2012-2013 Research Board Guidelines
Deadlines
- Feb. 12, 2013
(Campus deadlines may be one week earlier!!)
2012-2013 Research Board Guidelines
Index
- Application Deadlines
- Research Board Members
- General Guidelines
- Types of Support
- Designated Campus Officials
- Eligibility
Non-Tenure Track Research Faculty (PDF 126 KB) - Administration of Awards
- Application Process
- Review Process
- How to Submit Your Proposal
- Application Instructions
- Summary and Support Information
Application Deadlines
The deadlines for the 2012-2013 academic year are listed below. Applications must be received by the designated campus official no later than 5 p.m. on the deadline date. Late submissions will be held for the next deadline.
Grant Application Receipt Deadlines
Oct. 2, 2012 and Feb. 12, 2013, CAMPUS RESEARCH OFFICES MAY HAVE AN EARLIER DEADLINE!!!
Research Board Meeting Dates
May 9, 2013: 
Research Board Members
Nahkle H. Asmar, Ph.D. (2009-2013)
Professor of Mathematics, MU
Daryl Beetner, Ph.D. (2010-2012)
Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, M S&T
Zen Chen, Ph.D. (2011-2013)
Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, MU
Jeffrey P. Gorski, Ph.D. (2011-2013)
Professor of Oral Biology, UMKC
Wayne Huebner (2012-2014)
Professor of Materials Science & Engineering, M S&T
Mark D. Kirk, Ph.D. (2011-2013)
Professor of Biological Sciences, MU
Kathleen V. Kilway, Ph.D. (2009-2013)
Professor of Chemistry, UMKC
Cerry M. Klein (2012-2014)
LaPierre Professor of Engineering, MU
Vijay Kumar, Ph.D. (2009-2013)
Professor of Computer Science/Electrical Engineering, UMKC
Mian Liu, Ph.D. (2011-2013)
Professor of Geological Sciences, MU
Clancy Martin, Ph.D. (2010-2012)
Professor of Philosophy, UMKC
Andrew McClellan, Ph.D. (2011-2013)
Professor of Biological Sciences, MU
Jon D. McGinnis (2012-2014)
Professor of Philosophy, UMSL
Joshua J. Millspaugh (2011-2013)
Professor of Fisheries and Wildlife, MU
Peter R. Mueser, Ph.D. (2011-2013)
Professor of Economics, MU
Bimal K. Ray, Ph.D. (2010-2012)
Professor of Pathobiology, MU
Margaret Sherraden, Ph.D. (2010-2012)
Professor of Social Work, UMSL
Keith Stine, Ph.D. (2011-2013)
Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UMSL
Nancy J. Stone, Ph.D. (2011-2013)
Professor of Psychological Science, M S&T
George Taylor (2012-2014)
Professor of Psychology, UMSL
Diane Touliatos-Miles (2012-2014)
Professor of Musicology, UMSL
John M. Zemke, Ph.D. (2011-2013)
Professor of Romance Languages & Lit., MU
General Guidelines
The University of Missouri research board consists of over 20 faculty members appointed by the president for two-year terms. Its mission is to enhance the long-term quality and quantity of scholarship throughout the university by supporting meritorious research projects.
The Goal is to leverage external funds by
- supporting promising new faculty
- funding of high quality new initiatives of senior faculty
This support is intended to:
- help promising new faculty initiate their research
- provide seed money to test new ideas in their preliminary stages before enough data have been gathered to submit a proposal for external funding
- provide modest resources for excellent scholarship in fields for which external support may be quite limited
- provide bridging funds, and
- for Special Opportunity Proposals, provide matching funds sometimes required by external sponsors.
The Board considers these key factors in the review of projects:
- quality of the proposed research or creative activity
- importance and probable impact the proposed work may have on the field
- potential of the project to obtain future external funding
- potential value for enhancing the stature of the university
- project design and procedures
- resources and environment available to carry out the project
- value for development of the applicant's research potential and progress
- quality, productivity, and current research funding of the applicant, and
- budget appropriateness in terms of the project and the board's resources, including consideration of need and availability of external support.
The board has established programs for:
- individual or collaborative projects
- special opportunities and
- book publication subventions
No funds are set aside for specific programs or for specific types of proposals. Inter-departmental, inter-campus collaboration and new cross-disciplinary research initiatives are encouraged and may strengthen a proposal and serve as a positive factor in its evaluation. A commitment of partial support for a project from the campus, college or unit is not required, but it may be a positive factor in the review.
