Please note - this competition is not yet live for FY24. Additional information is forthcoming.

Dear Colleagues, 

The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) along with the Division of Academic Affairs are pleased to announce the FY2024 Rowan University Research CATALYST (Continuing to Advance Training, Alliances, and Learning to Yield Stronger Ties) Program. CATALYST is internal funding eligible to Rowan faculty members with the aim of supporting efforts towards establishing the pathway of the institution from R2 to R1. The focus of this internal funding program is to catalyze research and scholarly and creative works, collaborative relationships and impact the ability of Rowan University researchers to effectively attract extramural funding. This year, the CATALYST Awards will go to support the stipend for Ph.D. students who are co-mentored by a cross-disciplinary team of Rowan tenured or tenure track faculty members. Tuition remission dollars may be supported by the Provost's office for the awardees. The faculty team will serve as (i) primary research advisor in a Ph.D. program and (ii) research mentor in a separate discipline to the student who receives the support (does not need to teach in a Ph.D. program). The proposed work should have the potential to greatly advance the career of the investigators (i.e. Ph.D. student, primary research advisory, and research mentor). Faculty members are encouraged to engage the Ph.D. student in the excitement of research and scholarly and creative works of their discipline. ​Through establishing a research advisor and research mentor partnership, the student will be trained in team-based approaches to problem solving, a skill that is essential in the career pathway of Ph.D. students.

Awards made as a result of this opportunity will not be evaluated as evidence of scholarly achievement for the research mentor and research advisor. Instead, awards made under this opportunity will be considered as a pathway towards tangible growth outcomes which may be considered as scholarly achievement. This award aims to facilitate researchers and the institution to achieve tangible growth outcomes such as doctoral degrees conferred, successful research grant applications, and publication in high impact factor journals, and student achievements such as delivering podium or poster presentations at national and international conferences.

References:  
[1] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25038.
[2] Posselt, J.R. 2021. Promoting Graduate Student Well-Being: Cultural, Organizational, and Environmental Factors in the Academy.  Council on Graduate Schools.

CATALYST will provide supported Ph.D. students with a $30,000 stipend for one academic year (tuition remission dollars may be supported by the Provost's office).

Proposal Deadline: TBD

PURPOSE CATALYST Program applicants must create an ORCiD. After awards are made and students are selected, the students should be encouraged to set up an ORCiD as well. For assistance with ORCiD's please see the library's guide.  

Within their application, research advisor and research mentor together should consider:

  • Does the planned work impact the ability of the proposers to effectively attract extramural funding?
  • How will the proposal team provide a sustainable path for supporting the Ph.D. student's stipend beyond the award period?
  • Does the application describe research in an important and emerging area(s)?
  • Does the research topic have the potential to develop breakthrough technologies, instrumentation or methodologies?
  • Are the research ideas innovative, distinctive and interdisciplinary?
  • Do the research ideas have the potential for transformative impact, such as the founding of a new field of research, the enabling of observations not previously possible, or the altered perception of a previously intractable problem?
  • Will mentoring a student in this topic lead to multiple potential career pathways/opportunities for the Ph.D. student (i.e. academia, industry, government sector, private sector)?

The successful application should contain:

  • A description of how the research advisor and research mentor will engage with the student in a collaborative manner.
  • An overview of the proposed project emphasizing any unique aspects and pilot studies that would be pivotal to attracting extramural funding (indicate area of emphasis for project - medical research or science and engineering research)
  • A description of the methodologies to be used

FORMATTING

If you are interested to apply, please submit a proposal through Rowan Digital Works at the bottom of this page. The School of Graduate Studies will announce awardees by mid-June 2023. All proposal submissions must align with the following format:

Title Page (1 page)
Title of the Proposal; The cover page should include names and affiliations of researcher advisor, research mentor and other collaborators (if applicable).

