2007 - 2008 New York University

University Research Challenge Fund Guidelines 2007-2008

The University Research Challenge Fund Advisory Committee will be meeting shortly. Decisions will be communicated to applicants prior to June 1, 2008

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RCF Application | Synopsis Form

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For technical assistance, please contact urcf.info@nyu.edu

Guidelines

I. Background
The University Research Challenge Fund (URCF) supports faculty-initiated research on a competitive basis and is administered by the URCF Advisory Committee, composed of senior faculty reflecting a cross-section of disciplines at the University. Since the Fund's inception, the Committee has made 562 awards. Awards in 2007-2008 will be made in a single round of competition.
The purpose of the Fund is:

• To serve as an incentive for investigators to explore new areas of research that are likely to attract outside support;
• To support those engaging in productive scholarship in areas where there are few source of support.

The URCF Advisory Committee also makes available limited funds for emergency research project needs through the Emergency Research Challenge Fund (ERCF), four times a year.

II. Highlights

• Most awards will not exceed $15,000. A few larger awards may be considered if there is compelling justification. Requests for funding should in no case exceed $20,000.
• Standardized application packages may be downloaded at http://www.nyu.edu/osp/pdf/RCFApplication0708.pdf. Instructions for uploading the completed proposal to the University Research Challenge Fund site may be found in Section VI B of these instructions.

III. Eligibility
Proposals are encouraged from individuals or groups of regular faculty members (or others with Principal Investigator [PI] status) in any academic discipline represented at the University, exclusive of the Medical School. Only one proposal per PI will be accepted. The URCF Advisory Committee is particularly interested in receiving proposals from new investigators; however, proposals from established investigators exploring new directions are also welcome.

Proposals for collaborative, interdepartmental, and/or inter-school research are particularly welcome. Please note that awards for projects involving collaboration with institutions outside of NYU are to be used to support the NYU component of the project only. Those seeking URCF support for projects already funded by external sponsors will only be considered in exceptional circumstances, which must be fully explained in the proposal.

The URCF is not meant to provide ongoing support. Repeat applicants will have a lower priority for funding and award recipients for the 2006-2007 round should refrain from applying. Applicants who received URCF award(s) in the last five years must include, where indicated, a brief statement as to its outcome, indicating whether or not it led to external funding.

Unrevised resubmitted applications from previous URCF competitions will not be accepted nor will those from PIs who have failed to fulfill the reporting requirements of a previous URCF award.

IV. Categories of Proposals
The URCF Advisory Committee has established the following categories of support:

Category 1. Proposals which require start-up funds and have a high probability of eventual funding from external agencies. These proposals will usually be new projects, be in fields new to the investigator(s), or support new investigators. If related to existing projects, proposals may be for the exploration of new ideas or new directions. Matching funds may be requested to demonstrate the University's commitment to a proposal planned for submission to an external sponsor so long as the school and department also expect to contribute to the match.

Category 2. Proposals from disciplines where the expectation of additional external support may be limited (such as the humanities, social sciences, or critical / theoretical/ historical studies in the arts). Because URCF support is granted for only one year, proposals should focus on:

1. Research to permit completion of a monograph, full-length work, or other scholarly production (e.g., film, script); or
2. The initial phase of a new research area.

The foregoing categories are not prescriptive. These guidelines are intentionally broad and investigators should not feel limited by the kinds of constraints frequently set by external funding agencies.

V. Review Criteria
The criteria include:

1. Impact on the field(s) of research;
2. Impact on the career of the investigator(s);
3. Impact on colleagues in the department, school, University;
4. Methodology;
5. Budget;
6. For Category 1 proposals (see Section IV, above): Prospects for funding.

VI. Proposal Process

A. Components

* A Note on File Formats *

If you encounter any difficulties inserting figures or tables into the three page Project Description section of the Application Form, such figures/tables may instead be uploaded on the “RCF Upload Files” page under the tab “Appendix”. Applications must adhere to the page limitations outlined in the Application Form. Do not include any supplemental information, such as Articles or a more detailed project description, in the Appendix.

The entire Project Description Section and the Appendix section (which contains the tables and figures) may not exceed three pages.