Awards are not renewable. The research board will not serve as a source of continuing support for specific projects or facilities. Awards normally are for a one-year period, but longer terms (up to a maximum of two years) are permitted if fully justified in the proposal.
| The board will NOT provide certain types of support. These include: |
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Types of Support
Individual or Collaborative Projects
The range of awards is $3,000 to $75,000 (NEW AWARD LIMIT EFFECTIVE FOR FEBRUARY 2011 COMPETITION.) for individual/collaborative projects or publication subventions. Proposals may request salaries for personnel who are integrally involved in performing the research or creative activity. These include:
- graduate research assistants
- postdoctoral associates
- visiting scholars
- undergraduate assistants
- research assistants/associates
- technicians and
- special assistants.
Both the primary applicant and a co-applicant(s) are each eligible to receive one summer salary stipend. Only faculty on 9 month appointment are eligible for summer salary. A summer stipend is limited to one summer during the project period. A summer stipend is allowed in the amount of 2/9 of the academic year salary, up to a maximum of $10,000. Two summer stipends for one individual are not allowed. Faculty, including non-tenure-track faculty, on 11/12-month appointment are not eligible for salary support (Postdocs are the exception).
Calculate fringe benefits at no more than 33.87 percent for benefit eligible employees; 0 percent for students; 8 percent for part time employees. Equipment, including multi-user equipment, supplies, costs associated with travel to research sites, and other justified research expenses may be requested.
Teaching replacement costs will be considered when there is a justified need for the applicant to be released from teaching during the academic year. With this support, recipients of any academic rank will be replaced by a teaching assistant or other qualified instructor. The maximum rate accepted by the Board is $5,000, including benefits per course, per semester. Arrangement for teaching replacement must be with the department chair. Normally requests should be for one semester. Requests exceeding two semesters will not be awarded.
Teaching replacements are intended to meet the need for only limited amounts of release time. The Board will normally make such awards for projects that have reached a stage at which concerted effort and relatively uninterrupted time is especially important. Teaching replacement costs will not be awarded unless a minimum of three years has elapsed since the end date of the last award.
Requests for other types of support will be considered if the request represents a critical research need or offers an important opportunity to promote scholarship and creativity.
Some examples include:
- a special library acquisition might have important implications for a particular faculty research effort
- a workshop or conference might be needed to discuss an important new technology or to consolidate a substantial faculty group effort
- expenses associated with special performances and exhibitions may be needed in the arts.
These examples are intended to be illustrative, not all-inclusive. Applicants are encouraged to present and justify only their most critical needs, recognizing that the research board's resources are limited in relation to the needs for research support.
The Board will NOT supplement continuing externally funded projects, but it may provide funds to bridge a gap in external funding. Other types of support that are normally excluded are listed in the box above.
Special Opportunity Projects (Revised June 2010)
Although the UM research board has limited resources and has as its focus opportunities made available through Individual and Collaborative projects, the Board will consider Special Opportunity Proposals that have: a) outstanding promise for enhancing the quality, stature, and recognition of scholarship at the University of Missouri, and b) budgets higher than those typical of Individual and Collaborative Projects. Special Opportunity proposals must clearly demonstrate how research board support will be uniquely enabling, thereby allowing an opportunity that cannot otherwise be funded. The potential for leveraging additional investments (monetary or scholarly) and the commitment of matching support will be critical factors in evaluation of Special Opportunity proposals. Prospective applicants who have received a Special Opportunity award may apply again for a Special Opportunity project no sooner than one year from the official end date of the most recent award. Prior funding and outcomes derived from the previous Special Opportunity project will be considered when reviewing the application.
As examples, special opportunities applications may involve:
- a high-risk proposal involving multiple campuses or investigators that could lead to a large pay-off in the future
- a workshop or conference to outline a new area of scholarship or research
- matching funds to purchase uniquely enabling major equipment that would improve research productivity or expand research into important new areas
- sponsorship of an international chamber music festival for which a strong case for the "investment potential" and lasting benefit to the University can be made,
- the acquisition of a rare book collection for the library that would significantly enhance the scholarly potential of a group of faculty and increase the stature and importance of the library.
Special Opportunity proposals from department chairs for start-up funds for new faculty will not be considered, except in unusual cases when such an investment would allow recruitment of a scholar of the highest international stature for a faculty position at the University. In such a case, a Special Opportunity proposal would be appropriate only at an advanced stage of negotiations with a specific individual.
Approved funds for an application will be held in escrow until documentation of commitments for all other proposed support are submitted to the Board. Special Opportunity commitments are usually valid for a period of one year.
