Small Grant Program (SGP)
The Office for Research and Economic Development (ORED) is announcing a new small grant opportunity for faculty. ORED, in collaboration with University Associate Deans for Research (ADRs), is seeking proposals for research and scholarly activity grants from UM faculty who are eligible to serve as a Principal Investigator (PI) as described in the policy Definition of a Principal Investigator. Researchers may only receive an SGP grant once every three (3) years. Selected proposals will be funded by ORED.
Small Grants Program funding opportunity announcement (FOA) 2024 (PDF) (rev. Nov 1, 2024)
The InfoReady Review competition will open for applications on November 13, 2024.
Overview
The program will help faculty launch new, promising lines of research and creative achievement for which resources are currently not available. The Small Grant Program (SGP) awards can be utilized to fund pilot research that will generate preliminary data to leverage extramural research grant opportunities and contribute to a sustainable program of research, creative achievement, or scholarship. Smaller grants can help faculty build skills in grant writing and project management.
The SGP seeks to support and encourage the development of impactful programs of research or creative activity by faculty in all disciplines on campus. Priority consideration for funding will be given to projects likely to attract external awards, grants, fellowships, or other significant recognitions such as books, performances, and installations. There are two levels of funding:
- Individual investigator project – maximum $5,000
- Collaborative projects – maximum $10,000
Timeline
11/13/2024: SPAN form submitted to notify intent to submit a proposal
12/06/2024: Proposals for 2025 due (with a start date of January 17, 2025)
All funds must be spent by December 31, 2025.
Following years:
1st Working Day of November: Span notification to submit
1st Working Day of December at COB: Proposals will be due
1st Day of Spring Classes: Award notifications and awarding of
Project periods will not exceed one calendar year.
Applications received after the submission deadline in December will not be considered.
11/13/2024: SPAN form submitted to notify intent to submit a proposal
12/06/2024: Proposals for 2025 due (with a start date of January 17, 2025)
All funds must be spent by December 31, 2025.
Following years:
1st Working Day of November: Span notification to submit
1st Working Day of December at COB: Proposals will be due
1st Day of Spring Classes: Award notifications and awarding of
Project periods will not exceed one calendar year.
Applications received after the submission deadline in December will not be considered.
FAQ's
Q: Can someone apply for an SGP grant only once every three years, or receive an SGP grant once every three years?
A: Receive.
Q: Are transmittals required for SGP applications?
A: No, transmittals are not required, and should not be routed, since these are internal grants from institutional funds.
Q: Is this opportunity limited to tenured or tenure-track faculty members?
A: No, as stated in the Funding Opportunity Announcement, anyone who is eligible to serve as a Principal Investigator on an external grant is also eligible to apply for this program (Definition of a Principal Investigator).
Q: Are post-doctoral research associates eligible to apply?
A: No. The Small Grants Program is intended to build research capacity at the University of Mississippi. Since postdoc appointments are temporary by nature, and since most postdocs will end up in more permanent research positions at other institutions (and many are already 100% committed to sponsored projects), postdocs are not eligible for this opportunity.
Q: How do I submit my actual application?
A: Via the InfoReady Review portal, once we open it up to applications starting November 13. A link will be posted here then.
Q: Who can help me with developing my proposal budget and navigating the application process?
A: After you submit your SPAN form, an ORSP Research Administrator will reach out to you within a couple of working days to discuss next steps and how they can assist you.
Q: How do I submit a Notice of Intent?
A: The SPAN form submission will service as the Notice of Intent (NOI). There is no NOI format or template; rather, the SPAN form will ask for your name, email address, department, and phone number.
- For the Sponsored Programs Action Type field, select “New Proposal or Resubmission.”
- Also, enter a short, descriptive, working project title, the URL of the funding announcement (https://orspresdev.olemiss.edu/small-grant-program-for-faculty/).
- For the Due Date: 12/06/2024.
- For the Sponsor Name, enter “UM ORED.”
- In the Late Notification Justification field, type “Funding announcement was posted within 30 days of due date.”
- Finally, in the Comments to ORSP-SPA field, please indicate whether you expect to need help developing your proposal or proposal budget.
Q: Can I have collaborators from other institutions?
A: Collaborators would need to be UM personnel. If you do collaborate with someone outside of UM, we cannot send them a subaward for this grant, so it would be important that their collaboration not require us to subaward any funds to their institution.
Q: If my proposal has collaborators, do we all need to submit a SPAN form?
A: No, only one SPAN form needs to be submitted. Collaborators can be listed on the proposal.
Q: Can I be a collaborator on multiple proposals?
A: You may be the PI on one proposal and a collaborator on another. Keep in mind that collaborative proposals must involve two different departments.
Q: If I am submitting a multi-disciplinary proposals, will it be reviewed under the category where most of the work is being performed?
A: Yes, proposal review categories will be based on the major part of the project and the background of the PI.
Q: Is travel an allowable expense with these small grants?
