Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Pilot Faculty Sponsored Project Development Program
Can the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) provide technical assistance to my proposal to the Pilot Faculty Sponsored Project Development Program?
While you are encouraged to speak with the Office of Sponsored Programs and ask any clarifying questions on the process, the staff of the Office of Sponsored Programs cannot read or review proposals or budgets submitted to the Pilot Faculty Sponsored Project Development Program since OSP is the steward of the funds.
How will my home department access funds to pay for my release time?
Faculty will be eligible to receive a three-credit course reduction in addition to up to a $3,000 financial award. Funds for release time will be directed to the applicant’s home department to cover adjunct costs for teaching during the faculty members release time. The chair of the department must approve all release time requested.
When do I take the release time?
You must discuss this with your chair, but it is expected that the release time will coincide with the release of the award and be taken in Summer or Fall of 2020. Funds will be provided to the department, not to the faculty member.
Does the Principal Investigator’s home department have access to the cost of an adjunct based on the faculty’s rank?
Adjunct costs will be reimbursed at the level of Assistant Professor. It is not necessary for an adjunct to be appointed whose rank matches that of the faculty member receiving release time.
Can I participate in the Faculty Sponsored Project Development Program and get paid overage to teach my course in lieu of release time?
The intent of the program is to provide funds for adjuncts to cover regular workload rather than pay overage. Funds for this purpose will be disbursed by OSP to the department, not to the individual faculty member. Release time and use of an adjunct must be agreed to by your chair prior to submittal of the proposal to the Office of Sponsored Programs. Applicants who are not able to utilize release time from their regular workload, along with their Chair, must discuss specific situations with the Office of Sponsored Programs prior to application in order to explore avenues to provide additional time for the full development of any externally-fundable project.
Please tell me about IRB approval. Will I need to have it in place before I apply for the Pilot Faculty Sponsored Project Development Program?
While you do not need to have IRB approval in place prior to applying, we highly recommend you submit for IRB approval at the time you submit your application to the Pilot Faculty Sponsored Project Development Program. You will need IRB approval before being able to draw down funds or to be eligible for release time and please also keep in mind that these awards are limited to one-year and all funds must be expended by the end of the fiscal year. Therefore, it would be best if you submit your IRB application earlier than later.
How will the grant review process work?
The Director of Office of Sponsored Programs will award funding to proposals based on the outcome of a rigorous review process completed by an interdisciplinary committee of researchers senior and junior in the field and may also include at least one reviewer recommended by the applicant. Reviewers for each proposal are selected based on their expertise, breadth, independence, past experience with proposal review, and successful funding record. The Office of Sponsored Programs reserves the right to identify other qualified reviewers. All reviewers will review each application based on guidelines provided by the office and in line with methodology utilized for academic research.
If there are multiple Principal Investigators applying together, will we receive a larger award? No. All awards are limited to $3,000 per project. Each principal investigator (up to 2 total investigators per project), however, will be eligible for a three-unit course reduction which must be approved by their individual chairs.
If I purchased equipment with my grant funds who owns it after the award is completed?
All equipment purchased in support of research is the property of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and should be purchased through TCSPPs procurement system. Equipment not purchased through the procurement system will not be reimbursed.
The review criteria include the potential for the project to receive external funding of at least three times the seed funding investment. What is the seed funding investment and what is the expectation for external funding?
The seed funding investment includes both the $3,000 award for project expenses as well as the costs for adjunct coverage to allow release time to the PI and Co-PIs, as applicable. Thus, the expectation for seeking external funding will vary depending on how many faculty members are involved. Faculty award recipients agree to submit a proposal for external funding as a TCSPP program faculty member to an external funder, for at least three times the initial seed funding investment, upon gathering pilot data and completion of a smaller scale research project. Additionally, you agree to present on your research to the TCSPP academic community the following Spring.