Faculty Research & Publications Board
The Faculty Research and Publications Board (FRPB) is a representative body of elected faculty members. The FRPB sponsors a grant competition each semester to support the research and creative projects of UNC faculty. Funding for the FRPB Grants Program is allocated to the Board from the Office of Academic Affairs and the Sponsored Programs & Academic Research Center.
Those wishing to apply for an FRPB Small Grant should first review the guidelines below.
General Information:
The FRPB Grant Program supports the research and creative projects of UNC faculty. Funding for FRPB grants is made available through the Office of Academic Affairs and from the UNC Foundation. If you require additional information about any aspect of FRPB Funding, you may call the SPARC office at 351-1907.
Application Deadlines:
FRPB proposals for the Spring Semester competition are due by 5:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday in March; and proposals for the Fall Semester competition are due by 5:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday in October.
Submissions:
Requests for FRPB funding must include a Grant Application Cover Form, a proposal narrative, a Grant Budget Form, and a narrative budget justification (forms). Applications should not include appendices unless absolutely necessary to the understanding of the proposal.
One original and eleven copies of the proposal are to be submitted to SPARC (25 Kepner Hall) no later than 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date.
Grant Duration:
All FRPB grants will be obligated for two years from the date of award notification. Any unexpended grant funds will be returned to the FRPB upon completion of the project or at the end of the two-year grant period.
Applicant Eligibility:
All UNC faculty members who hold at least a .50 FTE appointment and are not delinquent in submitting final reports for prior FRPB grants are eligible to apply for FRPB Grant funding. Eligible applicants may submit no more than one proposal per FRPB competition. Multiple investigator proposals are invited; however, regardless of the number of investigators on a project, each FRPB Grant will be limited to a maximum award of $2,500.
FRPB Grants:
FRPB Grants are intended as seed money for individual or group projects that are at the initial stages of a research program. Research Grants may not be used to support the following activities:
Work toward a student dissertation Development of curricula Completion of a previously funded project Work which has as its primary intent the generation of revenue and royalties Travel to make scholarly presentations.
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Funding Limitations:
It is anticipated that six to eight grants will be awarded each semester at a level up to $2,500.
Grant Conditions:
FRPB Grant recipients are required to submit a final report within ninety days of the termination date of the grant. This report should include a summary of the objectives achieved, a financial accounting, and a copy of any publication or product that resulted from the grant. Final reports are to be submitted to SPARC and will be reviewed by the Chair of the Faculty Research & Publications Board. Requests for extension of the report date must be made in writing to the FRPB at least 30 days prior to the due date and must include substantial justification for the extension.
Grant recipients are expected to include recognition of FRPB funding by the University or the UNC Foundation in any publications or presentations resulting from the grant.
Proposal Review Criteria - 55 Point Maximum:
Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria established by the FRPB:
1. Need for and Significance of the Project (20 points):
The value of the project to the discipline and to society is convincing and compelling. There is potential contribution to increased knowledge or understanding of educational problems or strategies. There is potential impact of the project on the applicant's continued research or scholarship, or on the quality of teaching within the discipline. There is potential impact of the project as reflected in the dissemination plan.
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2. Quality of Project Design (15 points):
3. Advancement of Research Goals: Faculty, Department/Unit & College (10 points):
The proposal demonstrates that the proposed project will advance the applicant's long-term professional development and will lead to or add to a comprehensive program of research/scholarly activity. The proposal demonstrates that the proposed project will contribute to the research goals/plans for the unit/school and college.
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4. Adequacy of Resources (10 points):
The budget is adequate to support the project.
Costs are appropriate and reasonable.
There are adequate resources, including facilities, equipment, supplies or other resources to support the project.
There is a sound strategy for continuing support for the project beyond FRPB funding if applicable.
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Preparing a Proposal Narrative
Application Cover Form
FRPB grant applications must be submitted to the Sponsored Programs & Academic Research Center with the Grant Application Cover Form. The completed, signed form must be attached to the original and to each of the eleven required copies of the proposal; however, only the original requires original signatures of the applicant, department chair/unit head, and college dean.
