Academic Program & Faculty Development Fund Workshop September 11, 2009

Origin of the Fund  $6M came to the University from a generous anonymous donor  Binghamton University Foundation Board allocated $2M for this purpose  Funds will be expended over several years  Aim: to advance the University’s mission

Binghamton’s Strategic Goals  Invest in academic excellence, innovation, growth, and diversification.  Enhance engagement and outreach  Create an adaptive infrastructure to support our mission  Create an adaptive infrastructure to support our mission  Foster a campus culture of diversity, respect and success  Foster a campus culture of diversity, respect and success

Hopes for the Fund  Foster substantial contributions to the intellectual life of the campus  Foster important collaborative work across academic units  Create the hallmarks of the future  Leverage additional resources coming to the campus

Specific Purposes Monies from the fund will be used in the following ways:  For support or startup of strategic academic initiatives  For support of faculty needs in scholarship or instruction

Purposes con’t  For multi-disciplinary/collaborative projects/symposia with short-term and long-term promise  For enhancing the scholarly resources available to students and faculty

Criteria for Project Proposals  Extent to which the project advances our mission and strategic goals  The intellectual contribution/significance of the proposal both short-term & long- term  The extent/reach of the proposal – faculty, students, staff, community involved/affected

Project Criteria con’t  Feasibility  Amount of other support – real funds and contributions “in kind”  Clarity of anticipated outcomes and ways to determine success  Potential for generating additional funds

Criteria for Scholarship & Teaching  Extent to which the project advances our mission and strategic goals  The intellectual contribution/significance of the proposal both short-term & long- term  The potential impact on the discipline(s)/profession(s)

Teaching & Scholarship Criteria con’t  The potential impact on students  Feasibility  Clarity of anticipated outcomes and ways to determine success  The potential for generating additional funds

Awards  Anticipate funding 5-10 proposals for up to $250k  A second call for proposals Oct 2010 for roughly same funding parameters Want to stimulate work that will “make a difference” for Binghamton in the years to come

Budget  All expenses must be fully justified  Budgets for approved projects may be modified

Process  Develop a single paragraph describing what you intend to do, paragraphs should be ed to  Full proposals will be invited based on a review of these paragraphs

Deadlines  Paragraphs of Intent Due:  October 1, 2009  Proposals invited:  October 5, 2009  Proposals Due:  November 16, 2009

Review Process  5 member committee: 4 faculty whose work lies within the intellectual traditions of the Humanities, Sciences & Engineering, Social Sciences, and Fine and Performing Arts and 1 senior administrator  Recommendations to the Provost who will make the final decisions

Tips for writing successful proposals Experiences of a Grant Reviewer

Plan  Talk to other people about your idea  Collaborative projects tend to address bigger picture ideas and accordingly excite reviewers  Make it clear what role each person will play in the project  Get feedback on your draft before you submit the proposal

Title  Project title should be concise  Readily understandable by a lay audience –Asphalt transformations across geomorphic inclines in volcanic thrusts –Design of mountain highways

Subheadings  Use subheadings when proposal length exceeds one page –Example  Summary  Introduction/Objectives  Background  Methods  Projected outcome  Research team  Budget justification  That helps reviewers find answers to their questions  And it gives you an outline!

Anticipate Anticipate  Anticipate what reviewers will want to know and address that, even if questions in guidelines don’t ask that  If there is a finite end to project, say so  If project should continue, state how you will make it sustainable (e.g., what your plans are when funding for this proposal ends)

Assessment  How will you and others know whether your project was successful?  Will you be able to provide both quantitative and qualitative evidence of success?  When will you and others know if your project was successful?

Budget  Provide a well-researched, reasonable and justified budget  Make sure you have covered all costs  If additional funds from other sources have been promised, say so  If additional funds from other sources are needed, but not as yet acquired, say so

Deadline  Plan ahead so you meet the deadline  Everyone has lots of things to do, so it is only fair that everyone has the same deadline

Good luck!  Guide for writing a funding proposal  Interdisciplinary research guides: A Short Guide to Developing Interdisciplinary Research Proposals Professor Joyce Tait and Dr Catherine Lyall A Short Guide to Reviewing Interdisciplinary Research Proposals Dr Catherine Lyall, Ann Bruce, Professor Joyce Tait and Dr Laura Meagher A Short Guide to Building and Managing Interdisciplinary Research Teams Dr Catherine Lyall and Dr Laura Meagher A Short Guide to Developing Interdisciplinary Research Proposals Professor Joyce Tait and Dr Catherine Lyall A Short Guide to Reviewing Interdisciplinary Research Proposals Dr Catherine Lyall, Ann Bruce, Professor Joyce Tait and Dr Laura Meagher A Short Guide to Building and Managing Interdisciplinary Research Teams Dr Catherine Lyall and Dr Laura MeagherA Short Guide to Developing Interdisciplinary Research Proposals A Short Guide to Reviewing Interdisciplinary Research Proposals A Short Guide to Building and Managing Interdisciplinary Research TeamsA Short Guide to Developing Interdisciplinary Research Proposals A Short Guide to Reviewing Interdisciplinary Research Proposals A Short Guide to Building and Managing Interdisciplinary Research Teams  Proposal Writer’s Guide

Thanks for your interest QUESTIONS?