Research Excellence & Development (REC)

Proposal Deadlines: Proposal submission deadlines are the 2nd Friday in March and October.

Introduction and Purpose:
Research Exellence and Development grants fund projects to initiate new areas of research and creative production, to conduct pilot and planning projects for larger, externally-funded projects, or to prepare work for publication. Essentially, REC awards provide "seed funds" for faculty and professional staff to launch or to advance research and creative production that will benefit recipients as well as Bradley.

Included in the Research Excellence and Development program is the Summer Stipend Award, which is intended to assist faculty in completing major scholarly or creative activity during summer months. This award provides an allowance for one summer session. Applicants may apply for one program (REC or Summer Stipend) or both on the same application.

Eligibility:

• Can be submitted by any full-time member of the Bradley faculty or professional staff. Eligible applicants may submit a proposal as an individual or as a member of a project team.
• Grant proposals must be received three weeks prior to project start/travel date.
• Recipients agree to wait 3 years after receiving any Research Excellence Award before applying for another such award.
• Recipients must meet with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) within 6 months of receiving a REC award.
• *NOTE*: Funding for faculty salary or travel related to sabbatical leaves may not be eligible for REC funds. Please notify the OTEFD office prior to submission if the project period might coincide with sabbatical leave.

Allowable Expenses:

• Supports direct costs not otherwise paid by a department, division, or college.
• Payment of subjects, research assistants or other non-faculty personnel, including a statement justifying the requested funds and qualifications for research assistants and personnel
• Necessary equipment and supplies to conduct research or creative production
• Travel which is specifically required for the performance of the research or creative activity
• Permanent equipment and extraordinary supplies
• Faculty salaries up to $3,300 (before taxes) through the Summer Stipend program
  

Non-Allowable Expenses:

• Travel not related to conducting proposed research or creative production (e.g. professional meetings)
• May not be used for curriculum development (funds for projects of this type are available through the Teaching and Learning Excellence award programs)
• May not be used for publication by vanity or non-refereed presses, completion of thesis and/or dissertation of the applicant
• May not be used for ordinary secretarial assistance
• Computers

Review Process:
An assessment committee consisting of the Faculty Scholarship Panel and the Director of OTEFD oversees and makes recommendations on the funding of engagement projects. The Panel consists of faculty (from the past 3 years) who have received either the Samuel Rothberg Award for Professional Excellence, the Caterpillar Inc. Faculty Achievement Award in Scholarship, the First Year Faculty Award in Teaching, or have been appointed/nominated by a College Dean. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the review process within four weeks of proposal submission.

Application Submission Process:
Apply in the DocSoup section of your MyBU portal, located at https://carta.bradley.edu/docsoup/login Be sure to have all application requirements as indicated in the guidelines, including Department Chair and Dean letters of support, ready to attach prior to applying.

Proposal Format:
Applicants should write their proposals to be understood by a panel of their peers in other disciplines.

Proposal Required Components:

1) Completed application

2) For the budget items, a sheet must be attached titled "Budget Explanation Page" for clarification and justification. Proposals without a budget Explanation Page will be returned without review.

3) The narrative which should be developed using the following format and headings.

• Problem Statement: What is to be done? Why is it important to your discipline? What are the deficiencies of other efforts? How is this project a logical extension of your work?
• Objectives: What do you specifically propose to do about the problem? Why? To what extent? With what results? In what order? For how long?
• Methodology: How, exactly, do you plan to approach the problem? What is your detailed plan of action? How and why did you choose this method? Can you do what you propose--do you have the training, staff, and facilities?
  Expected Outcomes: What will be the results of this activity (book, essay, composition, and sculpture)? What potential impact will the proposed activity have upon your professional growth, discipline, the University, and the scholarly community at large?
• Time line: List of project activities, expected completion times and milestones.
  If applicable, you must include results from latest REC or Summer Stipend received.
• Participants: Designate a Principle Investigator and list each participant’s roles with the project.
• References Cited: Names of authors in alphabetical order, article title, book or journal title, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. Grants without references will be returned without review.
• Copy of current vitae for principal project participants.
• Optional: A recommendation letter from a colleague at or outside Bradley commenting on the scholarly merits of the proposed activity. Any supporting forms can be attached to the email when submitting your proposal package. Proposals that include resource contributions from the proposer’s department, division, college, or external sources are strongly encouraged. Supporting recommendations from the applicant's chairperson/director would also add to the strength of the proposal.
• Sabbatical Requirement: If a faculty member will be on sabbatical leave at any time during the project period, a supporting letter from the chair is required. The Chair’s letter should include confirmation that the project is listed in the application for sabbatical leave.
  

Selection Criteria:
The Faculty Scholarship Panel evaluates applications based on the criteria listed below. Proposals should not be written with these specific headings.

A. Quality of the Proposed Effort: originality, relevance, soundness significance of the outcomes feasibility contributions to the scholarly community promise for publication and/or presentation of the outcomes
B. Contributions to applicant's Professional Development: starting of new areas of research initiating new and significant research directions involves collaboration with others long term impact on career path and its acceleration, the ability of the applicant to complete the proposed project.
C. Contributions to the University: the activity's impact on enhancing university's reputation potential for attracting external funding meaningful involvement of students in research and scholarly activity benefits to the recipient's teaching activities contributions to the community. Projects that are intended to lead to an application for external funding are strongly encouraged and should include a description or a copy of the granting agency's guidelines or similar literature.

Additional Requirements:

For research using HUMAN/ANIMAL subjects: The proposal must include appropriate approval of human use or animal use committees if human or animal subjects are used in the research/creative production. For more information, please go to Committee on the Use of Human Subjects in Research (CUHSR)

Funded REC proposals that involve student engagement are REQUIRED to present at the annual Student Scholarship Exposition.

Additional Resources:

• REC Guidelines (.pdf)

• Summer Stipend Award Guidelines (.pdf)

• 2012-2013 Faculty Scholarship Panel