Summer 2023 Request for Proposal (RFP)
Deadline: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 5:00 pm
Files
Project Narrative and CV Templates
Proposal Submission
Please visit the Syracuse University Application Portal at https://syracuse.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1901389 to submit your proposal.
Note: The submission system will be offline May 20-21. Please submit your proposals before or after these dates. The original deadline has been extended by one day to account for this outage.
Questions
For questions about the FCAR Grant RFP, please contact resdev@syr.edu.
Program Overview
Syracuse University’s Office of Research is pleased to announce the pilot round for the Faculty Creative Activities and Research (FCAR) Grant Program. The purpose of this intramural grant program is to support research and creative endeavors and increase high-quality scholarly output by Syracuse University faculty.
Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to:
- Book publication projects;
- Artistic performances;
- Exhibition of creative work;
- Efforts to obtain preliminary data, demonstrate feasibility of an approach or method, or contribute to the development of a prototype;
- Workshops or symposia to directly enhance the PI’s research and creative activity;
- Travel to conduct fieldwork or conduct research at an archive, special collection, or specialized facility, or to present research findings; and
- Purchase of software, supplies, or equipment that supports research and creative activities.
This new program is focused on quickly and effectively providing resources to faculty to conduct research and creative activity and to explore new areas or methods of inquiry. We anticipate that the FCAR Grant Program will be offered three times annually to provide maximum flexibility for faculty to request funding. Funding will roughly align with project starting in the fall semester, spring semester, and summer.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Office of Research Development (ORD) at resdev@syr.edu prior to applying to discuss the suitability of their proposed project. Additional information will be updated on the Frequently Asked Questions posted on the Office of Research website.
Eligibility
All full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty members may apply to the FCAR Grant Program and serve as Principal Investigators (PIs) on awards. Co-Principal Investigators are not allowed. Individuals are limited to submitting one application per funding cycle.
All PIs who have received prior funding from the Office of Research under the CUSE program must be compliant with 2023 requests for annual and final reports. Faculty who are PIs of active CUSE grants are not eligible for this program.
Funding and Project Duration
Faculty may request $1,000 – $5,000 in funding from the FCAR Grant Program. Grants are awarded for one calendar year and PIs may only hold one active FCAR grant at a time.
Funds for May 2023 applications will be available starting July 1, 2023, and must be expended within 1 year of the award date. Unspent funds will be returned to the Office of Research. The total anticipated funding for this cycle is $50,000.
Budget
Applications must provide a budget using the provided template. Justification for costs must be included for each line item. Examples of allowable costs include:
- Salary for graduate students, undergraduates, non-tenure track faculty, and/or other personnel
- Materials, supplies, software, or equipment purchases
- Travel
- User facility fees
- Consultant costs
- Purchased services
- Human subject payments
- Publication/documentation/dissemination costs
Unallowable costs include:
- Faculty salary (academic year and summer salary)
- Subcontracts to external institutions
- Purchase contracts that exceed the duration of the grant
- Tuition
Requests for undergraduate research and creative activities should be made to the Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Engagement (The SOURCE).
Application Materials
- Application form (online) – Sign into the application page using the Syracuse University Login option. Complete the Application details screen (name and email will pre-fill):
- PI appointment title, school/college, and department/center/institute
- Proposal title
- Total funding request
- Project summary: Include a summary of no more than 250 words in the text box provided.
- Project Narrative – 3 pages. The Project Narrative should include the following information: Significance and Contribution; Concepts and Methods; Work Plan; Competencies, Skills, and Access; and Final Product and Dissemination. You may include no more than one page of references on a separate page, which does not count in the three-page limit for the narrative. See template for individual section details.
- Curriculum vitae (CV) – up to 5 pages. Provide a CV or biographical sketch. Include current and pending funding from external sponsors, if any. Also include any internal funds, including startup funding, available to support this project. An optional template is provided.
- Budget – Submit a budget using the provided template. Justification for costs must be included for each line item.
Review and Evaluation
Proposals will be reviewed by ORD staff and faculty representatives and will be based on the following criteria:
- Significance and Contribution: Is the project intellectually significant? Are the ideas, problems, and/or research questions being addressed clear? What value does it offer to the faculty member’s disciplinary field(s) and/or general audiences?
- Concepts and Methods: Is the conception, definition, organization, and description of the project clearly articulated? Is the methodology sound and indicate project success?
- Work Plan/Budget Justification: Is the work plan and timeline feasible, appropriate, and supported by a well-justified budget?
- Competencies, Skills, Access, and Support/CV: Is the applicant well-qualified to carry out the proposed work and have the means to do so if funded?
- Final Product(s) and Dissemination: What is the likelihood of achieving project final product(s)? How strong is the dissemination plan for its intended audience(s)?
Reporting
A final report is required and is due one month after the conclusion of the award year. An outcomes report is due one year after the conclusion of the award to capture project outcomes. Required information in these reports will include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Brief description of work accomplished, activities completed, and results to date; and
- Listing of products generated and disseminated, such as publications, presentations, exhibitions, and events.
PIs with reports that are outstanding for more than 60 days after the due date will be ineligible for future funding from the Office of Research intramural funding program until reports are completed.
Anticipated Project Period and Timeline
Applications due: Monday, May 23, 2023, 5:00 PM
Notification of awards: late-June 2023
Project start date: July 1, 2023
Project end date: June 30, 2024
Final reports due: July 31, 2024
Outcomes reports due: June 30, 2025