Office of Research ServicesInternal Grants Program 2012

September 4, Waterloo September 10, Brantford September 12, Waterloo www.wlu.ca/research/internalgrants

Office of Research Services The Office of Research Services supports the

growth and expansion of research and scholarly activity at Laurier. Our goal is to assist researchers in obtaining the resources necessary for pursuing their scholarly activities. The office provides assistance to faculty at all stages of applying for and administering research funding.

Internal Grants - Purpose

Establish/enhance credibility of researchers: Provide seed funding to generate initial

data for analysis. Encourage dissemination through

conferences, workshops, scholarly/creative publications.

Internal Grants - Purpose

• To support research that might not be funded otherwise: Research topics that “fall between the cracks”.

Innovative, cutting-edge research that might be considered too risky by discipline-based peer review committees.

Internal Grants - Eligibility All tenured and tenure-track faculty are eligible to

apply for any internal grant. Limited-term faculty are eligible for Short Term Grants

if: They have completed all the requirements for the PhD or

terminal degree in their field. They are not within their final term of employment at

Laurier. For equipment grants, they may only apply with the support

of their dean.

Internal Grants – Eligibility

CAS are not eligible for the Internal Grants Program.

However, the 2010-2013 Collective Agreement contained provision for some research funding Section 27.8, Research Funds: a $25,000 fund to assist CAS

with the cost of scholarship, research and creative activities. Maximum grant: $1,500.

Section 27.9, Research Support Grants: equivalent to a one-term undergraduate course stipend (total of 3 available each year).

Internal Grants – Multiple Applications

• Double-dipping of funds is not allowed! Internal applications for the same project submitted to an

external agency will be tabled until the results of the external competition are known.

If your projects are different, the onus is on you to explain what the differences are.

Be careful you don’t leave yourself open to the possibility that everyone assumes “the other agency” will fund your project.

Internal Grant – Decision Criteria

When there are too few funds, on what basis does the committee allocate internal grants? The excellence of the proposal comes first.

Where proposals are relatively equal: Junior faculty (within 5 years of PhD) are given

preference.

Faculty who have received fewer recent internal grants are given preference.

Internal Grants – Research Grants

Research Seed Grants Deadline: within 6 months of the

SSHRC/NSERC/CIHR decision Amount: $3,000 Purpose: To support research that will

help applicants improve their next application.

Internal Grants – Research Grants

• Short Term Research Grants• Deadlines: October 15 and March 1• Amount: $5,000 • Purpose: To complete small projects or to

provide “seed money” to assist in the development of a study that leads to a larger project and a proposal to an external agency.

Internal Grants – Development Grants

Partnership Development Grant Deadline: October 15 Amount: $7,500 Purpose: To facilitate public/private

sector research partnerships and increase Laurier’s research profile.

Internal Grants –Development Grants

International Research Development Grant Deadline: October 15 Amount: $10,000 Purpose: To facilitate international

research projects and increase Laurier’s international research profile.

Internal Grants – Resource Grants

Research Equipment Grants Deadline: October 15 Amount: $6,000 Purpose: This program supports the

purchase of non-disposable equipment which is to be used primarily for research, and for which alternate sources of funding are not available

Internal Grants - Resource Grants

Undergraduate Research Assistantship Grants Deadline: March 1 Amount: $6,000 Purpose: Provides research assistants for

full-time faculty; provides undergraduate students with a 4 month research experience.

Internal Grants –Dissemination Grants

Travel Grants Deadlines: October 15, March 1

Amount:$1500

Purpose:To provide travel assistance to faculty presenting papers or posters at scholarly international congresses or workshops or at conferences of international learned societies.

Note: Applications are submitted to dean’s office

Internal Grants –Dissemination Grants

Book/CD Preparation Grant Deadline: apply any time Amount: $2,000 Purpose: For costs incurred in the

preparation of a final manuscript of a book (where the book is not designed for the trade market or to be sold principally as a textbook).

Internal Grants – Dissemination Grants

• Conference/Workshop Grants• Deadline: apply any time• Amount: $5,000• Purpose: To support short-term working

groups or conferences held at Laurier.

Tips from the Grants Committee

Eligibility Is your project eligible? Are you eligible to apply for the grant Look at details under both “Eligibility”

and “General Regulations” on the web site before you apply.

Tips from the Grants Committee

Completeness Complete all sections of the form with

enough detail for the committee to: understand your project be convinced of its importance and impact.

Attach all requested documentation. Fit the required information into the form

rather than adding attachments.

Tips from the Grants Committee

Writing Style Use plain language for the abstract, and try to keep

technical or disciplinary jargon to a minimum. The grants committee is multi-disciplinary – don’t assume

they’ll understand your terms.

Make sure the application is free of grammatical errors.

Consider asking a colleague to review the proposal for you.

Be as specific as you can in the components of your proposal.

Tips from the Grants Committee

Publication record Provide page references and years for publications.

Where possible, indicate who the senior author is on a paper.

If you have a limited publication record, consider providing details of any circumstances that delayed your productivity (e.g. parental leave, illness).

Tips from the Grants Committee

Funding History For each other grant you hold, provide the title, the

amount of the grant, the kind of grant, and the years it covers.

If you are one of multiple applicants, indicate how much is available for your expenses.

Explain how this grant application relates to existing funds or outstanding applications.

Committees will not approve projects where the funding overlaps.

Tips from the Grants Committee

Budgets Make sure your budget is connected to

your methodology. Make sure it is added correctly. Use recommended rates for student help

and travel. Provide details in the justification section.

Tips from the Grants Committee

Don’t discount the importance of the application just because it’s an internal grant. Sparse, sloppy applications make reviewers feel

like you don’t value their time and effort.

If something is important, put it in the application. Don’t leave the committee guessing – they’ll

always guess wrong!

Office of Research Services

www.wlu.ca/research www.wlu.ca/research/internalgrants

Information on eligibility, programs Application forms

www.wlu.ca/research/researchfinance Information on student stipends, travel

and research expenses