Based on the uncertain financial situation the university is facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, please note the following updates to the SEED funding program. Current SEED funds (FY20) have been frozen except for pre-approved purchases. The next round of funding for FY21 with proposals scheduled to be submitted by April 10th has been cancelled. We will provide further updates as they become available. We appreciate your understanding during this difficult time and are happy to answer any questions you may have. Please note that our staff are working remotely, so email is the best means of communication. Please reach out to Steve Robishaw, for questions related to SEED funding.

FY2021 CALL FOR PROPOSALS

(JULY 1, 2020 – JUNE 30, 2021)

The Office of Proposal Development is providing competitively awarded funding to Glassboro campus Rowan faculty investigators with the aim of supporting preliminary efforts towards establishing new and innovative research. The Seed Funding Program is primarily intended to support Rowan faculty who are beginning investigators in their respective area of research or creative activity.

Applicants to the Seed Funding Program are required to create a researcher profile in Rowan Digital Works. While your researcher profile does not need to be fully completed prior to submission, we ask that you begin the process before the due date. If you do not already have a profile, please submit the Request Researcher Profile form using the link on the left side of this page.

PURPOSE

Funding can be requested for the following purposes:

  • To provide seed money to support faculty ultimately seeking external grants;
  • To advance the full-time faculty member's knowledge in his/her field of expertise;
  • To support the creative activity of faculty in all disciplines;
  • To provide equipment (e.g., hardware and/or software) that will enhance the faculty member’s ability to conduct research and produce scholarship; and
  • To provide financial support for undertaking surveys, acquiring data, and hiring student workers to process data.

ELIGIBILITY

Since the Seed Funding Program is intended to support Glassboro campus full-time faculty who are embarking on their career in research and creative activity, each applicant must demonstrate in their proposal that they are beginning investigators in their specific area of scholarship. Faculty members who have previously received Seed Funding Program grants are ineligible to reapply for this program for a period of at least three years from the conclusion of their prior funding end date.

FUNDING LEVELS

Seed Funding Program grants are not intended to completely fund an individual’s research career but rather to act as a stimulus for attracting additional external support and to supplement and enhance ongoing activity. Therefore, any single grant will not exceed $10,000. Seed Funding Program grants cannot be used for a faculty member’s summer salary or provide funding for course-buyouts.

PROPOSAL NARRATIVE PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

Detailed information is provided about each item later in these instructions.

  • Abstract / Extended Summary (1 page)
  • Project Description (3 pages)
  • References (1 page)
  • Current Biographical Summary with Relevant Publications (2 pages per faculty member)
  • Budget (use attached form; see below)

FORMATTING
  • Margins: One inch in all directions.
  • Fonts: Ten point font or higher.
  • Spacing: Single spacing with one line break between paragraphs.
  • Page Limits: Page limits for each section are upper limits only. Fewer pages may be used.
  • References: Discretion of the author, but must remain consistent throughout the proposal.
Note: All proposals not adhering to the established formatting and page limits will be returned without review.

Abstract/Extended Summary

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
  • 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;
  • Broader impacts of the project to develop any or all of the following:
    • Professional growth;
    • A student’s educational experience;
    • University’s mission and institutional priorities; and
    • Impact of the work to the broader professional community.

Project Description

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: Expand on Part 5 of the Abstract / Extended Summary. How will the project benefit you professionally? Will students be involved in the project? If so, how will they benefit? How will the project benefit the university, community, and the profession in general?
  • Qualifications of the Applicant: Explain why you are uniquely qualified to conduct this project. If this is work in your current area of expertise, provide evidence. If this constitutes a new area or departure from your expertise area, specify the reasons for the change in direction and the prospects of success.
  • Rationale for Funding: Explain why the Seed Funding Program should fund this work. List any other external funding opportunities that exist, if possible. What are the chances for obtaining future funding? Is this proposal asking for a seed grant for a pilot study or is this one-time funding?

Biographical Summary

Provide a biographical summary that is two pages or less. The summary should only include the following information:

  • 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 grant.

Budget

All budget items must directly support the proposed effort and must be clearly justified. All equipment and other non-expendable supplies purchased with Seed Funding Program grants are and remain the property of Rowan University.

  • Salaries and Wages: Faculty salary is not permitted. Salaries and wages requested for student workers shall be based on prevailing departmental / college rates.
  • External Consultant Fees: May be requested to assist in areas of the project where additional expertise is required. Daily rate and number of days working on project must be provided.
  • Travel: Only travel clearly associated with the research project and not otherwise available through departmental or college travel funds will be considered. All travel should be calculated following the University’s daily per diem meal allowances and applicable lodging and transportation policies.
  • Equipment, Supplies, Materials, and Other Direct Costs: All requests for equipment, supplies, materials, hardware, software, and other items directly related to the project must be justified. Expenses generally provided by the department or college or those expenses typically covered by personal funds will not be allowed. Therefore, routine photocopying, commuting to / from Rowan, memberships to professional organizations, internet access, etc. are not permitted.

Download the Seed Funding Budget Template.

Note: All State purchasing / procurement guidelines need to be followed when purchasing equipment/supplies and/or hiring consultants.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

  • Submit no later than 4:00 PM on Friday, April 10, 2020.
  • Requests for post award budget revision must be approved, in writing, by the Vice President for Research.
  • All Seed Funding Program grantees must expend all awarded funds no later than June 30, 2021.
  • Approved proposals that seek to use animals or human subjects must include a statement that the research processes and procedures will be submitted for approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Funding for approved proposals will be released after the project is approved by the IRB or IACUC. IRB and IACUC procedures and forms may be downloaded electronically from the Division of University Research web site.
  • Awardees will submit a final report on the results of the grant to the Vice President for Research. The report template is attached. This report will include a list of presentations, publications and/or grant applications that resulted from the Seed Funding Program grant, along with a two-page (maximum) summary of project outcomes. This report will be due no later than Monday, October 4, 2021.

PROPOSAL EVALUATION

The goal of the evaluation process is to ensure a fair and unbiased review of the proposals. The work 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 creating review panels (three or more faculty members for each proposal) in the applicant’s field. In order to ensure the fairest possible outcome, and to avoid competition between proposals in different categories (e.g., Performing Arts and Engineering), the following process will be employed for selecting applications for funding:

  • Proposals will be grouped into broad categories:
    • Science / Engineering
    • Humanities / Communications
    • Social Sciences / Education
    • Performing and Creative Arts
    • Business
  • Within each category, the proposals will be ranked in descending order of average review score (each proposal is evaluated for a total of 50 points).
  • The ranked proposals will be considered for funding within each category.

Committee members will also review all proposals assigned to him / her for a total of three in-field reviews. These three reviews will judge the proposal on a scale of 1 – 5 (see the evaluation form):

  • 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. All awards are subject to availability of funds.

Please address questions to Stephen Robishaw, Manager, Office of Proposal Development at 856-256-5795 or .

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