FLIP MY REP This workshop is designed to provide information and strategies to help Research Enhancement Program participants convert their proposal submissions to the Research Enhancement Program into a proposal to an external sponsor.

Flip My REP-FAQs What does “Flip My REP” mean? How does “flipping” align with the Research Enhancement Program mission and University Strategic Plans? What are the benefits of flipping the REP? Is there a general strategy that can be employed? What resources are available? What defines a successful flipping effort?

REP Mission The core mission of the Research Enhancement Program is to contribute to the greater body of knowledge in all disciplines through research, scholarship and creative expression. To enable this programmatic mission, the university has increased its investment in the REP so that more high-quality proposals can be funded.

Funding Streams for REP In FY18 over $450,000 was distributed to the academic colleges to support the REP. Funded Research (fixed amount) Recovered Facilities and Administrative Costs (F&A or Indirect Costs) contribute $350,000 to each funding cycle. Restricted (Research) Gifts (variable) Under the Texas Research Incentive Program-TRIP, gifts restricted to the support of research can be matched at 50%, 75% or 100% based on the amount of the gift (minimum is $100,000). Each year 10% of the matching funds are allocated to the REP. In FY18 that amount came to $90,000. Unused REP Funds (variable) Each fiscal year, unused funds from previous REP awards are swept back into the account for distribution. Typically $10-$20,000 is available and used to increase those awards that have partial funding.

Why is Texas State Interested in Flipping REPs? The REP is an extremely successful program from the standpoint of supporting scholarship, providing student learning opportunities and faculty productivity (papers, books, recitals, exhibitions, conference proceedings and presentations, and much more.) However, leveraging the REP investment more broadly and aggressively has not been emphasized in the past. As Texas State continues to rapidly transition from an Emerging Research University to an R-1 University, one strategy to sustain this trajectory is to more effectively leverage the ideas, energy and outcomes of the REP to increase broader participation in the externally funded research.

Relationship between REP and NRUF and R-1 Designation What is NRUF? Under the Governor’s University Research Initiative, Emerging Research Universities may become eligible to receive National Research University Funding via the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. There are two mandatory requirements and six optional ones of which at least 4 must be met. Carnegie Classification Texas State’s current classification is Doctoral, Research Higher Activity or R-2 (Tier 2). Our goal is to upgrade that status to Doctoral, Research Highest Activity or R-1 (Tier 1) The University Strategic Plan(s) Goal 3: Achieve significant progress in research and creative activity as measured by national standards. Achieve National Research University Fund (NRUF) Eligibility. Develop new graduate programs to advance the university’s research goals. Encourage and promote student research opportunities. Expand support to the research community by enhancing resources to support the evolving requirements while developing a staff of research professionals to support and assist researchers. Foster a university-wide culture that promotes, rewards, and celebrates interdisciplinary research, scholarship, creative activity, innovation, and community engagement.

How Can You Benefit From Flipping Your REP? Engaging in the peer-review proposal process challenges the PI to communicate ideas to experts in a clear and succinct manner. It also requires the PI to be at the fore-front of their respective disciplines. Evidence of Sustained Scholarship-funded proposals provide an alternative record of success in scholarship and enables future work. Demonstrates added depth in scholarship-funded proposals can supplement your record of publication and indicates activity other than publications, presentations, etc.). Enhances external review of tenure package-faculty at other institutions can comment on more than just published works. Depending on academic discipline, funded projects maybe necessary to acquire personnel, materials, equipment, data, etc. to conduct research. Eligibility for some national recognition awards are predicated on external funding (e.g. Presidential Career Awards, National Academies, others). Sponsored Programs can be used to supplement summer salary, buy out teaching time or pay a portion of PI and/or Co-I salaries for research activities during the academic year. In latter two cases personal financial bonus and/or research support funding are possible.

