Application Deadline: Wednesday, 12 October 2022
(Proposal submitted to the unit head in final form in InfoReady)
This annual program, administered each fall, provides internal support for the research, scholarship, and creative activity of faculty in the College of Arts and Architecture. Successful proposals will have the potential to make a significant contribution to the applicant’s field, enhance the applicant’s professional career, and promise a high degree of national and international visibility for the applicant, thereby increasing the reputation of the arts and design disciplines at Penn State.
The current request for proposals is for work that will be conducted between January 2023 and June 2024.
Eligibility
Faculty members with a continuing appointment in the College of Arts and Architecture at University Park are eligible to apply, except:
- Faculty members who receive research funding as part of their professional appointment, such as distinguished professors and holders of endowed chairs as well as administrators (School Director/head of department).
- Faculty members who have received a Faculty Research Grant in the past but have not yet submitted the required final report. Those faculty will be eligible upon receipt of such a report. (Final Report template available for download.)
Although priority is given to tenure-related faculty, fixed-term faculty members are eligible to apply so long as their contract extends through the end of the funding period (June 30, 2024).
Categories of funding
On the cover sheet, applicants must indicate the funding category to which they are applying:
- Seed Funding – work in the exploratory stage. Up to $3,500
- Project Funding – work that is underway and requires additional investment. Up to $10,000
- Dissemination Funding – work in the later stages of development. Up to $5,000
Use of funds
The budget should include items and costs necessary to carry out the activities described in the project narrative. Such requests may include but are not limited to:
- Materials and equipment integral to the
- Travel for project related research and/or creative activity,
- Wages and associated fringe (on an hourly basis) for assistance in carrying out the described research or creative activities.
- Graduate Student stipend funding and associated
- Costs associated with the publication, production, exhibition or performance of research or creative
- Course buyouts and associated fringe for “Project Funding,” so long as your unit’s buyout rate is below the funding ceiling.
Funds cannot be used for costs associated with organizing a conference, symposium, or other scholarly events.
All expenses must be allowable within Penn State guidelines and any non-consumable material/equipment may become the property of the College of Arts and Architecture when the grant period ends. Funds will be available in January 2023. All grant money must be spent or encumbered by the end of the third semester following the award (June 30, 2024). Any allocated funds not spent by that date will be reassigned for other purposes.
Application requirements
All applications must include the following:
- A properly completed cover sheet (available from the Arts and Architecture intranet).
- A 100-word abstract that clearly and concisely describes your project, and which will be comprehensible to a general audience.
- Description of the project (not to exceed six pages, double-spaced, 12-point font), including:
- Significance of the project to the discipline and to the faculty member’s professional
- Plan of work (specific approach, procedures, methodology, resources, timeline for completion of outlined activities).
- Anticipated outcome/dissemination: eg., publication, recording, exhibition, performance, etc. Please provide details regarding any advance contracts or other commitments.
- Budget
- An itemized budget must be created with the assistance of Barbara Cutler, A&A Research and Grants Coordinator. The SIMS budget created by Barbara must be included in your submission packet or your proposal will not be reviewed by the committee. Please contact Barbara at bac31@psu.edu to set up an appointment no later than Friday, September 30th. If your budget includes IT equipment, please consult with Robert Klotz in AAIT (rwk17@psu.edu) prior to the preparation of your budget. You are encouraged to begin working on your budget early to ensure timely completion of your proposal.
- A one-page narrative (budget justification) that explains proposed expenses and lists other sources for this project and any pending applications which would include agreements with subcontractors and letters of commitment for the project.
- A concise curriculum vitae, not to exceed four pages.
In addition, applicants may submit digital copies of supplementary materials (such as documentation of exhibitions or works of art, publications, or recordings). Please attach these as pdfs to your proposal.
Proposal development consultations
The Associate Dean for Research, Creative Activity and Graduate Studies is available to offer one-on-one advice to potential applicants and to provide guidance on proposal writing and project budgeting. Faculty members with limited experience or success in obtaining research funding are strongly encouraged to make an appointment. To do so, please contact Tracie Mehalick at tlm250@psu.edu .
Submission process
The final proposal must be submitted electronically through InfoReady by Wednesday, October 12, 2022. (https://psu.infoready4.com/#applicationGrid/1879733). Please be sure to discuss your intention to submit a proposal with your unit head, well in advance of this deadline. The unit head will provide a confidential evaluation and ranking of all proposals from the unit via InfoReady. Unit heads are asked to complete the evaluation process by Friday, October 21, 2022.
Review process
Proposals will be evaluated, and recommendations made to the Associate Dean for Research, Creative Activity and Graduate Studies by members of the Faculty Council Committee on Research and Creative Activity. Funding decisions are announced in December.
Final report
Recipients of Faculty Research Grants are required to submit a written report on their activities within thirty days of the completion of the funded project or within thirty days after the end of the three-semester grant period, whichever comes first. The report should follow the template on the Research Office website and provide details concerning use of the funds awarded, the outcomes of the creative work or research, its impact on the discipline, its national or international visibility, and any future outcomes anticipated, or initiatives planned.
Acknowledgments
Appropriate acknowledgment of the Arts & Architecture Faculty Research Grant must be given in all publications, publicity, and public events related to the funded project. The preferred language is as follows: “This project was made possible in part by a Faculty Research Grant from Penn State College of Arts and Architecture.”
Research and creative activity committee
Voting Members:
Architecture: Darla Lindberg (22/23)
Art History: Elizabeth Mansfield (22/23)
Landscape Architecture: Stephen Mainzer (22/23)
Music: David Stambler (22/23)
Theatre: Kris Danford (22/23)
Visual Arts: Michelle Bae-Dimitriadis (22/23)
Non-Voting Members:
Associate Dean for Research, Creative Activity and Grad Studies: Mallika Bose
Faculty Council representative: Rahman Azari