1. Completed Proposal Application Package
The PDF Forms package may be found at http://www.nyu.edu/osp/funding/urcf.php. This one package contains the application and budget forms. See Section VII for instructions.

When saving this file for upload, filename should begin with the word “Application”

2. Supporting Letter
Each submission to the URCF must be accompanied by a brief supporting statement from the department chair, dean, or director (or his or her designee). The letter should be explanatory in nature, not simply a standard endorsement, describing, for example, the proposal's relevance to departmental or school plans for advancing research and education, and assessing the project's prospects, if any, for future external support. If there is more than one letter of support, please create one file for upload.

3. OSP Synopsis Form
An OSP Synopsis Form signed by the department chair and dean, must be received by OSP by 5 pm on the deadline. The OSP Synopsis Form is available at http://www.nyu.edu/osp/pdf/synopsis.pdf.

All components (Application Form, Supporting Letter and Synopsis) must be received by 5 pm, December 17, 2007.

B. Uploading Files

1. Complete the three required Components
Save these documents as noted above. The Application Form and Synopsis form are a .PDF files. The supporting letter may be saved either as PDF or Word file.

2. To Submit
Go to the University Research Challenge fund page at http://www.nyu.edu/osp/funding/RCF. A prompt will request the PI's existing NYU username and password.

• Step 1. Complete Personal Information - Click the "Save and Continue" button at the bottom of the page.
• Step 2. Enter Application Information - Form will automatically fill in the date and NetID.
• Enter Title: do not exceed 85 characters
• Click "Save and Continue" at the bottom of the page.
• Step 3. Upload RCF Files
• Browse for the three RCF components identified above
• Only upload completed files. You may upload all the files at once, or a single file at a time. Any uploaded file will be saved. The option remains to upload revised files until the deadline
• Click the "Save and Continue" button at the bottom of the page
• Step 4. Verification and Submission: Review the Proposal Information
• This page will display PI Personal Information from Step 1, Application Information from Step 2, and Upload Information from Step 3.
• Uploaded files may be viewed by clicking on the “View” buttons. Information may be edited by clicking the “Edit” buttons provided in each section of this page.
• Review to ensure accuracy and that the uploaded files are the files intended for submission.
• When all information has been verified, click on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page.

The submission process is complete. You will be taken to a status page that shows the information on file, including date submitted. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your submission.

3. Corrections

Once a proposal has been submitted, the application may be updated at any time until the deadline of 5 pm on December 17, 2007

To update the application, login with your NetID and password at http://www.nyu.edu/osp/funding/RCF. The system recognizes that you have a proposal on file and will take you to the status page. From there, follow the link toward the bottom of the page that says “Update Information”. This will take you to a page with all the information currently on file. Information may be updated and files replaced until the deadline for submission.

C. Review Procedures
Proposals will be reviewed by the URCF Advisory Committee members, who may also seek comments from other colleagues from within or outside the University. The proposals and reviews form the content for the Committee's decision-making. The Advisory Committee makes a comprehensive evaluation of each proposal, identifying those they believe to be most meritorious. Decisions (fund/not fund) are expected to be made in mid-April and will be conveyed to applicants and school/departmental officials.

D. Awards
In the 2006-2007 competition, 22 awards were made between $5,500 and $15,585; the average award was $10,675.

Awards for a one-year period start no earlier than June 1, 2008. Once the award is acknowledged, and conditions set forth by the URCF Advisory Committee are accepted, an account is established by the Controller's Division.

E. Reporting
All award recipients are asked to report on the outcomes of their research. These reports support the continuation of this funding mechanism, which facilitates research and helps to generate larger research initiatives on the part of the faculty.

VII. Proposal Format
The Application Package may be found on the Research Challenge Fund Website at http://www.nyu.edu/osp/funding/urcf.php.

PLEASE READ ALL DIRECTIONS BEFORE COMPLETING AN APPLICATION.
For all proposals:

• To navigate through the input areas, use the “Tab” key.
• Erasing existing headers on pages is not allowed.
• No appendix material is allowed.
• Write clearly and concisely for an educated lay audience.
• Avoid jargon, and spell out acronyms when used for the first time.

A. Proposal (Forms and Project Statement)

The application is formatted for appropriate typeface and spacing requirements.

