USE OF OMNI OR CRC ON LINE SYSTEMS IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THIS PARTICULAR CRC PROGRAM. READ BELOW FOR ONLY ACCEPTABLE PROCESS.

DATE: August 2008
TO: All FSU Faculty
RE: Funding Agency Travel Program (FAT) 2008-2009

Important Dates and Messages:

• Deadline to apply by Email !!!!! This program is on-going throughout the fiscal (aka academic) year, July 1-June 30. Requests for FAT funding will be accepted via email until available funding has been exhausted.
• Award notification (directly to the PI via email) will be made within 48 hours of receipt of the funding request.
• Award periods vary based on proposed request.
• These awards are not funded through OMNI Grants Module.

Introduction:

The Council on Research and Creativity (CRC) administers several grant programs to support the development of research and creative endeavors by FSU faculty members. These programs, made possible by FSU research-generated funding (aka sponsored research and development, or SRAD), have been established to promote faculty scholarship generally, but are also intended to assist and encourage faculty members in seeking additional or continued funding for their endeavors from external sources. These CRC grant funds can be used only to support research and creative activity.

The CRC announces the availability of up to $500 in travel money for FSU faculty who are just setting up a program of research or creative activity and who have yet to obtain external funding, so that they may meet with representatives of funding agencies or organizations.

Specifically, this program is designed not for conference attendance but for meetings with program directors or other agency representatives for the purpose of making face-to-face contact and developing a strategy for seeking external funding through proposal submissions to - or other funding requests of - that agency or organization.

This program does not have specific deadlines as it is on-going for this fiscal/academic year until the funds allocated for its implementation have been exhausted.

Eligibility:

The CRC will accept proposals for this program's funding, via email, from

• full-time FSU faculty members, or others, listed as eligible to submit proposals (see http://www.research.fsu.edu/contractsgrants/documents/InvestigatorEligibility.pdf)
• FSU faculty, or others eligible as above, who have not received external funding; and
• Visiting professors, whose only reason for being labeled ‘visiting’ is the expectation that they shortly will attain permanent residency status, are eligible to apply for this award.
• Only one FAT award will be granted to a PI during employment at FSU.
• Faculty, or others eligible as above, who have received awards from other CRC programs during this fiscal (academic) year remain eligible to receive funding from this FAT program.

General Comments Regarding This FAT Program:

• There will be an emphasis in the review of the travel request on the eventual acquisition of external funding.
• Generally speaking, these awards are NOT funded retroactively; extenuating circumstances must be explained and could be considered.
• Emails must be written in clear, concise language so that the reviewer, from any discipline, will be able to understand your plan; emails must address the points found under 'How to Submit…, under Proposal Text…' later in this announcement.
• Faculty who are just setting up a program of research or creative activity and/or who have yet to obtain external funding, so that they may meet with representatives of funding agencies or organizations, are encouraged to apply.
• Specifically, this program is designed NOT for conference attendance, but for meetings with program directors or other agency representatives for the purpose of making face-to-face contact and developing a strategy for seeking external funding through proposal submissions to - or other funding requests of - that agency or organization.
• Proposals for FAT funding will be received year-round, while funds are available.
• Proposal funding decisions generally will be made within 48 hours of receipt of the proposal.
• The PI will be notified by email.

Criteria:

• Clarity, coherence and scholarly merit of the proposed plan;
• Feasibility of the plan;
• Likelihood the product of the grant award will attract external funding as indicated by announcements or communications with funding agencies, etc.
• Priority will be given to applicants who do NOT already have established funding; and
• Likelihood that the plan will enhance FSU's capabilities for the conduct of research.

Proposal Preparation Instructions:
When submitting an email request for funding in this program, please adhere to all instructions as these make it possible to manage the review process.

How to Submit a FAT Funding Request via Email; Contents of Email:

A complete FAT email request will consist of the following points and will be sent to Jan Townsend at jtownsend@fsu.edu:

• Proposal Text.
  The Proposal Text will contain:
  
  1. Statement of the nature of the planned trip, including agency name, location and dates of the trip;
  2. Specific list of the contacts you expect to meet, agency or organization represented;
  3. Provide the tentative title for the external proposal you plan to submit to an agency or organization as a result of this travel;
  4. List the date you expect to submit the proposal or other funding request to an agency or organization for funding;
  5. Indicate a budget plan; how will these funds be used – airfare, hotel, taxis, subways, meals, etc. Remember that the maximum award will be $500.
  6. Statement indicating how your proposal will decisively or significantly enhance your research as outlined in the Criteria section above; and
• Attach a brief, two page Vita to the email.

Questions?

Contact: Jan Townsend, CRC Support, at 644-8636 or the email address jtownsend@fsu.edu