PLEASE READ THESE APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU BEGIN.

Enclosed is an application form for the Collaborative Planning and Development Awards (CPDA).  The primary purpose of a CPDA is to provide seed money for activities that will lead to a proposal for extramural funding for a center or program project award.  These funds may be used for costs associated with the development of thematic research collaborations and partnerships.  Support for individual investigator or single multi-investigator projects will not be considered.   These awards are intended to support projects that lead to increased capacity and infrastructure in areas identified as having high priority or high potential for growth.

Applications will only be accepted from full-time faculty and staff of the University of Louisville.  Adjunct and part-time faculty, graduate students, and post-doctorates are not eligible.  Funding may be used for costs associated with participation of individuals outside the University of Louisville, only in as much as is necessary to support their role in the developing partnership.  Such support should be carefully outlined in the budget justification.

All applications should be carefully prepared and neatly typed. 

The CPDA cover page, and all of the information requested there, is required for all applications.

Since the CPDA is not intended to support individual projects, extensive description of the research involved is unnecessary.  The individual research interest statements on the biographical sketch should be brief descriptions of the research and the anticipated outcomes; the explanation should allow the reviewer to understand how the success of this project will impact the success of the overall program.

The program statement must show how the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.  How is the combination of these unique research efforts going to allow a thematic center to grow and develop?  What advantages are inherent in the combinations of researchers that individual expertise will not address adequately?  How does one project complement another and provide added value to the central question?

The statement of limitation should challenge the group to look critically at the center as a whole and try to identify those areas that need to be strengthened in order to make the program more successful in an extramural grant competition.  The request for funding from the CPDA program should address how these weaknesses will be addressed during the planning period.

An advisory committee should be established to help develop the center proposal.  Support for honoraria for the members of this committee can be requested as part of the funding. Please identify the individuals chosen as advisors/consultants and outline their roles in the project.  Letters from targeted advisors documenting their agreement to participate should be included.

The CPDA will support the reasonable costs of developing a program project or center proposal.  While individual research projects under the proposed program will not be supported, some portion of the money necessary to establish pilot work for joint research may be included in the request.

At the end of the Planning Grants, a progress report outlining the status of the collaborative group should be submitted.  A subsequent year of funding may be requested in the form of a Developmental Award providing sufficient progress has been made that will allow for an extramural funding proposal to be developed within one year.

At the end of the Developmental Award, grantees should be prepared to submit an application for extramural support of the proposed program.  If such an application is not imminent, the program director must provide written report outlining the planning process that took place and what obstacles remain to prevent a competitive program project/center proposal from being submitted.  This progress report is required and will be evaluated at the time of any subsequent request for funding from the Office of the Vice President for Research. 

NOTE: Proposals will not be evaluated unless final reports of previous grants from the VPR’s office have been filed.  Questions about previous report status can be addressed to Craig Schroeder.

If an application is received by the first day of the month, review will be scheduled at the next convened meeting of the Research Advisory Council.   Applicants must submit the original + eighteen (18) copies of the complete application package.  Complete applications must be endorsed by each participant’s chairperson and accompanied by statements from each Dean represented.  Applications that do not include statements from participating deans will be returned without review. 

While there is not specific format for letters from the deans, there are certain issues that need to be addressed to indicate that there is institutional support for the success of this proposal.  If the program involves faculty from multiple units, Dean’s can write a joint letter over combined signatures or can individually address the issues of unit support for the program.

The Dean’s letters should address how the proposed program will further the stated research priorities of their units.  They should also indicate plans for future development of the programs/centers including any commitments or investments that will be made that will further the development of this area of research.  Consider things such as increased number of faculty lines, space, core facilities, graduate program expansion and student or postdoctoral assignments.

Proposals for the CPDA should be submitted to the Office of Vice President for Research, Room 100, Jouett Hall.  Questions can be addressed to Kim Lalley, Director of Sponsored Programs by email or by calling ext. 6512.