Abstract (1 page)
Present a concise, self-contained one-page summary of the project written for an audience of reviewers that may not possess expert knowledge of your area of research or discipline. The summary should address the following, as appropriate by the scope of the proposed work:

  • Statement of problem to be addressed or research question to be studied
  • Why will this help to attract extramural funding? What is the plan for attracting extramural funding?
  • Scientific, scholarly, or artistic significance of the project;
  • Brief description of your proposed solution to the problem or how your proposed hypothesis will extend the base of scholarly knowledge about the problem;
  • Brief description of the objectives of the project and the anticipated results and outcomes;
  • Brief description of how the Ph.D. student will enhance this work

Project Description (3 pages)
The project description should be written for an audience of colleagues with similar interests and expertise; however, please avoid esoteric explanations and jargon. Please do not exceed three pages. The specific contents of this section, the headings of subsections, etc. should be representative of typical proposals submitted to other funding agencies in your area. The following information should be included:

  • Introduction: This section should provide a more detailed background about the project. Summarize any references to your relevant prior work and the work of others in this field.
  • Method / Experimental Procedure / Creative Activity: Provide more detail on the goals and objectives of the proposed work. Explain the method, procedure, or activity you will conduct. Discuss expected outcomes of the project. Provide a brief timeline of proposed activities.
  • Broader Impacts: How will the project benefit you professionally? How will the Ph.D. student be involved in the project? How will the Ph.D. student benefit from the cross-disciplinary training proposed? Any additional remarks on how you believe that the project will benefit Rowan university, the South Jersey/New Jersey community, and the profession in general?
  • Qualifications of the Applicants: Explain why the research advisor and research mentor are uniquely qualified to conduct this project. If this is work in your current area of expertise, provide evidence (i.e. references to publications).
  • Rationale for Funding: Explain why the CATALYST program should fund this work and a Ph.D. student associated with it. Please list any other external funding opportunities that you plan to pursue for this project and to support the Ph.D. student beyond the CATALYST award period (or extramural funding that you currently have).
  • References (1 Page)

Current Biographical Summary with Relevant Publications (2 pages per researcher)

  • Educational background: degrees and year in which they are awarded;
  • Appointments: in reverse chronological order;
  • Publications/Creative Works: Only in citation form;
  • Related works: The most relevant works, three at most;
  • Other works: Most recent and / or other noteworthy works, three at most;
  • Professional activities or service functions: list most recent, relevant, or important three activities;
  • Recent and active grants: list all active grants from all sources, as well as the three most recently completed projects. Include the funding agency, the amount, and duration of the funding cycle.

Budget 
Budget items are limited to Ph.D. student stipend (at $30k fixed rate). Tuition remission dollars may be supported by the Provost's office for awardees. In addition, please note that any proposed project must fulfill the following eligibility requirements:

  1. All research advisors and research mentors must hold a current teaching appointment at Rowan University. Collaborators may hold appointments at extramural institutions of higher education (IHEs).
  2. Funding must be used between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. Any no-cost extensions must be requested at least 3 months before end of the grant period.

PROPOSAL EVALUATION
The goal of the evaluation process is to ensure a fair and unbiased review of proposal submissions. The submissions will be reviewed by colleagues who are knowledgeable about the subject matter (primarily for technical/creative merit) and also by faculty members whose expertise lies in other areas. The University Senate Research Committee will assist in the proposal review process by facilitating the review process with two or more reviewers for each proposal.

Committee members will also review all assigned proposals, and will judge the proposal on a scale of 1–5:

1 - Poor: proposal is lacking components, no coherent plan, and possesses other deficiencies;

2 - Fair: proposal has some unique concepts, but these are not well-developed or well-planned;

3 - Good: proposal has good ideas and a sound plan. However, some key components are not well-developed;

4 - Very Good: proposal has very good ideas, well-conceived plan, with wide-reaching broader impacts;

5 - Excellent: proposal addresses very timely and important issues, with a clear, convincing, and well-conceived project plan. The proposed work, if successful, will have significant and broad impact not only to the applicant, but also to the students, university, community, and / or profession in general.

The final list of proposals recommended by the committee for funding will then be given to the Vice President for Research, who will make the final decision on which proposals will be funded in collaboration with the Chair of the University Senate Research Committee. All awards are subject to availability of funds.

If you have questions or concerns, please let me know.

Stephanie Lezotte, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean, School of Graduate Studies
Email: lezotte@rowan.edu
Phone: 856-256-4124
South Jersey Technology Park
Suite 103
107 Gilbreth Parkway
Mullica Hill, NJ 08062

 

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