Expedited Review: Under unusual circumstances that involve a request for matching funds and a time constraint, the Board will consider expedited review of Special Opportunity applications. For such review, the applicant must submit an accompanying letter to the research board Office documenting a compelling reason for urgent consideration. Such requests may be submitted at any time. The applicant must complete the online submission as well as submit one hard copy of the proposal through your Campus Official Office. The Board will review the proposal as promptly as feasible. If the proposal is for matching support to an external agency, the narrative portion of the application to the external agency may be substituted for the narrative portion of the research board application.
Book Publication Subventions should be submitted as an Individual/Collaborative Project
The research board will provide book publication assistance to faculty in cases where the publisher:
- is a non-commercial press
- uses a peer-review mechanism for selecting books to publish, and
- stipulates that a subvention is necessary for the book to be published, as in the case where the anticipated sale is too small or too slow to permit timely recovery by the publishers of the initial production expense.
- Authors should not suggest the possibility of a publication subvention in their communications with publishers.
The research board's policy for publication subventions requires that:
- The Board requires that they be provided a copy of all peer reviews available and specific terms of the proposed contract between author and publisher, including the subvention required and the terms under which any revenue generated by the sale of the work shall be returned to the author.
- Please scan both the peer reviews you have received and the proposed contract and append to the end of your narrative. Your narrative may still be 10 pages in length with the peer reviews and contract as additional pages.
- The author shall provide a copy of the book or a copy of a CD ROM to the research board for its inspection. The Board will then donate the book to the library on the author's campus.
Designated Campus Officials
Columbia Campus
Robert V. Duncan, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for Research, Office of Research
205 Jesse Hall
(573) 882-9574 telephone
(573) 884-8371 fax
Kansas City Campus
Ted R. Knous, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Chancellor
Office of Research Services
5211 Rockhill Road
(816) 235-1303 telephone
(816) 235-6532 fax
Missouri Science & Technology Campus
K. Krishnamurthy, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Research
215 Mechanical Engineering Annex
(573) 341-4134 telephone
(573) 341-4126 fax
St. Louis Campus
Nasser Arshadi, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Research
341 Woods Hall
(314) 516-5897 telephone
(314) 516-6759 fax
Eligibility
Applications must be initiated by faculty to fill a specific need for support. Each proposal must have a primary applicant (or principal investigator) responsible for conducting the project and submitting a final report. Collaborative projects may have one or more co-applicants.
Tenured or tenure-track faculty members are eligible to apply as primary applicants. Ranked, non-tenure-track faculty whose eligibility has been approved previously by the board may also apply. Non-tenure track faculty may serve as co-applicants. In exceptional cases that present advantages for the university, emeritus faculty may be considered for support. Non-tenure track research faculty may apply for eligibility at the next meeting of the Research Board. For a full description of the eligibility and application requirements, please see the NTT Eligibility Application Form.
Only one proposal from a primary applicant will be considered in any review cycle. If an applicant is a co-applicant on a different proposal in the same review cycle, the Board will take into account the multiplicity of requests to fund the same applicant and this may have a negative effect in the review process.
Revised Proposals: Proposals revised in response to a previous review will be considered, but repeated submission of the same proposal is discouraged. The maximum number of resubmissions of the same project is limited to two over a five year time period. Revised applications judged to have little or no change may not be sent out for peer review.
Primary applicants who have received a research board award may apply again no sooner than one year from the official end date of the most recent individual/collaborative award (except those that support meetings and special opportunity projects). In reports accompanying subsequent applications, primary applicants who have been funded must demonstrate explicitly the impact of previous support on their scholarship and grant seeking activity.
Administration of Awards
Recipients of research board awards are expected to manage the funds awarded to them. The amount and type of support awarded by the board is outlined in the award notice. Projects should begin within six months of the award notice. PS Chartfields are requested by the appropriate campus representative with the primary applicant as the responsible person. Research Board funds may not be used for any other purpose, and no expenditure should be incurred before the start date. Unspent balances in research board awards will be returned to the board 90 days after the project end date.
Budget Revisions
Rebudgeting of funds into summer salary or teaching replacements funds is not permitted. Most modifications in the use of funds (e.g., purchasing supplies, using equipment funds or substituting equipment items) within the guidelines in this document are permitted without prior approval. However, budget modifications which exceeds the amount approved by more than $1,000 requires prior approval from the designated campus official.
Grant extensions
The designated campus official may authorize a no-cost extension of the grant period for up to one year beyond the original termination date, provided the awardee submits a written justification for such an extension at least 30 days before the termination date. Only in extenuating circumstances will the board consider an additional time extension beyond the one year.
Reports and Acknowledgments
The financial report is submitted by the campus representative office within 90 days of the project’s termination. At that time, any unspent funds will be returned to the research board.