FRPB Proposal Narrative
Proposals should communicate in a manner that is understandable to FRPB members from diverse disciplines. To test the clarity of your proposal, ask others to read it. Some of your best comments may come from people unfamiliar with your field, not operating on the same assumptions as you, and unfamiliar with your jargon. Special attention should be given to expressing clearly the purpose of the project and, for research applications, the proposal should indicate how the project will contribute to a larger program of scholarship. Clearly indicate if the project is initial or pilot work intended to result in external funding to support continuation and expansion of the research program.
Proposal narratives are to be no longer than eight double-spaced pages, using at least a size 10 font and one inch margins. Prepare your narrative in the outline presented below:
Need for and Significance of the Project:
The need statement explains why there is a need for the proposed project. It should demonstrate the relevance of the problem to current literature in the field and/or otherwise document a compelling picture of the current situation and the desired state. This section of the proposal should explain the relevance and significance of the work to the discipline and to society. Do not include unsubstantiated statements or opinions. Bibliographic citations/ references should be included as appropriate and may be inserted as an attachment that will not count toward the eight-page narrative limit.
Project Design
Project applications should include a clear statement of the aims, research questions or hypotheses. Research questions must be specific and focused, yet should build toward a larger program of investigation. The project design should include a protocol that details how the study will be carried out, and should include a rationale for the form of inquiry and the kinds of data sought.
Generally, the Project Design section of a proposal narrative will:
describe program activities and demonstrate how they will fulfill your objectives or research study;
describe the sequence, flow, and interrelationship of the activities;
provide a time frame for completion of activities;
describe the subject population, if applicable, and methods for determining subject selection;
describe who will be responsible for which activities;
present a reasonable scope of activities that can be accomplished in the stated time frame with the available resources;
describe facilities and equipment necessary to the project.
In addition, your design should describe how the results of the project will be distributed within and beyond UNC by including the following information:
which results will be reported
the audiences you plan to reach;
how you plan to disseminate the results (electronically, journals, media, etc.)
Advancement of Research Goals: Faculty, Department / Unit and College:
In addition to the explanation of the relevance and significance of the proposed project to the discipline and to society, applications must address the ways in which projects will contribute to advancing the author's research or teaching plans and those of the college and of department/unit.
Adequacy of Resources:
Your proposal should clearly show that your budget is adequate to support the project and that the costs are appropriate and reasonable. Details that show how funds are to be used should be precise and clear. You should also show that any resources needed (including facilities, equipment, supplies or other resources) that are not covered by the grant are available to support the project. If your project will continue beyond FRPB funding, your proposal should indicate a sound strategy for continuing support through other sources of funding.
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Preparing a Proposal Budget
FRPB grant applications must include FRPB Application Budget Forms with narrative budget justifications. Personnel and travel requests must be in accordance with the policies and procedures of the University. Requests for equipment must be justified in relation to the availability of such equipment on campus. Any equipment purchased with FRPB funding becomes the property of the University.
Allowable Budget Items
The following list includes, but is not limited to, cost items allowable on FRPB Grants:
Personnel
Limited Undergraduate or Graduate Student hourly support (not to exceed 15 hours per week at rates consistent with University Payroll Policy)
Clerical support
Limited faculty release time (cannot exceed grant limit)
Other justifiable personnel costs
Travel
Mileage;
Per diem;
Transportation;
Other justifiable travel costs
Other Expenses
Publication costs, including page fees;
Postage;
Long-distance telephone charges;
Duplication;
Participant support costs;
Other justifiable costs
Unallowable Budget Costs
The following is a listing of items that may not be charged to an FRPB Grant:
Payment to the principal investigator or project director;
Awards / prizes;
Memberships / initiation fees;
Costs that should be supported by the University (i.e., PI/PD salary, office or laboratory space)
Travel for scholarly presentations.
Budget Justification
A narrative budget justification explaining the basis for inclusion of budgeted costs must be included with the completed budget form. The justification should detail the reasons for all of the items requested; for example, it should describe equipment requested and the need for it; specify planned travel with a rationale for the expense; project costs for publication of research results; etc.
A narrative budget justification explaining the basis for inclusion of budgeted costs must be included with the completed budget form. The justification should detail the reasons for all of the items requested; for example, it should describe equipment requested and the need for it; specify planned travel with a rationale for the expense; project costs for publication of research results; etc.
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