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Frequently Asked Questions
Updated 10/06/09
- Letter of Intent
- Eligible Investigators
- Eligible Projects
- Cover Page
- Lay Summary
- Narrative
- Budget
- Cost Share/Matching
- Current and Pending Support
- Curriculum Vitae
- Appendices
- Letters of Support
- Signatures
- Review Criteria
- Review Process
Q: Is the Letter of Intent used to eliminate applications?
A: No. The Letter of Intent is for administrative purposes and will be used to identify appropriate reviewers for your proposal.
Q: I missed the September 1 Letter of Intent deadline. Can I still submit an application?
A: Yes. However, a letter of intent is still required and should be submitted in advance of the October 15 deadline.
Q: Do all investigators on the project have to be within 8 years of their first tenure track appointment?
A: All principal investigators must be UIC researchers within 8 years of their first tenure track appointment as of the October 15, 2009 application deadline. A project must involve a minimum of two UIC principal investigators. This restriction does not apply to any other key personnel who might be on the project.
Q: Can non-tenure track UIC researchers be included on a seed grant proposal?
A: Yes. Non-tenure track UIC researchers can serve as key personnel, which could include the role of co-investigator.
Q: Can a senior level UIC faculty member (beyond 8 years of her/his first tenure track appointment) be included on a seed grant proposal?
A: Yes. Senior level researchers can serve as key personnel, which could include the role of co-investigator.
Q: Can I include a non-UIC principal investigator if she is within 8 years of her first tenure track appointment?
A: No. One of the intents of the program is to encourage new or nurture early stage collaborations among UIC researchers. Proposals should include a minimum of two UIC principal investigators. Non-UIC researchers can be included as key personnel.
Q: Can I serve as a PI on more than one proposal?
A: There is no prohibition against serving as a PI on more than one proposal.
Q: Can researchers who hold R01 awards serve as PI?
A: Yes.
Q: How different or distinct should the disciplines be in order for the proposal to be considered eligible?
A: It depends entirely on the proposal. Many disciplines, such as those which are interdisciplinary and applied, include elements from other scientific fields. However, they also have their own unique approaches and expertise. In order to be competitive the applicant must demonstrate how the collaboration will rely on these differences to allow something to happen that otherwise could not have occurred within the confines of the PI’s discipline alone.
Multidisciplinary research has been described as bringing together different disciplines to focus on a defined problem, but keeping the disciplines distinct. Distinct disciplinary perspectives represent significant sources of strength to the overall research enterprise because each discipline has its own intellectual history, experimental and analytic approaches, and theoretical context that produce a unique way of thinking about a problem. (Source, "Interdisciplinary Research Centers -." National Center for Research Resources - NCRR. 17 July 2009.)
Questions you might want to pose include:
- Do the PIs use similar concepts, methods and theoretical frameworks to considering the problem – or will they each bring some different or perhaps even unique approaches to the research question?
- How similar are the technologies to be used by the PIs?
A project that comes from only one college but represents two or more disciplines which do not have a strong tradition of working together could be viewed as more compelling than a proposal from three colleges with kindred disciplines and an established history of collaboration.
Q: Would this answer still apply if the researchers all come from one large department, such as Medicine?
A: One intention of the Chancellor’s Discovery Fund initiative is to help cultivate relationships between researchers who may not have previously considered working together and to encourage researchers to look beyond traditional departmental partnerships. In general, it will count against a proposal if the PIs are only from one department. However, if you can make a strong case that this partnership capitalizes on unique UIC strengths, that the PIs will bring different theoretical perspectives to the problem, and this collaboration could lead to an important extramural grant that could not otherwise have been possible it might still be considered for funding. The Campus Research Board will have some leeway to make their recommendation.
Q: My primary appointment is in Social Work and I have an adjunct appointment in Medicine. Can my fellow principal investigator come from Medicine?
A: Possibly. To be competitive, your application should clearly demonstrate how each PI brings a different disciplinary focus to bear upon the research question, one which her/his fellow PI generally does not share. Each PI should be in a position to learn about new approaches from her/his fellow PI(s).