1.0 Face Sheet (1 page)

• List name and contact information for Principal Investigators and Co-Principal Investigators.
• Project Title should not exceed 85 characters.
• Indicate support category (1 or 2) by checking the appropriate box.
• Indicate whether PI or Co-PI has had URCF or ERCF funding in the last five years. If yes, complete URCF/ERCF History form.
• Indicate current or pending support from any source, including start-up funding from NYU. If yes, complete Current & Pending form for PI and Co-PI.
• Requested amount should match budget total.
• Indicate whether animals and/or human subjects are involved (yes/no check boxes). If yes applicants are strongly encouraged to file their protocol(s) with the appropriate regulatory committee within 30 days of proposal submission. No award will be processed without such approval. Links to these committees:
  Animals: http://www.nyu.edu/uawc/
  Humans: http://www.nyu.edu/ucaihs/

2.0 Curriculum Vitae (2 pages per person - PI and Co-PIs only)

• Provide the information requested in the space provided.
• Briefly describe funding history for PI/Co-PIs (successes and/or difficulties encountered). Include a concise list of proposals submitted/awards received during the past three (3) years, if any.

3.0 Current & Pending Support

• Identify sponsor, project title, role on the project, project period, and total amount. (Approximations are adequate.)
• Check type and status boxes; provide additional information, if applicable.
• Report all institutional sources of support, including start-up funding and summer salary provided by the school or department.
• Should this or a similar proposal be submitted to, or awarded by, an external sponsor or another NYU competition after the URCF deadline, you must send a memo to the URCF Advisory Committee, c/o OSP, so stating and describing the technical/financial overlap.

4.0 Abstract & Project Statement (1 page)
Abstract: Answer some or all of the following questions:

• What is the goal of the project (what are intended accomplishments)?
• What are the project objectives (what is the desired outcome(s))?
• What is the anticipated impact on the field?
• What is the anticipated impact on the PI/Co-PI's research or that of others?

Project Statement:

• Under which URCF Category of Support does this proposal fall (1 or 2)?
• How does this proposal relate to the interests of the URCF?
• Once the research is completed, how will the results be used?
• What are the plans, if any, for seeking external support?
• If the project has been funded by an external sponsor, please be very clear why URCF support is needed to advance the research.

5.0 Project Description (3 pages including any pictures, graphs and tables)
Provide answers to some or all of the following questions:

Program Overview and Design:

• What are the project's scope, size, and components?
• What methodology will you employ?
• What is the project's duration and timeline?

Present State of Knowledge:

• What impact might the project have on the progress or state of knowledge in this field?

Collaborations:

• How might the project benefit from and affect the research of colleagues at NYU or outside NYU?

6.0 Literature Cited (1 page)

• Include citation in the style/format of the proposal discipline.

7.0 URCF/ERCF Support (1 page per person)

• Indicate whether or not PI or Co-PIs have received a URCF or ERCF grant in the last five years.
• Fill in remaining information, if applicable.

B. Budget - Instructions are included in the application form.

8.0 Budget & Justification

• Specific constraints:
• Summer salary is allowable only for beginning faculty, and is limited to a maximum of two months. (Tenured associate and full professors and all code 103 employees are ineligible for summer salary.) Academic year salary is not permitted. It is assumed that assistant professors in units providing summer money will go to those sources for their support.
• Equipment
• The purchase of laptop computers must be strongly justified and will be allowable on an exceptional basis only.
• The Committee will consider requests for costsharing toward purchase of special purpose equipment where the balance may be secured from external sponsors or committed by internal sources only in those cases where the department and/or school also commits funds.
• Travel
• The Fund does not normally support meals while traveling.
• Funds requested for travel must be in accordance with NYU's travel policy.
• Do not include indirect costs.

• Justification:
• Explain the responsibilities of the person(s) for whom salary is requested.
• Provide detail on travel, including destination(s) and relation to proposed project.
• Explain briefly ALL other-than-personnel-service (OTPS) expenses.
• Any cost items not obviously necessary to the success of the project are at risk of being deleted by the Committee if not carefully justified.

If you have any questions about the procedures or forms, please email urcf.info@nyu.edu or call (212)998-2121 to discuss.