Program Overview

RFP

Funding Categories

Evaluation Criteria

Eligibility Requirements

Exemplary Proposals

Budget Management

Application Instructions

FAQs

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Application Instructions (process overview)

Systems Requirements

Preferred Internet Browsers: Internet Explorer version 6.0 or higher or FireFox version 3.0 or higher.

Adobe Reader

1. Go to https://wf.umn.edu/wfgen
2. Choose “GRANT_IN_AID” from the Process list
3. Click on “My actions to do”
4. Click on the link in the “Action” column. On the next screen, you will see your application.

Check Application Status (screen shot)

1. Go to https://wf.umn.edu/wfgen
2. Choose “GRANT_IN_AID” from the Process list
3. Click on “My requests in progress”
4. View the columns “Dept Approve Date” and "Dean Approve Date"

Required attachments must be saved as PDF. (Creating PDF documents)

Cover letter if Category 6, 7, 9, or Resubmission
Vita and publications (ONE page maximum)
Abstract (150 word maximum)
Proposal (2000 word maximum)
Past, Present, Potential Funding (Use Funding Template provided on application)
Budget (Use Budget Template provided on application)

Deadlines

• PI submits application to approvers: Monday, September 21 , 2009
• Approvers submit applications to the Office of the Vice President for Research instructions below): Thursday, September 24, 2009

PLEASE NOTE that fax, e-mail and paper copy applications will not be accepted.

REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS: When naming your attachments, please include your name with a one-word descriptor, e.g. JDoe_Abstract.pdf

COVER LETTERS
Two page maximum; they are required for:

• Resubmissions – summarize the changes made in response to the previous reviewer comments.
• Categories 6, and 9 -Explain:
  1. how the proposed research is significantly different from current or past work.
  2. what preparations have been made to be able to make the transition.
• Category 7 (bridge support for temporarily lapsed funding) – see Special Instructions.

ABBREVIATED VITA AND PUBLICATIONS
Limit to one page and include the following information:

• Highest degree: Indicate your highest degree, degree date, institution, major and minor programs, advisor(s) and dissertation title.
• Other Appointments: Provide the following for post-doctoral and/or faculty appointments during the previous five years: rank/title, institution, department, supervisor (if post-doc) and time period.
• Publications: List your recent publications (within the past five years) that are related to the project. (Artistic applicants should list exhibitions, commissions, performances, etc.) This information is needed to help document the recent productivity and areas of expertise. If your expertise in the proposed area is not clear from your publications, please add a brief statement documenting relevant experience.

ABSTRACT

• Provide a non-technical abstract of the proposed research.
• Limit to 150 words.

PROPOSAL

Length

• Limit to 2,000 words (approximately four single-spaced pages prepared in point size of 10 or higher with 1” margins).
• Items 2 - 3 listed below are subject to the 2,000-word limit.
• References are not included in this space limitation but should be kept to a minimum.

Other Documentation

• One additional page may be added for figures, digital images(1200 to 1500 pixels not to exceed 2MB per image) or letters of collaboration, which are not included in the 2000-word limit.
• Do not attach other documents or appendices except by special instructions. Reviewers may choose to disregard any parts of proposals exceeding the indicated word limits.

Writing Style

• Be careful to write in terms that can be readily understood by scholars in your general area (humanists, scientists and engineers, social scientists, etc.), not only by specialists.
• Avoid jargon; describe the project in a manner understandable by a colleague in a related, but not necessarily overlapping field.
• It is strongly recommended that proposals be read and critiqued by colleagues both in and outside of your field prior to submission to ensure ultimate clarity to review panel members who are not experts in the particular field. This is particularly important for proposals in creative and performing arts. See special instructions for creative and performing arts.

1. Category Justification:
• Short paragraph explaining specifically how this proposal meets the criteria for the category in which it is being submitted
• Limit is 50 words
2. Present Status of Knowledge:
• Provide a brief overview indicating the nature and importance of the project; place its importance within the context of general knowledge in your field and indicate possible practical significance, if applicable.
• Include appropriate references from relevant literature to help place the project in context and further indicate your familiarity with the field.
3. Plan of Work:
• Description and a timeline of the work you propose to undertake
• History of the project
• Elements of the project you expect to complete during the grant period
• Materials and methods to be used
• Hypotheses to be tested or the specific questions to be addressed, and the approaches you will take to reach your goals (where appropriate).
• Use sufficient detail to permit a critical evaluation of the project's likelihood of success and address potential significance of the work.
4. Need Justification:
• Justify why other available funding, including start-up funds, cannot be used to finance the proposed project.
• Insufficient need justification may result in the assignation of a low need score and automatic elimination of the proposal from further consideration.
5. Word Count: Please provide the word count of items 2-3 above.

PAST, PRESENT AND POTENTIAL FUNDING
A printout detailing your Grant-in-Aid and/or Faculty Summer Research activity for the past five years will be attached to your application. Provide a record of your other research funding for the past five years, including present and potential funding on the Funding Template provided. This information is important in reflecting the efforts of the applicant to obtain other funds, especially in the case of renewal applications.

Please list:

1. All of your U of M departmental/college research grants including:
• start-up (start-up reports will be requested from colleges for those applicants hired within the past two years),
• matching and Experiment Station funds, and
• funds associated with your position, e.g., endowed chair, McKnight Professorship.
2. All of your external research grants irrespective of relevance to proposed work, whether you are principal or co-investigator.
3. Applications submitted but not funded within the last two years.

Provide a brief breakdown of budgets under “budget items covered” and indicate how much remains uncommitted to a specific line of expenditure. Include in the Need Justification section of your proposal, an explanation of any real or apparent overlap (monetary or subject) of other funded projects with this proposal, or why uncommitted money cannot be used to finance the proposed project.

BUDGET
See Expenditures Allowed
Use the Budget Template provided on the application to prepare an itemized budget using EFS account values. Consult with your departmental budget officer/accountant to identify the most appropriate six digit account values. Items MUST be justified in the designated section at the bottom of the Budget Template (see Sample Budget):

1. Justify how the items in your budget fit into the plan of work.
2. Personnel duties must be described and justified.
3. Funding requests for third-party payments for scholarly or creative work such as honoraria, artistic commissions and consultants may not exceed $3000 or 20% of the total GIA project cost, whichever is smaller.
4. Non-category 2 equipment requests should include matching funds, typically 30-50%. Attach commitment letter(s) from other sources and also indicate whether the requested equipment will be shared by others.

APPROVER ROUTING

The following Approval(s) are required to ensure that appropriate administrators are aware of the proposal and that the objectives are in keeping with departmental and collegiate goals.

• Division or Department Head/Chair (except when your Department/Division/School/College does not have a head/chair)
• Dean or Chancellor or Provost (List)

It is strongly recommended that you check with your respective departmental division/college/school offices to confirm the identity of your approvers, and to check their availability for approvals by their deadline of 9/24/09. Applications will NOT automatically route to an alternate approver.

Routing to Approvers

• You will not be able to edit your application after routing it to approvers!
• Enter internet ID (x500 only) for each approver (click on enter button), then click "Submit to Approvers" button at the bottom of the online application form when you are ready to route to approver(s). Verify that application will be routed to correct approvers.
• Each approver will receive an email with a direct link to your application notifying them that the application is ready for their approval
• All approvers are notified at the same time and approvals can be completed concurrently.
• When all approvals are completed, you will receive e-mail messages notifying you that your application has been approved or not approved by approvers and has been received by the Office of the Vice President for Research.

Questions may be directed to 612-625-2356, 612-625-7585 or facgrant@umn.edu