A Research Board Award Report (technical report) is also required after one year following your project's end date. To complete your award report you will need to access the Research Board Grant Application System at https://umresearchboard.missouri.edu/Login.aspx. Once you have logged in, click on award report on the left side and follow the instructions. If you have any questions or problems, please contact your campus research office. Primary applicants agree by accepting the award to submit the required award report. The purpose of the report is to evaluate the research board's program. It will be used to track publications, other relevant works, and external funding from awards.
Research board support shall be acknowledged in all publications, exhibits and performances that result from research board support.
Application Process
The research board application process is mostly an online submission. One completed copy of a printed proposal with the campus required form must be processed through your campus officials office. To see who your designated campus office is, see earlier section in the Guidelines.
Applications, including application forms, narrative portion and detailed budget, must be completed and submitted to the research board web site before one of the designated deadlines. If primary applicant has received a previous research board award, within the last 5 years, a copy of your award report(s) MUST be included. Proposals not meeting the application guidelines will not be considered.
Each campus has designated an official who is responsible for certifying campus approvals for human subjects, vertebrate animals, recombinant DNA, etc., and for establishing and administering accounts. All applications to the research board must be signed by this campus official (or a designated representative) to certify the commitment of the campus to administer the project should an award be made.
Normally attachments/addendums are NOT allowable with the application. A few exceptions would apply for inclusion of CD or DVD of audio/visual materials which may be justified for some fine arts applications and should be sent to the Research Board Office with your application. The other exception would be letters from external sources who may plan to make donations to the project. Check with your campus official or the Research Board Office to see if what you would like to include is allowable. These types of materials should be forwarded electronically to the Research Board Office. Applicant should include a statement within the narrative indicating materials will be made available to reviewers through the Research Board Office. Applications with appendices other than those specified will be returned without review.
All proposals are considered confidential and will not be shared with others without speficif approval of the applicant.
Review Process
The research board consists of members chosen for their scholarship, expertise and administrative ability. The members are all full-time faculty who are leaders in their field.
The board's executive secretary refers the applications to the board and administers its recommendations. If you have questions or desire guidance in the preparation of a proposal, please contact him at the research board office.
The board has organized itself into review subcommittees according to disciplinary areas. These are:
- Engineering
- Humanities and Fine Arts
- Life Sciences
- Physical Sciences and Mathematics
- Social and Behavioral Sciences
Each subcommittee is interdisciplinary and is composed of at least three research board members. The review subcommittee members select peer reviewers. Three peer reviews are sought for each proposal. Reviewers have access to the on-line version of the application and a copy of the research board's peer review sheet, listing the criteria for evaluating projects. Reviewers then return their evaluations and recommendations to the subcommittee in advance of board consideration of the proposal.
The subcommittees make recommendations to the entire Board based on the peer reviewers' comments and their own judgment. After consideration of the recommendations and discussion, a final decision is made by the board. Consideration of a proposal may be deferred if additional reviewers or information are needed. In such cases, the executive secretary will contact the applicant to explain what information is required. If supplementary materials are provided before the next application deadline, the proposal will be reconsidered at the next board meeting. If the requested information is not received, the proposal will be withdrawn from consideration.
The board's decision, and the primary reasons for it, are communicated by email to the primary applicant. Copies of the award letters are emailed to the designated campus official. Copies of the peer reviewers' comments to the primary applicant are available on line. Peer comments are considered confidential and will not be provided to anyone other than the primary applicant unless specifically approved.
How to Submit Your Proposal
For all proposals, the total application must be submitted online as well as one paper copy of a completed proposal, with signatures, must be sent to your campus official's office.
Campus officials may require additional forms and additional copies of the proposal (see below).
UMC Applicants
A MU submission data form, which is located at:
http://www.research.missouri.edu/funding/board.htm is required.
UMKC Applicants
A UMKC data form, which is located at:
http://ors.umkc.edu/pre-award/funding-opportunities/umrb-faqs is required.
Missouri S&T Applicants
A Missouri S&T signature routing sheet, which is located at:
http://sponsoredprograms.mst.edu/forms/forms_intro.html, Research Board Signature Routing Sheet is required.
UMSL Applicants
A UM research board competition UM-St. Louis sign-off form, which is located at:
http://www.umsl.edu/services/ora/assets/UMSL_ResearchBoardSignoffForm.doc is required.
For all proposals, the total application must be submitted online. One paper copy of a completed proposal, with signatures, must be sent to your campus official's office.