A: Only travel that is part of the research. Travel to a conference to present and international travel are both unallowable expenses.
Q: What needs to be in the letter of collaboration?
A: It is sufficient just to confirm that the collaborator intends to collaborate as described in the proposal.
Q: The FOA, under the Submission Form (1g), says “Summary of compliance assurances and information. Please list the compliance area required. If no compliance is needed, please write, “No compliance needed.” Compliance is not required before submission. What is required to provide such assurances in a proposal?
A: In this section, the PI needs to specify what type of compliance is required, such as Animal Subjects (IACUC), Human Subjects (IRB), Environmental Health and Safety (DHS), Biohazards (IBC), Dive Safety Board (DSB), or Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.
Q: If I am submitting a collaborative proposal, as PI am I the only one who needs to submit a biographical sketch, or is it required of everyone on the team?
A: A biographical sketch is required of all team members – PI and Co-PIs.
Q: Is there a template for the cover page submission?
A: No. You will need to create your own cover page consisting of all required information.
Q: Can someone apply for an SGP grant only once every three years, or receive an SGP grant once every three years?
A: Receive.
Q: Are transmittals required for SGP applications?
A: No, transmittals are not required, and should not be routed, since these are internal grants from institutional funds.
Q: Is this opportunity limited to tenured or tenure-track faculty members?
A: No, as stated in the Funding Opportunity Announcement, anyone who is eligible to serve as a Principal Investigator on an external grant is also eligible to apply for this program (Definition of a Principal Investigator).
Q: Are post-doctoral research associates eligible to apply?
A: No. The Small Grants Program is intended to build research capacity at the University of Mississippi. Since postdoc appointments are temporary by nature, and since most postdocs will end up in more permanent research positions at other institutions (and many are already 100% committed to sponsored projects), postdocs are not eligible for this opportunity.
Q: How do I submit my actual application?
A: Via the InfoReady Review portal, once we open it up to applications starting November 13. A link will be posted here then.
Q: Who can help me with developing my proposal budget and navigating the application process?
A: After you submit your SPAN form, an ORSP Research Administrator will reach out to you within a couple of working days to discuss next steps and how they can assist you.
Q: How do I submit a Notice of Intent?
A: The SPAN form submission will service as the Notice of Intent (NOI). There is no NOI format or template; rather, the SPAN form will ask for your name, email address, department, and phone number.
- For the Sponsored Programs Action Type field, select “New Proposal or Resubmission.”
- Also, enter a short, descriptive, working project title, the URL of the funding announcement (https://orspresdev.olemiss.edu/small-grant-program-for-faculty/).
- For the Due Date: 12/06/2024.
- For the Sponsor Name, enter “UM ORED.”
- In the Late Notification Justification field, type “Funding announcement was posted within 30 days of due date.”
- Finally, in the Comments to ORSP-SPA field, please indicate whether you expect to need help developing your proposal or proposal budget.
Q: Can I have collaborators from other institutions?
A: Collaborators would need to be UM personnel. If you do collaborate with someone outside of UM, we cannot send them a subaward for this grant, so it would be important that their collaboration not require us to subaward any funds to their institution.
Q: If my proposal has collaborators, do we all need to submit a SPAN form?
A: No, only one SPAN form needs to be submitted. Collaborators can be listed on the proposal.
Q: Can I be a collaborator on multiple proposals?
A: You may be the PI on one proposal and a collaborator on another. Keep in mind that collaborative proposals must involve two different departments.
Q: If I am submitting a multi-disciplinary proposals, will it be reviewed under the category where most of the work is being performed?
A: Yes, proposal review categories will be based on the major part of the project and the background of the PI.
Q: Is travel an allowable expense with these small grants?
A: Only travel that is part of the research. Travel to a conference to present and international travel are both unallowable expenses.
Q: What needs to be in the letter of collaboration?
A: It is sufficient just to confirm that the collaborator intends to collaborate as described in the proposal.
Q: The FOA, under the Submission Form (1g), says “Summary of compliance assurances and information. Please list the compliance area required. If no compliance is needed, please write, “No compliance needed.” Compliance is not required before submission. What is required to provide such assurances in a proposal?
A: In this section, the PI needs to specify what type of compliance is required, such as Animal Subjects (IACUC), Human Subjects (IRB), Environmental Health and Safety (DHS), Biohazards (IBC), Dive Safety Board (DSB), or Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.
Q: If I am submitting a collaborative proposal, as PI am I the only one who needs to submit a biographical sketch, or is it required of everyone on the team?
A: A biographical sketch is required of all team members – PI and Co-PIs.
Q: Is there a template for the cover page submission?
A: No. You will need to create your own cover page consisting of all required information.
Please contact Interim Associate Vice Chancellor Greg Easson at geasson@olemiss.edu with questions about the funding opportunity or to request further information. Questions about the InfoReady Review portal process should be sent to Mary Lea McMillan at mlea@olemiss.edu.