Internal Research Support

Support for Faculty Development

Mercy University supports faculty development through a variety of funds, including School-based Travel Funds and Faculty Development Grants.

Important Information and Guidelines for Submitting a Faculty Development Grant Proposal

1. The Office of the Provost determines the amount of grant money available. The maximum award for an individual Faculty Development Grant is $3,000 (full-time) or $1,500 (adjunct) per grant period. The grant periods are Fall and Spring.  An individual grant applicant may submit more than one grant application per grant period, only if the initial grant has not exceeded $3,000 (full-time) or $1,500 (adjunct).
2. The Faculty Development Committee, at its discretion, may recommend to the Provost that a project be partially funded (that is, the funding awarded should be less than the grant proposal's requested amount).
3. Funding must be spent by the end of the grant period or will be returned to the general fund: 
   1. Fall awards: December 31st.
   2. Spring awards: June 10th
4. Grant awardees will be funded once in a 12 month period (e.g. Faculty funded in the fall cycle 2018 can be funded again in fall 2019 or Spring 2020, regardless of the academic or fiscal year)
5. The Faculty Development Committee recommends grants for approval. The Provost decides which grants will be awarded.   
6. Grant funds may be used for the following faculty development project items:   
   1. Fees related to faculty development activities.  
   2. Books, supplies and photocopying needed for the proposed project.  
   3. Travel costs specifically associated with faculty development research and/or project needs   
   4. Stipends for faculty time will be allocated up to 50% of the grant ceiling of $3000; that is, the maximum stipend awarded to faculty will be $1500 provided that the activities covered by the stipend are specifically outlined in the grant.   
   5. Stipends for adjunct faculty time will be allocated up to 50% of the grant ceiling of $1500; that is, the maximum stipend awarded to faculty will be $750 provided that the activities covered by the stipend are specifically outlined in the grant.  
   6. Personnel stipends for project needs (e.g. statistician, research assistants)
   7. Stipends for Mercy University employees are considered taxable income by the IRS and are paid through payroll.
7. Budget items must be detailed and applicants must provide a justification for each item listed in the project's budget 
   1. Budgets that do not clearly itemize expenses or do not add-up to the total requested will delay the review process and jeopardize approval of the project.
8. All applicants should submit an IRB application for their proposal, if warranted. If unclear that the proposal requires IRB approval, contact the IRB Chair (mcirb@mercy.edu). 
   1. IRB approval or IRB submission should take place before the review process.    
      • Delaying this process could jeopardize approval of the project
   2. The IRB response (email or letter) must be submitted with the Faculty Development Grant application or emailed to co-chairs (listed in the FDC website)
9. Grant funds may not be used for:    
   1. Course Development unless the course meets the project requirements stated in 2a, 2b, 2c    
   2. Release time, course reductions or payments equivalent to a course release 
      • Course release applications are a separate review process   
   3. Equipment purchases, however, if equipment is required for your project 
      • You should submit a capital funding request to the Dean of your School
      • If the department cannot  purchase the equipment, provide a letter from the Program Chair stating this cannot be purchased by the department    
   4. Software, however, if software is required for your project, provide the justification for the software.   
   5. Tuition and fees related to any advanced degree study   
   6. Fees related to your discipline (e.g licenses, membership dues)
   7. Costs related to publication   
   8. Travel for conference presentation (See the Dean of your school for funding)
   9. Travel for conference attendance unless specifically related to research or project need 
      • Must show in the application how attending the conference meets the needs of the project
10. Applications must be submitted to the Faculty Development Committee online.
11. Applications are accepted twice a year. 
    1. Spring awards: Applications must be received before November 15th
    2. Fall awards: Applications must be received before April 15th
    3. Applications received after these deadlines will not be reviewed 
       • Applicants should resubmit for the next award deadline (will need to revise project dates)
12. Requests for grants are competitive and are dependent on the availability of funding.
13. Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria: 
    1. The alignment of the project proposal with the Guidelines
    2. The potential of the project for contributing to the applicant’s professional development
    3. The potential of the project for contributing to the knowledge base of the applicant’s discipline or to the range of pedagogies appropriate for diverse student populations
    4. The relevance of the project to the Mercy University mission
    5. The clarity of the project proposal
    6. The feasibility of the project's budget 
       • Budget is itemized and expenses are explained and justified, if applicable
    7. Evidence that the project is well designed with clearly defined outcomes and can be implemented in the grant period specified
    8. The capacity of the applicant to complete the project, including evidence of the applicant's relevant experience and knowledge
    9. The applicant's plan for disseminating or institutionalizing the results of the project
14. Decisions about funding will be made during closed Faculty Development Committee meetings. 
    1. When appropriate, outside reviewers may be consulted before decisions are made.
    2. Committee members can submit applications but will recuse themselves from the deliberation process when their application is reviewed.    
15. The Faculty Development Committee, at its discretion, may request additional information or clarification from the applicant; however, the applicant should make every effort to provide detail and clarity prior to submitting the application.  
    1. If the Committee requires further clarification about the proposal, the applicant will be contacted to provide the additional information.
    2. Incomplete applications jeopardize approval for the grant period requested
    3. Only completed applications will be forwarded to the Provost for final review and approval.    
16. The committee's recommendations will be reported to the Provost for final review and approval. 
    1. The Provost’s Office will notify applicants of the final decision.
17. Successful grant recipients are required to submit present their project at the Faculty Recognition Ceremony with one year of funding.
18. Monies awarded must be spent within the specified grant period. Fall awards by December 31; Spring awarded by June 10.