Teaching Buy Out Incentives Research incentive with instructional workload buyout:   PI or Co-I and chair or director agree to the proposed buyout. PI or Co-I is assigned at least one fewer organized class than the standard teaching load of the PI or Co-I as verified by workload reports. PI or Co-I must pay at least 25 percent of the semester base salary from external funds for each course reduction in the given semester. 35 percent of salary savings are returned to PI or Co-I. 65 percent of salary savings are available to the academic unit to hire a replacement instructor. All salary savings returned to the PI or Co-I (35 percent) may be processed as a compensation incentive. If the PI or Co-I chooses to receive less than 35 percent in compensation, the remainder is set up in an account to be used by the PI or Co-I as research support funding.

Research Incentive Research incentive with no workload adjustment: The faculty member must pay at least 5 percent of his or her E&G salary from external funds in order to be eligible for incentive compensation. The incentive percentage is contingent upon the F&A rate (indirect cost rate) of the sponsored program.   PI or Co-I does not receive a reduction in semester workload assignments (e.g., teaching, service). PI or Co-I must pay at least 5 percent of base salary on a single award. May be applied to more than one award. If the F&A rate is equal to the federally-negotiated rate, 60 percent of the salary savings will be distributed to the PI or Co-I. If the F&A rate is less than the federally-negotiated rate, 50 percent of the salary savings will be distributed to the PI or Co-I. A maximum of 10 percent of base semester salary may be processed as incentive compensation. After the maximum is reached, the remainder of salary savings is set up in an account to be used by the PI or Co-I as research support funding.

Broader Impacts of Flipping an REP Sustained contribution to academic discipline’s body of knowledge - funded research can enhance your ability to make discoveries, and generate new concepts and knowledge in your academic discipline because of more available resources and/or time allocated to research. Enhanced student learning opportunities - funded research is a very good way to mentor students one-on-one and provide them with relevant experience in their academic major. It also increases retention of students. Contribute to Economic impact – funded research may result in the creation of intellectual property that can be patented, licensed and commercialized.

Challenges to Flipping the REP Assigned workload does not allow time to develop proposal or conduct scholarship. Funding is not required to conduct scholarship and publish. Tenure/Promotion and Merit policies in some departments and colleges are silent on funded research activities (i.e. proposals). Need administrative support to find funding opportunities (federal, state, private), develop budgets, etc.

Similarities between the REP Process and External Submissions The REP process intentionally mimics the external submission process to provide some experience in proposal preparation and project execution. Concept Development Team Building Literature Survey Proposal Writing Budget Development Online Application Panel Review Project Timeline Terminal Report

Things to Consider When Flipping Your REP Relevance of REP proposal to potential sponsors May require you to broaden or generalize REP concept Identifying a funding opportunity (Private, State or Federal) Consider trends in funding priorities (environmental scan) Obtaining review comments and scores Where to go for assistance Other resources (workshops, networking events, online templates)

Some General Strategies Identify a potential sponsor Know your sponsor List how your project directly relates to the funder’s priorities using their language Consider your proposal as a sales pitch to the funder Don’t wait for a call for proposals-develop a whitepaper Contact program officer

Levels of a Successful Flip Engaged in process to explore conversion of REP proposal! Prepared and submitted an external proposal!! External proposal was funded!!!

Resources Research Development and Strategic Initiatives: Evy Gonzales and Kay Hetherly College Associate Deans of Research Research Coordinators http://www.txstate.edu/research/for-researchers/research_coordinators.html Work Plan Template College of Education (COE) http://www.education.txstate.edu/orsp/prepare/develop-idea.html Concept Paper Templates C3 – http://c3.finearts.txstate.edu/resource_guide/develop_idea.html COE – http://www.education.txstate.edu/orsp/prepare/develop-idea.html Workshops, Networking Events

Panel Discussion/Questions Did you get your REP proposal Funded? Did you submit your original REP concept for external funding? How long after you developed the REP concept did you apply for external funding? Did the outcome of the REP project alter your external proposal submission? How did you determine a funding source? Did you have to modify the original concept? How much of the REP proposal could you utilize for the external submission? (thesis statement, hypothesis, literature review, figures, methodology, data collected, data analysis, etc.) Did Flipping Your REP help your tenure and promotion process?