Research Guidelines - University Sponsored Programs For Research Scholarly Activities

A. Faculty Senate Sponsored Research Incentive Fund (RIF)

Research Incentive Funds (RIF) are to provide funding to faculty for scholarly research activities that are expected to attract external funding to Temple University. The creation of the Research Programs and Policies Committee (RPPC) falls under the Faculty Senate Selection Committee which elects 5 faculty members, and the other 5 faculty members are appointed. Each member serves a two-year term. Funds awarded under the RIF program are to be used to facilitate the development of a proposal to be submitted to an external funding source, or to support a project that has been approved but not funded by an external source and which needs revision for resubmission. RIF applications have an open deadline and are accepted at anytime during the semester. Review by the RPPC occurs when the Committee receives the College Review Form, and the (2) Peer Reviews obtained by the College's Research Committee.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact:
Elaine Willis-Stemley (Coordinator) at 204-7459 or willstem@temple.edu

B. Vice President for Faculty Sponsored Grants-in-Aid

Grants-in-Aid for Research are available to support grant requests for research projects from full-time faculty members. The Research and Study Leave Committee, a Faculty Senate sub-committee, administers the program. Awards are for one calendar year and provide aid to individual projects only when other means of support are not available. The total fund consists of $60,000, with individual awards ranging from $1,000 - $2,000. Application deadlines are generally due in October for funding to begin January 1, or in mid-March for funding on July 1. A sample form is in Appendix C and actual applications are in any dean's office, Office of the Vice President for Faculty (OVP/Faculty), TRA, or SPA/HSC.

C. Vice President for Faculty . Summer Research Fellowships

Each year, thirty-five full-time Presidential faculty members whom are on nine-month academic appointments receive Summer Research Fellowships. The awards are intended to encourage productive research by faculty in all academic fields. The Research and Study Leave Committee select awardees and TRA monitors the program. Faculty submit applications through the appropriate Dean. Application forms may be obtained from each dean's office, OVP/Faculty or TRA. Please contact TRA for current award amounts.

D. Untenured Presidential Summer Research Incentive Fellowships

In consultation with President David Adamany, President Ira Schwartz, discussions with junior, untenured faculty, the response to last year's Presidential Summer Research Fellowship Program and the interest in the Junior Faculty Grant Program, the President has again identified funds which will make Presidential Summer Research Fellowships available to junior, untenured faculty. Such support would relieve recipients of the need to teach summer courses. It is the goal of this program to provide junior faculty with sufficient time during the summer to do research, write papers or perform other scholarly activities

E. Return of Overhead Research Incentive Grant Program

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies has announced to all faculties that the deadline for submission of proposals for the first round of this year's Return of Overhead Research Incentive Grant Program is Friday, December 1. Proposals submitted to this round will be reviewed in early January and funded in early February.

Unlike previous years, the Program will target only two groups of researchers: (1) the Junior Faculty Grant Program, which is designed to provide junior faculty with support needed to allow them to submit competitive grant proposals to external funding agencies; and (2) the Bridge Grant Program, which is designed to provide resources to faculty which would allow them to continue working on funded projects thereby reducing the likelihood that they will experience a potentially damaging interruption in funding. Please note that the New, Previously Unfunded Directions for Established Investigators Grant Program has been revised and these grants will be reviewed separately from the Junior Faculty and Bridge Programs

F . Investigator Incentive Awards

The University recently enacted a Research Incentive Policy that replaces the Overhead Return Policy. When fully implemented, the new policy will provide a total incentive amount equal to 45% of the Facilities & Administration (F&A) costs recovered. This policy applies only to projects receiving full University indirect costs rates. The new policy does not apply to projects which lack full overhead. A process of appropriate allocation of funds will be used by the President with recommendation from TRA for those projects that do not have full overhead.

The new policy will be phased in over four years. The incentive allocations distributed in FY 98-99 were based on the F&A costs recovered in the prior year's indirect cost recovery. Investigators received 9.5% of the F&A recovery; departments/centers, 10%, schools/colleges, 5%, and TRA, 3.5%. In FY 99-00, the allocation will be based on the F&A costs recovered in FY 98-99 using the same percentages as in the first year. Beginning in FY 00-01, the percentages will become 10% for investigators, 20% for departments/centers, 10% for schools/colleges, and 5% for the TRA.

These awards are used for research-related purposes, such as the purchase of equipment, software, books, or travel to conferences. Funds may not be used for personal salary. Investigators may elect to pool their funds. TRA administers the fund and approves all expenditures made on accounts on the Main Campus. At HSC, expenditures are approved by its Finance Office.