FACULTY RESEARCH FUND

(Revised - April, 2002 by Faculty Research Fund Board - Faculty Approval, September, 2002)

BOARD PURPOSE, COMPOSITION AND OPERATION

The Faculty Research Fund Board supports and encourages faculty members to maintain active professional lives. The fund provides monies for research leading to publication or public presentation, creative endeavors (exhibitions, performances, etc.), and for purchases of necessary items for research. The Board also administers funds earmarked for student research and collaborative faculty/student research.

The Faculty Research Fund Board is responsible for reviewing proposals as outlined in the By-laws. The Board consists of six faculty members serving staggered three-year terms, three of whom are elected by the Faculty and three of whom are appointed by the Provost, with one elected and one appointed each year. The Board shall also make recommendations for the proposal for research funds to such outside agencies as require review by a faculty committee at the applicant’ institution.

The Board recommends disbursements only on the basis of a professionally acceptable written proposal from an eligible faculty member or student. Awards shall be made only with the approval of a majority of the Board, and board members shall not vote on their own funds requests. Each request must include a description of the proposed research project, together with an itemized statement of the intended use of the requested grant funds. Those requesting funds should use the forms below when submitting proposals. Titles and texts of previously funded proposals are on file and may be reviewed by contacting the chairperson of the FRFB.

ELIGIBILITY AND USE OF FUNDS

Grants may be made only to full-time faculty members (including both faculty in a shared position) at Wittenberg University and adjunct faculty members holding rank of Adjunct Assistant Professor or above. Adjunct Faculty shall be eligible for the same level of funding as full-time faculty. Dissertation research or other research designed to meet requirements toward a degree will not be considered eligible. The Board will give special consideration to faculty who have never received an FRFB grant. For faculty who have previously received FRFB grants, preference will be given to those ho have filed reports in a timely fashion.

In requesting funds, please consider the guidelines below:

Requests for grants from the Board should be made in the amount of actual expenses, taking into account additional sources of funding for which the applicant is applying.
All equipment and materials of continuing value to the University that are purchased with the grant funds shall become the property of Wittenberg University.
The grant period is for twelve months, starting from the date the grant is awarded; reports are due one month after the end of the grant period. Any funds not spent by the end of the grant period revert immediately to the Board. A faculty grantee may request (in writing no later than the report deadline) a continuation of funds not expended. Requests for extension should include a report on the project thus far, the reason an extension is being requested, and a plan for the completion of the project. The Board will review the request and make its recommendation ton continue or discontinue support. Only one extension will be granted.
At the termination of the grant period, the faculty member or student shall submit a written report to the Board, which includes a financial statement covering the funds expended and an account of the results of the research to date. Those who are delinquent in reporting will receive lesser consideration for later funding requests.
At least one copy of any publication or exhibition/performance programs resulting from projects supported by these grants shall also be filed with the Board of subsequent deposit in the Library.
Examples of appropriate funding requests include:
- equipment costs
- travel to location for research
- fees for manuscript preparation
- journal publication per page fees
- specialized, unique or currently unavailable software (if essential to research)
- exhibition, recording and performance costs
Fund requests will NOT be considered for:
- Subsidizing book publication through direct payments to publisher
- Dissertation publication or research
- Attendance or presentation at professional meetings
- Projects that focus on teaching preparation
- Journal subscriptions or offprint charges
- Basic computer hardware equipment, monitors, and/or printers

PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES FOR APPLYING FOR FUNDS

Faculty Projects

Faculty may apply for:

FRFB Project Grants - up to $1500
These grants are available for establishing projects, purchasing equipment, paying publication fees and paying for performance/exhibition costs. The Board expects proposals to be for new projects or for new phases of larger projects, and it expects publication, public presentation, or exhibition/performance to result. Faculty may apply as often as necessary for their research needs, but the total funds awarded for Project Grants will not exceed $1500 per year.
FRFB Research Grants - $3000 (no more than three grants per year)
These grants are available for larger projects. Faculty may hold such a grant only once every five years and should expect rigorous and competitive screening of these requests. Recipients of FRFB Research Grants are not eligible for Project Grants in the same twelve month period.

Student Projects

Since these are competitive programs, students submitting proposals must demonstrate a high degree of previous academic success and appropriate preparation for the type of research being proposed. These qualifications might include, but would not be limited to, GPA, relevant coursework, preliminary research, faculty assessment, etc. Students applying for grants should consult with appropriate faculty members to obtain approval of the research project before drafting a proposal.

Students (with faculty guidance and collaboration) may apply for two types of research funding from the Board:

Student Project Grants - $250
These grants provide funds for reimbursement of supply costs, travel and other incidental research costs for students pursuing projects during the fall or spring semester.
Summer Research Grants - $2350($2100 student stipend, $250 supplies, $500 faculty supervisor stipend)
These grants support ambitious summer research projects. The Board expects the research to result in written work, exhibition, public presentation, or performance. This program is competitive, so only a limited number of summer stipends will be awarded. These research experiences do not carry academic credit, and they are considered to be the equivalent of a fulltime summer academic load. However, subsequent related work may be awarded credit at the discretion of the student’s department. Preference will be given to students of junior class standing. Graduating seniors are not eligible for summer stipends.

Proposal Guidelines for Faculty and Students
The Board will consider only proposals that conform to the guidelines listed below:

Section One: Project Outline

Name and department of faculty member or student submitting proposal
Short descriptive title of project
Starting date and anticipated completion of research
200-word (or less) abstract describing the goals and anticipated outcomes for the project (publication, presentation, etc.)

Section Two: Project Description

Background on the project – be sure to provide necessary information for an audience of non-specialists
Objectives of project and description of final product
Methodology–be as specific as possible
Detailed budget for project
Proposed plan of work including a tentative schedule
**For Student Proposals –statement of how appropriate faculty members will be involved in the project. Also, include a letter of support from faculty supervisor of project and a courtesy copy of transcript. (Contact Mrs. Burley, Room 203 Recitation Hall, Telephone: 327-6142 for assistance in generating the courtesy copy of the transcript.)
include at end of proposal any special issues or problems that the Board should consider in considering this proposal

Funding Cycles

The Board has developed the following schedule for funding requests: