FGP application guidelines  

Program Eligibility and Funding Priorities

The following individuals are eligible to apply for funding under the FGP program:

New faculty

New faculty includes full-time assistant or associate professors, or academic professionals who, at the time of application, are in the first, second, or third year of a new tenure-track/tenured appointment at Northern Arizona University. Highest priority for FGP funding is given to proposals submitted by new faculty.

Examples of “new” faculty:

  • an assistant professor completing his first year as a university employee
  • an assistant professor who has been employed at the university for four years--the first two of those as a research assistant professor--and who is completing his second year on the tenure track
  • an associate professor completing her third year as a university employee

General faculty

General faculty includes full-time assistant, associate, or full professors, or academic professionals who, at the time of application, have completed three years in their current tenure-track/tenured appointment at Northern Arizona University.  General faculty members proposing new areas of research, scholarship, or creative activity are given secondary priority for FGP funding.

Ineligible for FGP funding

Regents Professors and all non-tenure-track categories are ineligible for FGP funding. An eligible faculty member may serve as principal or co-investigator on only one FGP application per year. In addition, a single project may be identified with only one proposal. Multiple proposals focusing on different aspects of one project will not be considered.

A previous recipient of an FGP award must complete all administrative requirements relating to those awards in order to be eligible to submit an application to the FGP.

Terms of FGP Awards

FGP awards commence on July 1 and are funded for up to one-year. 

Preparing the FGP Application

I. Determine the appropriate proposal category:

Science-based Research: a project or study intended to prove a hypothesis, elucidate observations, test a new method, answer a specific question, etc.

Goal: To obtain preliminary data or conduct other research-related activities to support extramural proposals in fields where extramural support is generally available (For this year, applicants will have to demonstrate that the funds will go towards collecting the data they need to submit an extramural grant; note, in future years of the FGP program, to receive a second year of funding, faculty will need to demonstrate that they have identified a specific RFA and have a grant for at least $30,000 in external funds to have an application considered).

Scholarly or Creative: a project, the outcome of which is usually an artistic expression, performance, tangible work of art, etc. or a project or study, the goals of which "reflect the nature, values, fundamental concepts and modes of inquiry specific to the discipline" (Definition adapted from The Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching Effectiveness, http://www.usask.ca/gmcte/drupal/?q=sotl_scholarly_work )

Goal: to obtain support for projects in disciplinary the social sciences, business, humanities, and the arts (creative and performance). For this year, applicants will have to demonstrate that the funds will go towards collecting the information they need to submit for appropriate extramural grant funding and or book or performance/exhibit contracts; note, in future years of the FGP program, to receive a second year of funding, faculty will need to demonstrate that they have identified an Request for Applications, publisher, or other form of specific support worth at least $30,000 in external funds to have an application considered).

II. Science-based Research proposals should follow this format: 5 Page Limit on Narrative not including Literature/References.

  • Abstract: Provide an Abstract that briefly summarizes each of the areas listed below.
  • Introduction and Background: This section provides a disciplinary context, a summary of the goals and objectives of the project, and a conceptual framework for the proposed activity. If useful, specialized terms can be defined in this section so that a general audience can understand the details of the project.
  • Project Description, Methods, and Plan of Work/Timeline: This section describes how the project will be carried out—a plan for completing the proposed activity, including details regarding methodology, timetable, and feasibility of the project in the given timeframe.
  • Significance and Impact: This section should answer the following questions: What is the likely impact of the project on the applicant’s discipline and on the state of scholarly understanding or professional work? What is the impact of the project on the university’s students, department, the university as a whole, or the community? Most important, what is the likely impact on the applicant’s own development and success?
  • Dissemination/Expected Outcomes/Grant Deliverables: This section describes the expected results, identifies the audience that will be interested in them and explains how the findings or results of the project will be disseminated to the public or to disciplinary peers. This section must also address plans for seeking external support for future follow‐up or related activities.
  • Literature/References (include if appropriate): Use the format that is standard for publishing in the respective field.

III. Scholarly or Creative proposals should follow this format: 5 Page Limit on Narrative not including Literature/References.

  • Abstract: Provide an Abstract that briefly summarizes each of the areas listed below.
  • Research and Contribution: Provide background on the intellectual significance and value of the project. What is the problem, idea or question being addressed by this project and how will it help to move your field forward.
  • Methods and Work Plan: What are the methods you will be using to accomplish your project; how will the project be organized? What is your work plan outlining the time course of the project? Please describe any technologies that will be used in making the project successful. Please describe where the study will be conducted, any research materials used, and explain how you will obtain access to relevant materials. 
  • Competencies, Skills and Access: Describe how your skills can be applied to the project and explain how this project will broaden your scholarly efforts at NAU. 
  • Final Product and Dissemination/Grant Deliverable: What is your intended result and who is your audience? Please explain how these results will be disseminated to this audience and beyond (if relevant). How will this research be used to obtain a grant or contract in the future? 
  • Bibliography: Use the format that is standard for publishing in the respective field.

