University Research & Creativity Grants

The University Research & Creativity Grant program is designed to support faculty research and creative activities geared toward publication and/or presentation and are meant to enhance the professional development of faculty. Both full-time and adjunct faculty are eligible for these awards.

Application Guidelines

I. Purpose 

To encourage and support faculty research/creativity geared to publication and/or presentation, which will enhance the faculty member's professional development.

It is understood that "research" and "creativity" take on many different meanings from one discipline to another. Hence, it is to be interpreted broadly, to embrace both scientific and creative efforts. The application of these guidelines must depend, to some extent, on the more specific nature of scholarly activity in various fields.

II. Eligibility

Eligible: 

  • Any full-time faculty, including those in the first year of service, may apply, contingent on reappointment for the following year. 
  • Any adjunct faculty member who has taught at least six courses at Sacred Heart University during the three-year period immediately preceding the time of application is eligible. The applicant must currently be teaching a course at the University and should have a reasonable expectation of continued service to the University. 

Not Eligible: 

  • Faculty who are on "temporary" appointment with the University are not eligible. Degree candidates, unless notification has been received that all degree requirements have been fulfilled, are not eligible to apply. Faculty who will be in their final year of service at the University are not eligible for URCG funding during that year.

III. Amount & Use of Grants

  • Full-time faculty: The maximum amount of any grant over the twelve-month grant period will not exceed $8,000 for full-time faculty applicants.
  • Adjunct faculty: The maximum amount of any grant over the twelve-month grant period will not exceed $1,000 for adjunct faculty applicants.
  • Applications for projects that were funded and for which the funds were expended are not eligible for funding a second time for the same activities. This limitation does not limit application for funding of what are clearly different aspects of continuing projects.
  • Projects for which the primary purpose is developing teaching materials or enhancing a course experience are ineligible for URCG funding. Applicants with such projects are encouraged to apply for ACT funds instead.
  • If appropriate to the project, proposals may be submitted jointly by two or more eligible applicants; however, no one may propose more than one project, whether jointly or individually.

Eligible Budget Categories:

  • Materials and supplies, which are essential to the project. Proposals that require the purchase of books, periodicals and/or other media should include justification for their acquisition. It is expected that an applicant will investigate the availability of such materials by means other than direct purchase with URCG program funds. All materials and unused supplies become the property of the University.
  • Equipment essential to the research being proposed. Itemize actual or estimated costs. When equipment is requested, it should be shown that such equipment is not otherwise available through University resources. All equipment purchased with URCG Program funds becomes the property of Sacred Heart University and, unless otherwise stipulated, must be listed on the inventory of the department in which it is purchased. At the termination of the grant period, the grantee no longer has the exclusive right to use of the equipment.
  • Technology/Software: Please note that University policy requires that computer equipment be purchased through Information Technology. Please consult with IT when estimating computer-related expenses.
  • Travel and subsistence, incurred in the acquisition, analysis and development of data and/or the consulting of primary materials, collections, or other resources at off-campus sites. In each instance, itemize all expenses based on the university's current travel reimbursement policies (i.e., mileage rate, per diem). Ordinarily, travel expenses within a 20-mile radius of Sacred Heart University or the applicant's home are not funded.
  • Printing/clerical: Typing, clerical, photocopying and microfilm costs if these services cannot be provided by the grantee's department. Please itemize estimated expenses.
  • Postage: Please explain.
  • Other: Please itemize.
  • Course Release (full-time faculty only): 
    • Funding to replace the grantee's teaching load in a regular semester for 1-2 courses (up to six credits), at $4,200 per course. 

Ineligible Expenses

  • Travel costs to attend professional meetings, even to report results of scholarly efforts supported by URCG Program funds. (In general, URCG Program funds are not intended to supplement or replace faculty area budgets.)
  • Projects intended for new course design or course improvement or curriculum evaluation and alteration.
  • Cost for taking courses.

IV. Time Period for URCG Program Grants

Grants will be awarded for the twelve-month period from July 1st of the year of application through June 30th of the following year. Funds are not available prior to the July 1st initiation of the grant period.

V. Submission & Deadline

The completed application should be submitted directly by email to Research & Sponsored Programs. The deadline for submitting applications is the first Friday in February unless stated otherwise in the Call for Proposals.

The 2023 deadline has been extended to March 12, 2023 by 11:59 p.m.

VI. Format for Proposals 

Proposals must adhere to the requested format and word limit. Applications that do not include all required components and/or do not adhere to the word limit specifications will be considered incomplete and will not be considered eligible for funding. A complete application is entirely the responsibility of the applicant.

Each Proposal must consist of the following in order to be considered complete:

  1. URCG Cover Page
  2. Abstract (250 words maximum)
  3. Project Description: (2,000 words maximum, double-spaced)
  4. Bibliography
  5. Budget Page

URCG Cover Page

The first page of each proposal must be the URCG Cover Page, completed in full and signed by the required people. Applicants should prepare proposal materials in accordance with the guidelines. A copy of all submitted Project Cover Pages will be sent to each Chairperson and Dean for their records.

Abstract

A short, one-paragraph description of the project summarizing its importance (250 words maximum).

Project Description

The main body of the proposal should include the following information, organized under the following headings. It should be no more than 2,000 words (double-spaced, for easier reading). If the project proposal is not formatted correctly, the proposal will not be reviewed.