With the assistance of the Faculty Development Committee, the Office of the Provost makes available a limited number of Faculty Development Grants to members of the Faculty (under current contract) to foster the development of research, scholarship, and service. Research and scholarship that follows the rigorous standards appropriate to the faculty’s respective disciplines are typically eligible for support. Successful applicants present a solid justification for the contribution of the proposed project to his or her professional development and to the Mercy University community at large.

In the past, Faculty Development Grant applications were accepted on a rolling basis from September through May.  This process has been revised and applications will only be reviewed twice a year.  Due to the need to allocate equal monies for each grant period, some applications may not be approved for the grant period requested.

The application deadlines are as follows:

*If you intend to work on your project in the summer semester or in the fall semester, applications must be received before April 15th.

**If you intend to work on your project in the spring semester, applications must be received before

November 15th.

Faculty Development Grant Application

Faculty Development Grants are available to full-time and adjunct faculty personnel.

Full-time faculty may request a maximum of $3,000 and part-time faculty may request a maximum of $1,500.

Faculty Development Grants will be awarded in two grants cycles: fall (July 1 - December 31) or spring (January 1 - June 30).

The application deadlines are as follows:

*If you intend to work on your project during the fall cycle, applications must be received before April 15th.

**If you intend to work on your project during the spring cycle, applications must be received before November 15th.

Applications received after the posted deadlines, will not be reviewed. Applicants should resubmit their application for the next cycle.

IRB:

Applicants will require IRB approval if their project involves any of the following:

(1) Research that involves human subjects (i.e. interviews, surveys, focus groups, etc.)

(2) Research that involves animal subjects

(3) Secondary analysis of a data set. Projects that use an existing data set, which includes identifiable data may require IRB review.
Though such projects do not involve interactions or interventions with humans, they may still require IRB review, since the definition of "human subject" at 45 CFR 46.102(f) includes living individuals about whom an investigator obtains identifiable private information for research purposes.

We encourage applicants to discuss their proposal with the IRB (irb@mercy.edu) to determine if IRB approval is required. If you require IRB approval and your project has been approved, please email the letter to the FDC co-chairs or to research@mercy.edu who will pass it along to the FDC.

BUDGET:

STIPENDS - There are two types of stipends: Faculty and Personnel

• Faculty Stipend: $1,500 is the maximum stipend per full-time applicant and $750 per part-time applicant is allowed.  Please note that stipends are part of your total award and stipends are taxable income.  Payment of your stipend will require submission of a Time and Effort Report and a payment request voucher.  Please contact research@mercy.edu.
• Personnel Stipends (not for faculty): Stipends for research assistants, statisticians, and other staff. Describe staff activities, amount of work hours, and hourly rate (e.g. $15 per/hr x 10hrs = $150). Example: statistician 10 hours @ $15/hr = $150.  Payment of personnel stipends will require submission of an invoice or Time and Effort Report and a payment request voucher or authorization form.  Please contact research@mercy.edu.

MATERIALS or Miscellaneous Costs:
Itemize cost of books, supplies, and materials needed for the study
a) Books
b) Supplies
c) Materials
d) Fees (e.g. entrance cost to archives)
e) External photocopying services
f) Software, if applicable (must contact IT regarding the purchase of any software not currently available at the University)
g) Computer Hardware, if applicable (must contact IT regarding the purchase of any computer hardware not currently available at the University)

h) Other Hardware, if applicable (if equipment cannot be purchase by your department, please submit a notification from your Academic Unit Head)

TRAVEL (Travel is only allowed if it is relevant to your research or project. For travel to present papers or to attend conferences that are not part of a larger research proposal, use the Faculty Travel Fund. For more information about the Faculty Travel Fund, please contact your School Dean's office.)
 

ITEMIZE all travel expenses
a) Travel mode expenses (e.g. airfare, car mileage)
b) Lodging costs (include rate and # days)
c) Food (http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104877)

Payment and Reimbursement

All requests for payment or reimbursement must be submitted to research@mercy.edu at Tarrytown Offices, Suite 104 within the following timeline:

• Fall Cycle - December 15
• Spring Cycle - June 10

Requests not submitted by these deadlines will not be processed.

Reimbursement Forms (please attach original documentation to reimbursement forms, including original itemized receipts, boarding passes, etc.)

Travel Reimbursement Form 

Intercampus Mileage Reimb Table

Payment Request Vouchers and Time & Effort Reports must be completed for faculty and personnel stipend requests.

For questions regarding payment and reimbursement contact research@mercy.edu.

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