Application Instructions
Application Form:
Requested information on the application form should be typed with normal capitalization. DO NOT CAPITALIZE NAME, ADDRESS, etc.
Summary and Support Form:
Proposal Summary
The summary of the proposed project must be kept within the designated space, but should be as descriptive as possible. It is critical to the success of an application. Supply major and specific objectives, the general approach and the significance to the area and to the stature of the university.
Support Information
Use "P" for Pending, "A" for Awarded, or "D" for Declined/Rejected to indicate status. Failure to provide the following information in the prescribed format will result in return of the proposal.
- List other funding for this project and indicate any overlap with other funding in the format requested.
- List all funding, including start up funds, for your other research and creativity activity in the format requested. If there are none, enter "NA."
- Previous research board Applications/Support by Primary Applicant and All Co-Applicants
List any previous research board applications/support (as primary applicant or co-applicant). If primary applicant, you must include a copy of the award report; if co-applicant, list PI, title of project, and amount of award. Award reports for the past five years should be included in the award report section of the application. Additional accomplishments resulting from the award may be described in this section.
Suggested Reviewers
Applicants should LIST AT LEAST THREE appropriate reviewers. However, past and present collaborators of the applicant(s) and members of their primary department(s) are ineligible to serve as reviewers. External reviewers (non-UM) may be listed as well. DO NOT LIST REVIEWERS FROM YOUR HOME DEPARTMENT(S).
Biographical Sketch Forms
Complete an abbreviated 2 page biographical sketch form for each applicant directly involved on the proposed project (additional forms should be completed for co-applicants). Accomplishments section may not exceed two pages. No additional biographical information shall be submitted unless specifically requested by the board. Biographical information for non-university consultants may also be submitted in this section, but no other biographical information shall be included unless specifically requested by the board. SUBSTITUTION OF ANY OTHER BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH FORMS IS NOT ALLOWABLE.
Narrative
Beginning with page 1, each page must be consecutively numbered. The narrative should be brief, yet consistent with critical peer review. Normally, the narrative will be at least two pages; however, it must not exceed 10 pages excluding the bibliography. The narrative must be double spaced (3 lines per inch); and you may not exceed 15 characters per inch. The narrative should have 1-inch margins. The references may be single spaced. If images/graphics are inserted into your narrative, we suggest that you convert to JPEG files before inserting. The narrative should address the following items:
- A statement of overall and specific objectives
- Significance of the project to research or creative activity in the specific field, and its potential value in enhancing the stature of the University
- Background and rationale
- Preliminary work/results
- Project design and procedures proposed to accomplish the objectives
- Resources and environment (describe relevant support facilities and services, intellectual resources, etc.)
- Explanation of the reason the research board is asked to support the project (is external support unavailable, insufficient, interrupted, etc.)
- Plans for future support for this or closely related projects; specifically, state how research board support would increase your potential to obtain extramural funding, and
- REVISED PROPOSALS should include your response to previous peer reviews. Your response should be on page one of your narrative and you will be allowed up to one additional page in your narrative for this section. Your rebuttal should explain how the proposal has been changed (or not changed) in response to the previous peer reviews.
New Assistant Professors are encouraged to ask a senior department member and/or a previous Research Board award recipient for advice as they prepare their proposals and to read their proposal narrative for possible improvements prior to submitting. Previous award recipients can be found at: http://www.umsystem.edu/ums/ed/research-awards/
Bibliography Section
A maximum of two pages is allowed for a bibliography as it relates to this project. Include full titles and may be single-spaced.
Budget Section and Justification
A detailed budget and justification must be included on the online Detailed Budget Page with descriptive titles and names, if available. Specify salaries, fringe benefits (up to 33.87 percent of benefit eligible employees; 0 percent for students, 8 percent for part time employees), and number of months on this project. All personnel costs including teaching replacement costs are to be placed in the personnel section on the budget form. Indicate each item of equipment with detailed cost breakdown, categorize supplies (e.g., glassware, radioisotopes, canvas, oils), list costs associated with travel (research site only), computer software, etc. Travel costs (travel/meals/lodging) are ONLY allowed for visiting research sites or collaboration on the project. Expenses which are considered "other" could be for lab animals, animal housing, or participant costs, etc. Round all budget items to the nearest dollar. Proposed budget allocations to co-applicants must be specified. If project is multi campus, budget items must be specified in the budget justification section.
Compliance with Oversight Committees
If your proposal involves human subjects, vertebrate animals, rDNA or biohazards or export controls or select agents, approval must be obtained from the oversight committees on your campus. Verification must be received in the designated campus official's office prior to setting up an account.
Reviewed 2013-01-14.