being requested and the goals to be achieved • Demonstrate the likelihood of a significant contribution to the field(s); • Show strong potential to attract additional resources, and/or recognition, and/or external support to sustain the activity or develop it further. • Applicants should demonstrate outstanding scholarly promise and ability to successfully undertake the project.

12. Proposal Development • A complete proposal will contain: • 5-page Project Description • Current CVs for all investigators listed on the proposal • Each CV must include a list of internal funding received from OU during the past five years • One-page Budget and Justification (now its own page; NOT part of the 5-page Project Description) • Letter of approval for Release Time (if applicable) • If the project will involve human subjects, laboratory animals, rDNA and/or radioactive materials or biohazards, information must be provided (process, timeline, etc.) regarding plans to seek approval from appropriate University Committees for the project materials – approvals will be needed to receive funding

13. Project Description Statement of Objectives/Goals Clearly and succinctly state the overall vision for your research program (not just the work being proposed), followed by the goals and objectives of the specific work being proposed relative to them. It is important that the project be a key component of a longer-term, bold vision for the research program(s) involved. • Do – help reviewers understand where you are coming from and why CGP funds are needed for this project at this time • Do – spell out the goals and objectives, which should be aligned with the requested funding • Don’t - assume that reviewers will be familiar with your work and why it is relevant in the field or for your research program

14. Project Description Project Narrative • Provide a context for the work being proposed, i.e., by describing your research relative to activities conducted previously by you or others, as well as by others elsewhere today. • Additionally, describe the methodology and provide other details of the work to be performed (e.g., procedures, productions, protocols, experiments, studies, observation, information and data collection, surveys, analyses) in a manner that will be useful for assessing overall likelihood for success and sustainability. • Provide enough information to address the review criteria as well as what is described for successful proposals (a couple of slides back).

15. Project Description Timeline • Provide a timeline for the project (major milestones or decision points), but place it within the broader trajectory of the research program(s) involved. • CGP funding is to be used within two years of start date (has to be after July 1, 2011). • The description of your overall research program is not limited to two years. Provide as much information as needed to put this into context. • Funding could be proposed to cover some portion of a larger research project or program. Make sure this is clear from a milestones/decision points perspective.

16. Project Description Expected Outcomes and Impacts • Proposals will be judged based upon the potential of the project to substantially impact the research program(s) of the investigator(s). The goal of the CGP is not to enable the next publication or experiment, but to produce outcomes that have meaningful and sustained impact(s) on research programs. • Don’t just say that this funding will produce outcomes that will have meaningful and sustained impact. You need to provide detail about HOW funding will enable this. • In evaluating the success of the CGP to stimulate outcomes now possible without CGP funding, funded faculty will be asked to contribute reports about the success of the funding to enable accomplishment of goals and objectives.

17. CHANGE IN GUIDELINES!!! • Responding to faculty suggestion, the previous requirement that the budget be included within the 5 pages of the project description has been CHANGED!!! • NOW, the budget AND justification MUST be included as an additional 1-PAGE ATTACHMENT. • We will likely have a budget template available for use. However, it will not be required that you use THAT template.

18. Budget & Justification Budget and Funding Justification • Funds cannot be used to pay for salary, stipends, items, etc. for individuals who are not OU employees/students. • Funds can be used to host visitors to OU or to pay for OU faculty/students to travel elsewhere. • When in doubt about the budget, ask CRPDE for advice. • Provide a brief listing (using a budget template if the budget is sufficiently complex) of the requested budget items • Provide a compelling case that justifies the requested funding. The support can be used for any legitimate purpose associated with the project if justified in the proposal. This includes but is not limited to travel, teaching release (subject to approval by the chair/director and/or dean), student stipends, data collection, tuition, equipment, summer salary and temporary staff support. • The justification is very important. • If reviewers can ask the question “why?” in reading the justification, then enough detail has not been provided.

19. Budget & Justification Example 1 • Request for course release • Salary = $8,000 • Fringes (36%) = $2,880 • Total Request = $10,880 • I am requesting one course release, a maximum of $10,000, to spend time to develop a new line of research. I anticipate that with having to teach only 1 course during the semester, I will be able to spend at least 8 additional hours per week (or 24 total hours per week including my normal research effort) focused on this new line of research. This time is needed to think about new possibilities and requirements for resources, explore new collaborations, explore new areas and venues (publications, conferences, etc.) to disseminate the work, and seek new funding opportunities, very likely outside the agencies from which I typically receive funding. • My department chair, Dr. X, has approved this course release and a letter to this effect is attached.

20. Budget & Justification

21. Review Criteria • Alignment of the project with longer-term research program plans of those involved • Technical and/or creative merit of the activities proposed and the potential for impacting the field(s) of scholarship involved as well as the respective faculty research program(s) • Capability of the investigators to meet the stated objectives • Nature and value of existing or proposed linkages with other organizations both within and beyond OU • Degree and value of interdisciplinary activities, if applicable • Rationale for and necessity of funding for achieving the stated goals • Potential for program growth, sustainability, and/or recognition

22. Where do I get more Information about CGP? • The Center for Research Program Development and Enrichment • Website: http://crpde.ou.edu/cgp • CGP FAQ: http://crpde.ou.edu/cgp/faq • CRPDE Email: crpde@ou.edu • Contact Alicia Knoedler (aknoedler@ou.edu) • Contact Cindy Clark (cgclark@ou.edu) • Emails • READ!

23. Questions?