IV. All proposals must include:

Curriculum Vitae: Project Director and Co-Investigator - 2 pages each

Budget and Budget Justification: Click Here for Budget Page(s).
The purpose of the Budget/Budget Justification is to identify the type and amount of funds required to conduct the project. All budget information is entered directly into form fields on the FGP online system.

For projects that request support for faculty or student time, the budget justification should describe each person’s scope of responsibility on the project and include specific duties and tasks that will be carried out. The justification should demonstrate how the time spent will lead to the successful outcome of the project. Supplies, equipment, travel, and other non-personnel costs should be justified in terms of why they are essential to the proposed project.

The budget justification should answer these questions:

  1. What will be purchased with the requested dollars in each category? 
  2. How did you arrive at the requested amounts (costs)? 
  3. Why are these costs essential to the project?

Budget Guidelines

  1. All budget items requested must conform to accepted University accounting policies and procedures (for example, regarding allowability).
  2. FGP budgets should reflect the needs of the project. The maximum budget request is for $15,000. For comparative purposes: one year’s FGP awards were between $4K and $13K.
  3. Up to $7,500 or the cost equivalent of 1.5 summer months’ effort, whichever is less, may be included in the FGP budget for the PI and Co-Investigators. That is, if an applicant requests summer salary for the PI and a Co-investigator, a total of $15K (or up to 1.5 summer months’ support per faculty member, whichever is less) can be included in the budget. The amount of summer salary support requested for any faculty member cannot exceed 1.5 months’ effort and must reflect the actual amount of effort necessary to carry out the project. Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide detailed justifications for all summer salary requests.
  4. Requests to purchase project-essential capital equipment (i.e., tangible property exceeding a per unit price of $5,000) are allowed. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to include matching funds commitments in FGP budgets that request support for capital equipment.
  5. All equipment and tangible materials (including books) purchased with FGP funding are the property of the University and where appropriate should be added to the inventory of the investigator’s department.
  6. When travel constitutes part of the planned work, the per diem for meals is not an allowable expense. However, registration fees, lodging, and transportation expenses can be covered by the FGP. In the budget justification, specify the cost of lodging and the anticipated number of nights stay.
  7. Students: Support for graduate or undergraduate students may be requested during the academic year and during the summer. The student must be an active partner in the research. The student must be in good academic standing and registered for credit during the project period (full-time during the Fall and Spring semesters), and this must be documented by the PI prior to the start of employment. Student compensation rates must be consistent with approved departmental rates and/or practice. In the budget justification, describe the activities of the student, including benefits to the advancement of the research and to the student’s academic progress. It is not necessary to identify an individual student by name. The FGP does not provide support for routine technical, secretarial or administrative duties, nor does it fund graduate assistantships.
  8. Each FGP principal investigator is personally responsible for managing and maintaining an accurate accounting of their research funds in conjunction with their departmental business manager, and carefully following the approved budget categories.
  9. Because state funds support the FGP, all FGP awards must be fully expended and recorded by June 30 (end of the fiscal year). In order to facilitate this process, principal investigators must report to the Office of the Vice President for Research detailed plans for spending any funds that are unencumbered as of May 15. Failure to submit this plan by June 5 will result in the unspent funds immediately reverting back to the Vice President for Research for reallocation and expenditure by the end of the fiscal year.

Documentation of Previous External Funding Efforts: (This section only applies if a Principal or Co‐Investigator has received previous IGP/FGP grants.) A list of proposals submitted to external sponsors for projects previously supported by the IGP/FGP must be provided. Information requested includes name(s) of funding agencies and disposition of the application(s) (i.e., funded, declined, pending, resubmitted). This information is entered directly into form fields in the online system.

Assurances and Compliance Issues
Projects involving the use of human subjects, animals, radioactive or other biohazardous materials, and recombinant DNA must be reviewed by the appropriate review committee to ensure compliance with federal regulations and with guidelines established in the NAU Faculty Handbook and detailed on related Internet web sites. Please note that approval from the appropriate committee must be obtained before the project can begin or award funds can be released. Adherence to compliance guidelines is required of all on‐going projects, regardless of funding source. If you need assistance with any assurance and compliance issues, contact the Office of the Vice President for Research. Prior to release of funds, awarded projects will be reviewed for assurance and compliance issues. In cases where compliance review is required, funds will not be released until the project has been reviewed and approved by the appropriate board/committee.

Submitting FGP Applications

Applications for FGP funding must be submitted electronically. Most elements of the application (abstract, project narrative, CV, letter(s) of support) are uploaded as attachments into the on-line system. Basic information associated with the application (e.g., title of project, names of project personnel, compliance questions, etc.) require the applicant to enter data directly into on-line forms.

The application window for the FY2014 FGP opens on November 1, 2012 and closes at 5:00pm on Tuesday, November 13, 2012.

Applications must be submitted via the online system http://www2.nau.edu/vpr-p/

LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Questions? Contact Dr. Catherine Propper at 928.523.1374 or via e-mail at Catherine.propper@nau.edu.