2013 Summer Grant Writing Institute
Introduction
The purpose of the 2013 Grant Writing Institute is to:
- Improve the ability of UTK faculty to write high quality grant proposals that will succeed in an increasingly competitive environment; and
- Engage participants in the culture of sponsored research via interactions with experienced mentors, meetings with grant program officers, and enhanced understanding of the grant review process.
An intensive summer “boot camp” experience, the Institute’s small workshop setting, combined with involvement of experienced faculty mentors, fosters individualized attention and sustained support for all GWI participants through the entire process of proposal development, from conceiving a fundable idea to submitting a strong proposal. Each faculty participant will be invited to nominate a graduate student to engage in Institute activities.
Program Summary
Twelve faculty members from the sponsor Colleges will be accepted into the 2013 program. From May 21 through June 20, participants will meet twice weekly for eight half-day workshops, and will participate in a field trip to the Washington DC area with two overnight stays. (Note: Institute participants are expected to devote full time to the Institute during this period and may not teach during the summer mini-session and the first full summer session.)
Follow up meetings will be scheduled in the fall term. In addition to working with the Proposal Development Team from the Office of Research & Engagement, each participant will meet regularly with a senior faculty mentor who has a substantial track record in sponsored research. Topics covered in the summer workshops include:
- Crafting a fundable idea
- Locating funding opportunities
- Interacting with grant program officers
- Constructing a timeline for proposal development
- Initial drafting of the project’s main theme, overall goal(s) and research objectives
- Matching the proposal to the funder’s needs and expectations
- Building a persuasive rationale for funding
- Analyzing project tasks in terms of workload, timelines and budget
- Understanding issues of compliance and research integrity
- Understanding the proposal submission process at UTK
- Understanding review panel dynamics and scoring systems
When not in session in May/June, participants will conduct research in support of their planned proposals: conducting literature reviews, compiling preliminary data, reading successful grants, writing preliminary drafts, and meeting with their mentors. A special feature of the Institute will be a “Day in DC,” where participants will first attend a workshop led by program officers in key funding agencies, and later that day will disperse for prearranged individual meetings with selected program officers. For each faculty participant, the final product will be a well crafted, internally reviewed proposal ready for submission to a targeted grant program.
Mentors
Each faculty participant will be paired with a senior faculty mentor with a successful track record in sponsored research. Mentors will meet periodically with faculty participants to advise on proposal development, arranging meetings with program officers, and review of early proposal drafts. While mentors are not expected to attend the Institute’s workshops or the “Day in DC” event, they will serve on the mock review panel immediately following the summer workshops.
Graduate Fellows
In addition to faculty participants and mentors, the Institute will accept up to 12 graduate students from sponsor Colleges. Graduate Fellows must be nominated by a faculty participant, and will attend all Institute activities, assisting the faculty member in the research and writing of a specific grant proposal. Graduate Fellows may also attend a special workshop on “Career Development Grants for Pre- and Post-docs,” and may choose to write their own proposals.
Eligibility
Applications to participate in the Institute will be accepted from any tenure track faculty member in the sponsor Colleges. College of Engineering faculty will be accepted by invitation only, and will be nominated by the CoE Associate Dean for Research. Graduate Fellows must be enrolled in an appropriate science or social science discipline.
Institute Staff
The Proposal Development Team in the Office of Research & Engagement, assisted by pre-award specialists from the Sponsored Programs office will serve as the primary instructors and coordinators for the Institute. Additional presenters will be engaged from time to time, including mentors and other UTK faculty with strong track records in research funding.
Institute Stipends
Participant stipends will vary in accordance with policies of their respective Colleges. With the exceptions of the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and Engineering, faculty participants will receive a stipend of one month’s summer salary (1/9 of AY salary).
- Arts & Sciences: Pretenure faculty in the College of Arts & Sciences who are within three years of the start of their appointment will receive a stipend of one month’s summer salary (1/9 of AY salary) if they submit a grant proposal within one year of completing the GWI. Faculty with more than three years in their appointment will not receive a stipend.
- Engineering: Because of the College’s strong expectations for faculty commitment to research, Engineering faculty will not receive a stipend.
Mentors and Graduate Fellows will receive stipends of $1,200. (Mentors may elect to receive this as compensation or deposited in their departmental account.)
Proposal Development Budget
Each faculty participant may request up to $300 to support activities directly related to proposal development, such as travel, compiling preliminary data, or engaging an outside consultant to review their proposal.
Institute Funding
The Office of Research & Engagement will contribute 50% of the total costs for administering the Institute, while the remaining 50% will be contributed by the sponsor Colleges. The Graduate School will provide stipends and travel expenses for the Graduate Fellows.
Application Procedures
Individual applications will be reviewed by a Selection Committee appointed by the Office of Research & Engagement. To apply, faculty members are asked to summarize their grant ideas and any preliminary work they may have already done, and provide information about any potential sponsors identified for the project. If more applications are received than can be accepted, selection criteria will focus on:
- the candidate’s need to gain experience with extramural funding
- the scholarly potential of the applicant, and
- the importance of the applicant’s scholarly agenda to the goals of the academic unit and/or division.
Faculty Application Procedure
Applicants must submit a complete Institute application by Thursday, February 7, 2013 to the UTK Office of Research & Engagement, Blount Hall, 1534 White Avenue. Applications must include:
- Signed Application Cover Sheet (Word)
- Project Description (maximum one page)
- Project Description. A preliminary outline of the proposal you anticipate working on during the Institute, including 1) a brief description of the proposed project; 2) any potential sponsor(s) you may have identified.
- Significance. A statement of your expectations as to how the proposed project will support and/or enhance your professional development and the goals of your academic unit. Include a summary of your experience to date with extramural funding, if any.
(Font: Times New Roman 12, Arial or Helvetica 11. One inch margins.)
- Support letter(s): A statement of commitment from your department head supporting your application.
Send the compiled materials as an e-mail attachment to Robert Porter, reporter@utk.edu. The list of selected faculty participants will be announced by Friday, February 15, 2013.
Mentor Application Procedure
Senior sponsor College faculty interested in participating as mentors should send the Mentor Application Form (Word) by Friday, March 1, 2013 to Robert Porter, UTK Office of Research & Engagement, reporter@utk.edu.
Graduate Fellow Nominations
Graduate Fellows must be nominated by sponsor College faculty who have been accepted into the program. Each faculty participant may nominate one Graduate Fellow. Following announcement of the faculty participants, calls will be issued for graduate fellow nominations. Interested graduate students must submit a complete application to one of the selected faculty participants by Friday, March 1, 2013. The application must include:
- Signed Graduate Fellow Application Cover Sheet (Word)
- Statement of Interest (maximum one page)
- Scholarly interests. Describe your areas of scholarly interest and indicate how external funding can support those interests.
- Significance. A statement of your expectations as to how the proposed project will contribute to your field and/or enhance your professional development.
(Font: Times New Roman 12, Arial or Helvetica 11. One inch margins.)
Faculty participants will forward their Graduate Fellow nominations to reporter@utk.edu by Tuesday, March 5, 2013.
Contact Information
Bob Porter
Director of Research Development
1534 White Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37996-1529
Phone: (865) 974-3053
Email: reporter@utk.edu