FAT Program: Request for Proposals

• The maximum award amount for the FAT program is $1,000.
• The award provides funding for travel to meet with funding agencies’ representatives or organizations that are likely to provide support for a project, in order to make face-to-face contact and develop a strategy for seeking external funding through proposal submissions to that agency or organization.
• This program does not support research-related travel such as visits to field sites, archives, professional conferences, or other presentation venues.  Funds cannot be used as a means to attend professional conferences or workshops to meet with collaborators, program managers, or present research/ creative works.  The sole purpose of this grant is to meet one-on-one with program managers and agency staff at their respective offices.
• A PI can receive a maximum of two FAT awards per academic year.
• Applications must be received at least 30 days before the travel date.

• Participation is open to all active, full-time FSU faculty who are eligible to apply for CRC funding.  
• 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.  Full-time, active status must be achieved by the award date in order to receive funding.
• Researchers who have received awards from other CRC programs during this academic year are eligible to receive funding from this program.
• Priority will be given to applicants who have not already received external funding.

• This program is ongoing throughout the academic year.  Requests for FAT funding will be accepted via Funding Agency Travel (FAT) Submission website until available funding has been exhausted.
• Award notification will usually be made within 3 weeks of receipt of the funding request.
• *NOTE FOR 2020/2021:  Travel restrictions due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic are currently in place.*

Before beginning your FAT proposal, you should already have a confirmed appointment with the program manager or organizational contact that you will be meeting.  It is strongly suggested that you contact FSU's Director of Federal Relations, Jonathan Nurse, when planning your visit to funding agencies or organizations headquartered in the Washington, DC, area.  Some agencies have specific policies regarding program manager meetings, and Jonathan will be able to assist you with scheduling those meetings, as well as with potentially making additional contacts at other funding agencies or organizations.

Using the FAT Submission Form, prepare a brief proposal that includes each of the following items:

1. The name of the agency or organization representatives with whom you plan to meet and their title/role within that agency or organization.  The location and proposed dates of the trip must also be included.
2. A brief description of the research program or creative activity for which you are seeking external funding, and an explanation of why you think the agency/organization is likely to support it.  Make sure that the description addresses each of the criteria listed in Section G below.  Please include hyperlinks to RFPs if available.
3. The date you expect to submit the external proposal or other funding request to an agency or organization as a result of this travel.
4. A detailed budget plan that describes how the requested funds will be used, such as airfare, hotel, taxis, mass transit, and meals.  Remember that the award is up to a maximum of $1,000 in travel funding.
5. If you have received prior FAT funding, you will need to identify external proposals submitted and/or external grants or fellowships awarded as a direct result of the previously-awarded FAT grant.

• Go to Funding Agency Travel (FAT) Submission website
• Complete all the sections and upload a 2-page CV.  The preferred CRC form can be found here, but you may use your own format as long as it contains the same information.
• All required fields throughout the proposal application are marked with an asterisk (*).
• Proposals with incomplete required fields will not be able to submit until all required fields are completed.
• Submissions will automatically enter a processing queue for review, and you will be notified by the CRC Program Manager via email when the reviewers have reached their decision.

Funding Agency Travel requests will be reviewed for the following:

• Clarity, coherence, and scholarly merit of the proposed plan.
• Feasibility of the plan.
• Likelihood that the proposal generated as a result of the FAT award will attract external funding as indicated by announcements or communications with funding agencies.
• Likelihood that the plan will enhance FSU's capabilities for the conduct of research.

Priority will be given to applicants who do not already have established funding.