VPR SEED PROGRAM TO ADVANCE RESEARCH COLLABORATION (SPARC)

Program synopsis

The Vice President for Research (VPR) is soliciting internal proposals for a Seed Program to Advance Research Collaborations (SPARC). This program provides 1-year seed funding of up to $35,000 to catalyze development of large interdisciplinary research teams and projects that involve scholarly research in more than one department, research center, college or institution. Successful SPARC proposals will require mutual effort by faculty and researchers from multiple disciplines, and provide outcomes that will enhance USU faculty success in securing new, large-scale, interdisciplinary externally funded grants (EFGs). It is anticipated that new EFGs catalyzed by SPARC will extend the University’s research capability and increase extramural funding for scholarly activities from government agencies and private sources.

It is required that each proposal funded by SPARC lead directly to the submission of at least one proposal to an external funding agency that satisfies all of the following criteria:

• Solicits at least $1 million in new research funding at USU (i.e., total project budget less any off-campus sub-awards) through a single, targeted extramural grant proposal. Projects that enhance the likelihood for success of grants that pay full F&A costs (see www.usu.edu/research/programs/rates.cfm) are especially encouraged.
• Engages faculty from more than one department, research center, college or institution;
• Recruits and supports additional research faculty, postdoctoral researchers, or PhD students to the USU campus; and
• Engages undergraduate and/or graduate students in the pursuit of research and scholarly activities.

Important note: Proposals that have already been submitted to an extramural agency, or those already reviewed and found to be non-competitive by an extramural agency, are not eligible for consideration of SPARC funding.

Eligibility:

All tenured or tenure-eligible faculty, research faculty, or other USU research professionals are eligible to apply. However, research professionals with short-term commitments to the University (e.g., post-doctoral researchers, graduate research assistants) are not eligible to serve as Principal Investigator (PI) on SPARC projects. Projects must have at least three faculty (PI plus two coinvestigators) representing at least two departments, colleges or institutions. If an application is turned down by the review panel, PIs are allowed one re-submission of a revised proposal on the same subject in the next grant cycle. Revised proposals must indicate changes from the previous proposal.

If a SPARC application is funded, the PI is not eligible to compete for another SPARC grant for three years from the start date of the successful proposal.

Evaluation Criteria:

All proposals will be reviewed by a panel of faculty and administrators. In evaluating the proposals, the greatest consideration will be given to projects that are most likely to extend the University’s research capability and increase extramural funding for scholarly activities from government agencies and private sources. Thus, successful proposals will primarily be weighed according to the following criteria:

1. Scholarly merit and relevance to the targeted external program announcement or RFP.
2. Strength of project investigators’ expertise, resources, and research records as it relates to providing the necessary leadership for the effort.
3. Effectiveness of the research plan in addressing specific issues that must be resolved to develop a competitive EFG proposal.
4. Probability that the program will attract major new extramural funding, and the level of F&A costs allowed by the targeted external program announcement or request for proposals (RFP).

Additionally, it may be advantageous for projects to consider many, but not necessarily all, of the following issues:

• Likelihood of long-term, active participation by faculty who will constitute a “critical mass” for the proposed program.
• Potential for the project to gain national and international recognition.
• Support for enhanced graduate and undergraduate education at USU.
• Potential to build Utah’s economy through new intellectual property or industrially sponsored research.

Reporting Requirement:

As a final report within three months of completion of the project, grantees must produce a new proposal for extramural funding directly facilitated by this award. If funding is not awarded for the EFP, the PI will provide the VPR Office with reviewer comments as well as a written plan for future resubmission. PIs who do not meet these requirements will be ineligible for future VPR funding of any type until they are realized.