CAS Research Impact and Engagement Grants

The purpose of the CAS Research Impact and Engagement grant is to support the completion and dissemination of research, to enhance community-based or engaged research, and to elevate the national and international impact of CAS research and creative activity. The program's priorities include: supporting international travel for research presentations; enhancing publication quality, visibility, and reach; and fostering CAS research and creative activities in partnership with communities, especially underserved communities, that are mutually beneficial, collaborative, and reciprocal.

Eligibility

Any grant-eligible faculty member (e.g. tenured, tenure-track, research, prof. of practice) in the college may apply.

Amount

Amount requested per application should not exceed $5,000.

Program Funding

Funding is limited and awarded on a competitive basis. The number of grants given will depend on the size of grants and the quality of the proposals. There are two rounds of grants considered each year—the fall semester deadline is October 1. Awardees should work with their department business manager to set up a cost object to fund expenses.

Funding may support activities such as:

• manuscript workshops prior to submission
• finishing costs for publication, research and creative activity
• international travel for research presentations (up to $1,500)
• author's fees for open access, publication subvention, and rights clearances
• public programs with underserved audiences and communities
• research activities that involve partnerships with communities, especially underserved communities
• production costs for peer reviewed videos or films, digital exhibitions, and web sites for high- impact research publication

Definitions

An individual may submit only one application as Principal Investigator per fiscal year. Proposals that have a high potential to leverage this grant to gain external professional recognition and visibility, as well as increase the impact of research and creative activity, will be given the highest priority. Applicants may propose the same project for other internal funding opportunities but may accept only one of the grants if both are funded. Funding is valid upon notification of the grant and available for one year from the notification date.

If proposing international travel, these funds are to assist faculty members in scholarly attainment by providing a portion of the travel costs (up to $1,500) to those who will have an active role (presenting papers or serving as officials or initiating research collaborations) at recognized international professional meetings.

Examples of non-eligible travel:

• Travel to international conferences where you will have no active role (only attending)
• Travel to meetings convened to discuss research programs
• Travel for teaching purposes (overseas university guest lecturer)
• Teaching a course at an international university, etc.
• Travel to sabbatical destination
• Travel for postdocs or students

Faculty members are eligible for only one grant each fiscal year.

Funding is valid upon notification of the grant and all activities, including travel, must occur within one year of the notification date.

Application

The CAS Research Impact and Engagement grant application will open approximately one month before the deadline date and should be completed in NuRamp by the applicant, endorsed/approved by the department chair and routed to the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education of the college.

To route a new application:

1. Access NuRamp.
2. Select "Internal Competitions" from the upper left menu
3. Select "Applications" and "Add a New Application"
4. Search for "CAS Research Impact and Engagement Grants "

Applicants should be aware that if their proposed research involves the use of animals, human subjects, radioactive materials, or activities covered by federal regulations on recombinant DNA technology, appropriate UNL clearance must be obtained before an approved proposal will be funded. Applicable policies and clearance procedures are available from the following offices: Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Institutional Biosafety Committee and Institutional Review Board.

Please review export control and allowable/unallowable expenses.

Each application should include:

1. Description of Proposed Activities (up to a maximum of 2 pages). This section should describe the proposed research, scholarly or creative activity in sufficient detail to inform non-specialists. It should include:
   1. A brief description of the proposed activity.
   2. A brief rationale for the proposed activity and how it will enhance impact or engagement.
   3. A statement of the significance of the proposed activity to career development of the applicant and how it fits into the applicant's overall career goals.
   4. A timeline for the proposed activities also should be included. It is expected that by the end of the funding period, the project should result in a clear scholarly outcome.
2. Abbreviated CV or Biosketch which may be in any format but must include summary of education as well as current and prior support. Applicants should provide information about other internal and external funding for this activity.

Please upload one PDF to NuRamp for items 1 and 2 from above.

The NURamp application will ask for a detailed budget identifying and explaining all anticipated expenditures, including equipment, supplies, international conference travel (including accommodations, allowable daily costs up to $1,500), access fees, publication, and other costs. All items should be explained in a short budget justification.

Write your proposal in clear, non-technical language. The review committee may or may not have specialized expertise in your area of research or creative activity, so it is essential to craft your proposal for a general audience while including enough detail to judge the merits within your field.

Evaluation

Research Impact and Engagement grants will be made upon recommendation of the CAS Research Advisory Committee (CASRAC). Recognizing the differences that exist among the various CAS departments, latitude is given to the department in setting additional criteria for application and award of grants within their individual unit. In the case of multiple applications from a department, the chair may provide a rank order of the applications based on highest to lowest impact in terms of the activity to the faculty member, the department or research group and the research field. Proposals will be ranked first by intellectual merit and then preference will be given to junior faculty. Broad evaluation criteria by the CASRAC would include:

• Overall clarity and soundness
• The broader impact of the expected results
• Potential importance of the activities to the visibility and reputation of the college/university
• Potential contribution to the advancement of the applicant's long-term professional development

Travel Requirements

We follow regular university rules for travel. A pre-trip authorization is required prior to all travel. International travel without an electronic pre-trip authorization will not be reimbursed. Additionally, all international airline reservations must be made through Fox World Travel to be reimbursed. Please refer to the International Travel Registry – Professional (ITRP) process for more information.

Final Report

At the conclusion of the grant, a brief one- to three-page written report summarizing the activities and accomplishments achieved is due no later than four weeks after the end date. This report is also a requirement to complete the reimbursement of expenses. The report should be e-mailed to the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education William Thomas (wthomas4@unl.edu) and the college's Sr. Budget/Financial Analyst Alycia Harden (aharden@unl.edu).

Specifics for Business Staff

Distance funds should be used to pay for the travel. Once the report has been submitted by the awardee and approved by the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, distance funds will be transferred from the college to the department.

Please contact Alycia Harden with any questions pertaining to the business aspects of this grant.