Call for URGC Proposals 2010-2011

Amended November 15, 2010

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the University Research Grant is to stimulate tenure and tenure-track faculty research initiatives and further this research so that it can be funded extramurally.

ABOUT THE URGC:

The University Research Grant program was originally established in 1941 from a bequest by Claude W. Kress which allocated the interest each year to the committee to encourage research, particularly among young faculty. The annual University Research Grant Committee (URGC) program is now supplemented by funds from the Vice President for Research. The URGC funding opportunity isannounced annually inthe fall and provides funding to new tenure or tenure-track faculty at Clemson University.

Proposals are solicited from University facultyto support the research of new faculty, faculty initiating research in a new area, and faculty research in areas where other sources of support are inadequate or non-existent. The URGC consists of the Associate Vice President for Research, two faculty representatives from each college, and one faculty librarian. In 2009, forty-nine proposals were submitted to the URGC, resulting in eight awards of $10,000 or less each.

Eligibility:

New faculty (five (5) years or less at Clemson) or faculty making mid-career changes in research areas, with tenure or tenure-track status,are eligible to apply. Only one submission per person is allowed. Faculty who received a URGC grant within the last two years, i.e., 2008-2009 or 2009-2010, are noteligible to apply. The URGC makes every effort to fund meritorious projects from all disciplines.

FUNDING:

A total of $70,000 is available to fund 2010/2011 URGC awards.Applicants may request up to $10,000 in direct costs; there are no F&A (indirect) costs on URGC awards.

Faculty in their first or second year of appointment at Clemson must have one co-investigator, either from their own or a different department. Faculty in their third, fourth, or fifth year at Clemsonmust have a co-investigator from a different discipline and department.

Funds may not be used to provide nor supplement:

  • faculty salaries,
  • summer salary for faculty, or
  • currently funded research.

Funds awarded for the 2010/2011 URGC must be expended by June 30, 2011.

If a graduate assistantship will be paid from 2010/2011 URGC funds, the graduate assistant differential (GAD) also must be paid from these funds unless the investigator’s department agrees to provide an account to fully fund the GAD. The cost of a GAD for Spring 2011 will be a minimum of $1,680 and a maximum of $3,794 depending on graduate tier level; the cost of a GAD for Summer 2010 will be per session based on tier. See specific amounts at

PROPOSAL FORMATTING INSTRUCTIONS:

The proposal must follow the formatting guidelines provided below:

  • Three page (maximum) proposal narrative, using the following section headers:
  • Abstract
  • Specific Aims
  • Background
  • Methods
  • Expected Results
  • Timetable
  • Summary of current and future instructional impact and research activities
  • Details of Start-up Package*
  • References
  • Co-investigator name, department, university title, tenure or tenure-track status, start date and years of service at Clemson, current and pending funding, and description of start-up package*
  • Times New Roman, 12 point font, single-spaced, one-inch margins all around, 8 ½ X 11 paper size
  • Include, as a separate page, a detailed budget and budget narrative to justify each expense
  • Do not include vita or appendices
  • Complete pages 1, 2, and the Internal Budget page of the Proposal Processing Form, including signatures
  • Total costs cannot exceed $10,000

*Start-up package details should include a description of the number of graduate assistantship(s), travel funding, supplies, and equipment provided as part of PI’s and Co-I’s hiring agreement.

The proposal must state objectives clearly, avoid jargon, and be written for a diverse audience, as the URGC is comprised of Clemson University faculty across all disciplinesin order to provide inter-disciplinary reviews. Applicants must explain in their proposal how the proposed research will:

  • increase their chances for external funding opportunities;
  • engender collaborative efforts with other faculty and staff at Clemson and other institutions;
  • further enhance their research endeavors and the reputation of Clemson University.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURES:

The URGC will use the Limited Submission program on the Sponsored Programs’ web site for online submissions. A complete URGC proposal packet will consist of the following documents, in order, uploaded as a single pdf file:

  • Pages 1 and 2 of the Proposal Processing Form (PPF), as well the Internal Budget form. The PPF must be signed by the Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-investigator(s), and the Department Chair and Associate Dean of Research for each. These pages, which can be found at must be completed and scanned as PDFs.
  • Three-page proposal as described above.
  • Detailed budget and budget narrative.

To submit an electronic proposal for the 2010/2011URGC, go to The proposing PI must login and upload their documents. Login e-mail addresses will be used for notification purposes. *Note: First-time login will require verification of your Clemson ID# and department information prior to submission. You also must select tenure/tenure-track status, university title, university hire date, and entercurrent proposed and awarded project(s) information in order to proceed with creating your online submission.Proposal title and total funding requested must be entered prior to uploading documents.

Contact your college pre-award Grant Coordinator/Administrator as soon as possible to let them know you plan to apply to this funding opportunity so that they may schedule assistance as needed.

DEADLINE:

Proposals must be submitted to the URGC through the electronic Limited Submission program by11:59 p.m.November 29, 2010. Only those proposals that comply with the guidelines and are received on time will be reviewed. Applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision by 4:30 p.m. December 15, 2010. Due to the large number of proposals normally received, the committee cannot provide feedback on any proposal that is not selected.

DELIVERABLES:
Awards from the URGC must be used for the purposes outlined in the proposal by June 30, 2011. Awardees mustupload a copy of a proposal that has been submitted to an outside sponsor based on funding received through the URGC by October 1, 2011.A special link will be sent to PI’s to allow for this one-time upload.

QUESTIONS:

If you have any questions, please contactDr. Brenda Vander Mey, Chair, University Research Grant Committee. (e-mail: ; telephone: 656-3821),

Technical questions regarding the electronic submission should be directed to Karen Pless at or call656-6182.

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