Project descriptions should be as non-technical as possible so that non-specialists can understand and appreciate what the applicant intends to do. Applicants should clearly explain the nature and significance of the project such that it can be evaluated by an interdisciplinary peer audience.

  1. Introduction: should place the project in perspective. The applicant should show an awareness of work that may have been done in the project area by others. If this project is a continuation of a previously funded project, please clearly identify how this project differs from the previous component(s).
  2. Statement of the Problem: what does the applicant intend to investigate or what type of scholarship does the applicant intend to engage? What does the applicant propose to understand or accomplish as a consequence of this work?
  3. Significance of the Proposed Project: why can it be considered important? Who might benefit from this project? Please be sure that this section is understandable to the lay reader.
  4. Method or research plan, i.e., the methods and techniques that will be used, subjects to be used, the facilities that might be available, etc. Where appropriate, the Method must include documentation that institutional, legal, or professional standards for handling biohazards, recombinant DNA or other hazardous materials will be followed.
  5. Timetable: for the project activities. Try to establish the feasibility of the project by outlining in chronological sequence the step-by-step procedures that will be followed.
  6. Publication/Presentation: plan for the completed project, including the specific publication venues anticipated.

Bibliography 

The bibliography should include primary materials and scholarly publications that have greatest relevance to the proposed project.

Also include applicant's presentations/publications that support the ability of the applicant to bring the project to completion.

Budget Page 

A detailed, organized list of items and their associated costs and totals separated into the following categories:

  • Materials and supplies (specify and demonstrate need)
  • Equipment (specify and demonstrate need)
  • Travel and subsistence
  • Printing/clerical
  • Postage
  • Technology/software
  • Other (specify)
    • Matching funds being contributed from other sources, if any, should be identified.
    • Previous grants awarded from URCG or other sources should also be identified.
  • Course release time (full-time faculty only, if requested)

Additional Application Instructions

  • Required signatures on the Project Cover Page:
    • If course release for full-time faculty is being requested during the Fall or Spring semester, signatures of the applicant’s Chairperson and Dean are required.
    • First-year faculty must obtain signatures of the applicant’s Chairperson and Dean to confirm the intention to recommend reappointment of the applicant the next academic year (the year of funding).
    • Adjunct faculty must obtain signatures of Chairperson and Dean to confirm the expectation of continued appointment in the year of funding request.
  • Submit one electronic copy in PDF format, including scanned copy of signed cover page to RSP@sacredheart.edu. Include “URCG Application” in the subject line.

VII. Evaluations of Proposals 

The following factors will be given consideration when evaluating proposals:

  1. Priority will be given to new research initiatives. If funds are inadequate, other factors being equal, preference will be given to those who have not received previous URCG grants.
  2. Preference will be given to those projects that have clearly defined objectives and methodologies, and knowledge of existing literature, as described in the Project Description section of these guidelines.
  3. The significance of the contribution that the proposed project will make to the field of the project.
  4. The likelihood that the applicant will complete the project.

 VIII. Notifications of Awards

Applicants will be notified concerning the disposition of their proposals by the Chairperson of the URCG Committee by March 31st. The Chairperson of the applicant's Department and the Dean of the College will also be notified of disposition of applications.

Announcement of faculty awarded URCG grants and the titles of their projects will be made to the Faculty, Staff and Administration of the University via email after notification of applicants.

IX. Conditions of Awards

  • Projects involving Human Subjects must be submitted to IRB prior to application for URCG funds and the IRB number must be provided on the cover page. The URCG committee may make a tentative decision to fund projects that are currently being reviewed by IRB. However, such projects cannot receive final approval for URCG funding until formal approval has been obtained from IRB.
  • Projects involving vertebrate animal subjects must be submitted to IACUC prior to application for URCG funds and the IACUC number must be provided on the cover page. The URCG committee may make a tentative decision to fund projects that are currently being reviewed by IACUC. However, such projects cannot receive final approval for URCG funding until formal approval has been obtained from IACUC.
  • Expenditures of funds will be handled by the recipient and monitored by Research & Sponsored Programs and Academic Affairs. It is the grantee's responsibility to assure that expenditures do not exceed the amount of the award. Excessive expenditures will be charged to the grantee. All expenses must be submitted to Research & Sponsored Programs by June 1st per guidelines provided upon award notification.
    • Awarded funds are not available to recipients until July 1st of the funding period.
    • All computer equipment must be purchased through Information Technology.
  • In view of the limited funding available for the URCG Program, the amount awarded may be less than the amount requested in the application. If an award is approved for less than the requested amount, the grantee must submit a description of how the project will be modified based on the amount awarded to the Chairperson of the URCG Committee with a copy to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Dean of the College. The project modification must indicate that the project can be completed with the amount awarded.
  • Every publication directly resulting from a URCG Program grant will carry an acknowledgement stating that the research was carried out with the support of the Sacred Heart University Research and Creativity Grants Program.

Submission of Final Report:

  • A Final Report is due to Research & Sponsored Programs by September 15th of the calendar year following funding.
  • The Final Report, not to exceed 2,000 words, should summarize what was accomplished during the funding period, including any specific outcome(s) of the work.
  • The Final report should include an itemized accounting of grant expenditures.
  • The Final report should contain information on publications and/or grant proposals generated as a result of the grant.
  • In the case of creative projects, tangible products of the project must be submitted to the Committee.
  • Faculty who fail to submit these reports will be ineligible for future grants.