Provost's Challenge Research Seed Grant Fund

Overview   

 The  Provost's Challenge Research Seed Grant Award , administered by the Faculty Research Awards Committee (FRAC), supports the growth of externally sponsored research at Arkansas State University. This competitive internal funding opportunity invests in faculty research with the goal of generating preliminary results that strengthen future proposals for external funding.   

 Faculty from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. Collaborative projects involving investigators from multiple disciplines are especially encouraged.   

 For  answers to  questions, contact Research and Technology Transfer (RTT) at  research@astate.edu  or  870-972-2694 .   

 Program Purpose   

 The Provost's Challenge Research Seed Grant provides  two years of research support  to help  t enure-track faculty  initiate new research projects that will lead to competitive external grant proposals.   

 Funding may be used to:   

 

 

 

 

 Collect preliminary data 

 

 

 Conduct pilot studies 

 

 

 Perform literature or archival research 

 

 

 Develop creative or scholarly works 

 

 

 Generate proof-of-concept results needed to strengthen external funding proposals   

 

 

 

 

 Many external sponsors expect applicants to  demonstrate feasibility, innovation, and preliminary evidence before funding larger projects. This program is designed to help faculty generate  foundational  results.  Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with their college's FRAC representative prior to submitting a proposal to ensure the project is clearly understood during the review process.   

 Priority will be given to proposals that:   

 

 

 

 

 Identify  a specific external funding opportunity 

 

 

 Target state or federal grant programs 

 

 

 Have the potential to lead to external proposals requesting $500,000 or more 

 

 

 Include interdisciplinary collaborations   

 

 

 

 

 Award Information   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Category   

 

 

 Details   

 

 

 

 

 Eligibility   

 

 

 Tenure-track faculty   

 

 

 

 

 Award Period   

 

 

 Two years   

 

 

 

 

 Funding Amount   

 

 

 Up to  $60,000  total   

 

 

 

 

 Number of Awards   

 

 

 T wo awards annually   

 

 

 

 

 Project Start Date   

 

 

 July 1 (following the award cycle)   

 

 

 

 

 Project Duration   

 

 

 Two years   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Allowable Expenses   

 Funding may be used for:   

 

 

 

 

 Faculty summer salary 

 

 

 Research personnel 

 

 

 Research supplies 

 

 

 Equipment 

 

 

 Professional travel 

 

 

 Other project-related research expenses   

 

 

 

 

 Application Timeline   

 

 

 

 

 Applications Open :  September 1 annually 

 

 

 Application Deadline :  Third Friday of October (5:00 p.m. C D T) 

 

 

 Award Notification :  Mid-December 

 

 

 Project Start Date :  July 1   

 

 

 

 

 

 Application Requirements   

 Applications must include the following components.   

 1.  Cover Sheet   

 

 

 

 

 Complete the FRAC Cover Sheet using the required template  (Template can be found on the InfoReady application page) . 

 

 

 Select the Provost's Challenge Research Seed Grant Award  as the funding program. 

 

 

 Include an abstract of 300 words or fewer  suitable for publication on the RTT website.   

 

 

 

 

 2. Project Narrative (Maximum 6 Pages)   

 The narrative may not exceed  six pages  (including tables and figures). References  / Literature Cited  do  not   count toward the page limit.   

 The narrative should be written for a broad academic audience and should minimize highly technical language.   

 Address the following: 

 

 Project scope, significance, and objectives 

 Background and related work 

 Research  methodology or creative approach 

 Expected outcomes and potential challenges 

 Project timeline 

 Dissemination plan 

 Future external funding strategy, including the  anticipated sponsor(s) and funding opportunity(ies)   

 

 

 3. References   

 Include all references cited in the proposal  as a separate attachment.  Note there is no page limit on references .   

 4. Budget and Budget Justification   

 Submit:   

 

 

 

 

 A completed A-State Budget Template (found on the Knowledge Base: https://kb.astate.edu/books/research-development/page/investigators-toolbox-542   

 

 

 A detailed budget justification ( maximum 2 pages )   

 

 

 

 

 The budget should clearly explain and justify all requested expenses.   

 5. Curriculum Vitae   

 Provide an abbreviated curriculum vitae for the Principal Investigator  using the required template  (Template can be found on the InfoReady application page) .   

 Maximum length :  4 pages.   

 6. Research Compliance   

 If applicable, projects involving human participants ,  animals ,  or transgenic organisms or biohazards  must receive approval from the:   

 

 

 

 

 Institutional Review Board (IRB) 

 

 

 Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) 

 

 

 Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)   

 

 

 

 

 Proposal Evaluation   

 Eligible proposals are evaluated by  the  FRAC  rubrics     

 Final Report Requirements   

 Award recipients must submit a  Final Report  to RTT  at  frac@astate.edu   by  July 31  immediately following the close of the award period.   

 The report must include:   

 

 

 

 

 An abstract suitable for publication on the RTT website 

 

 

 A brief summary (approximately 2 pages ) describing: 

 

 

 The research, scholarly, or creative activities completed 

 

 

 Project outcomes and accomplishments 

 

 

 Plans for future research, scholarship, creative activities, or external funding   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Failure to submit the Final Report by the deadline may result in the Principal Investigator being ineligible for future FRAC funding opportunities.