University Research Grant Program
The purpose of the University Research Grant (URG) program is to support research of the highest quality in the appropriate discipline. This grant program is intended to provide faculty with funds to:
- Develop significant research programs that have a high probability of acquiring external funding and/or to complement awards obtained from an external agency, and
- Support high quality scholarly undertakings of the faculty that are deemed important to the discipline that are independent of the pursuit of extramural support.
Research is defined as:
“A formal procedure which contributes to the expansion of basic knowledge or applies such knowledge to the solution of problems in society or exemplifies creative expression in a specific field of study. The results of research are communicated to professionals outside the university through a peer review process in a manner appropriate to the discipline."
Funding Categories
Two types of URG awards are available: Grant development (Grant Related Scholarship) and Research development. (Non-Grant Related Scholarship)
- Grant Development awards are intended to provide faculty with funds to develop significant research programs that have a high probability of acquiring external funding and/or to complement awards obtained from an external agency.
- Research Development awards are designed to support quality scholarly undertakings of the faculty that are deemed important to the discipline but not designed to directly pursue external support.
A separate proposal format is available for each type of award. The applicant is responsible for completing the format that best fits the intent of the proposal submitted.
Note: After three successful Research Development Awards, a faculty member must apply for a Grant Development Award or show evidence of a submission to an external funding agency in order to qualify to reapply for another Research Development Award.
Eligibility
All tenured or tenure track faculty members are eligible to apply..
When submitting a proposal, theapplicant should identify if they are senior or new faculty. Senior faculty are tenured/tenure track faculty who have been at the college for 5 years or more. New faculty are tenured/tenure track faculty who have been at the college for less than 5 years. Faculty who have been at the college for more than five years are considered new faculty if they are recent doctoral graduates and/or are new to the tenure track. An individual may submit more than one application for consideration in a calendar year.
Grant Review and Administration
Applications are reviewed by the College Research Committee. In the event of a conflict of interest, reviewers will be selected from the ranks of MCN tenured/tenure track faculty. The College Research Committee along with the director of the graduate programs will make final determinations regarding funding. Applicants will receive notification of funding status along with a written critique of the grant application on or before April 1st of the academic year.
Grant proposals are treated as confidential communication and will be shared only with members of the College Research Committee. Copies of funded proposals will be kept in the Graduate Programs Office (Office of Research and Scholarly Activities). The names of funded researchers will be released to the faculty of MCN and to the ISU office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
See URG Yearly Program Calendar located on the Illinois State University website www.rsp.ilstu.edu for a deadlines and dates for submission and reporting.
Submission Deadlines
URG’s are awarded annually and funded on or before July 1st of the calendar year. Grant proposals are due to the Chair of the College Research Committee by 5:00 p.m. on the Monday following spring break.
Funding
Funds will be appropriated annually dependent on funding availability and the number of grant applications in each category. Appropriations will be guided by the philosophy that URG funds are intended for new researchers and that senior faculty members will have the expertise to obtain external funding for research. Appropriations will be awarded based primarily on the strength of the proposal. Priority for funding will be given to faculty new to the College. Applications for continued funding will be considered and based on review of the study’s progress and accomplishments. The maximum budget request is $4000.00.
Application & Additional Information
Learn more about the University Research Grant Program and download the application.