Q: Could I receive an unprotected copy of the application forms? I want to add another line for my project title on the face page.
A: No. Applicants must use the provided forms to ensure that everyone has the same space to use. Please note that the face page was modified to accommodate an extra line for the title.
Q: What types of administrative plans and agreements should a PI consider highlighting as prerequisites for interdisciplinary collaboration?
A: The purpose of outlining key administrative plans and agreement is to demonstrate the PI will have access to resources - equipment, space, sites, material, research subjects, etc. - outside of his/her control but necessary for the conduct of the research. In some cases, it may help to attach a copy of a letter/email in the appendix confirming the arrangement. Examples might include:
- Use of equipment managed by the UIC Research Resources Center.
- Access to Chicago Park District facilities/special populations/subjects.
- Access to special reagents, materials, or equipment managed by another organization.
- Specific college or department resources pledged to the project.
Q: Should figures and tables be put on a separate attachment or embedded into the narrative? If I embed them into the narrative, I will exceed the six page limit.
A: Ideally, figures, tables, drawings, etc. should be integrated into the narrative so that they are reasonably near to the text which references them. The space used for figures, tables, etc. is not counted towards the six page narrative page limit. For example, a narrative might have a total of eight pages because the tables or figures take up the combined approximate equivalent of two extra pages – this would be acceptable.
Q: Is there a specific form for the narrative portion of the application?
A: No. The narrative can be single spaced, and must have a minimum of 12 point font and a minimum 3/4 inch margins all around.
Q: Are indirect costs an eligible expense?
A: No. This is an internal UIC program. Indirect costs are not applied in such cases. Indirect costs might only apply if your project includes a subcontract to another institution.
Q: Are graduate student salary, fringe benefit, and tuition remission costs eligible expenses?
A: Salary and fringe benefits are eligible expenses. Tuition remission is not an eligible expense.
Q: If I budget a graduate research assistant salary, must I include fringe benefits?
A: Yes.
Q: What constitutes an eligible type of departmental/college cost share? Is this strictly cash or can it be something else, such as in-kind contributions, space, etc?
A: In order to receive additional program matching funds, department/college cost share should be in the form of cash. Departments/colleges are encouraged to provide non-cash project support (e.g. dedicated space, etc.) but only cash cost share can be leveraged for additional program matching
funds.
Q: Do we need to have a pledge of department/college cost share in hand at the time of application to qualify for additional program matching funds or can our cost share be assessed if the grant is awarded?
A: Department/college cost share must be firmly committed at the time of application submission.
Q: Would we qualify for the additional $10K from the program if our respective colleges/department made a collective match of $30K?
A: Yes. Only $10,000 in cumulative cost share is required to receive the additional $10,000 program match.
Additional clarification of department/college cost share and program matching.
- No cost share is required to receive a base award of $30,000. The exception is if a budget includes equipment over $2,000. Equipment purchases over $2,000 must be cost shared 1:1 by department/college sources.
- An applicant can receive up to an additional $10,000 in grant funds if that $10,000 is cost shared in cash by the college or department. Whatever amount is cost shared will be matched 1:1 by the program - up to $10,000.
- The maximum Seed Grant Award with program matching is $40,000. $10,000 in department/college cost share would bring the total project to $50,000.
If your college/department cost shares $10,000:
$30,000 base award
$10,000 Department/College cost share
+ $10,000 additional 1:1 program match award
= $50,000 project.
If your college/department cost shares $5,000:
$30,000 base award
$5,000 Department/College cost share
+ $5,000 additional 1:1 program match award
= $40,000 project.
If your college/department cost shares $15,000:
$30,000 base award
$15,000 Department/College cost share
+ $10,000 additional 1:1 program match award ($10K max)
= $55,000 project.
9. Current and Pending Support
Q: Should I include all my proposal submissions on the funding history form?
A: No. Just include currently pending and those funded for the past five years.
Q: Is Current and Pending support information required for all key personnel or just Principal Investigators?
A: Current and Pending support information is required for Principal Investigators.
Q: If my current and pending support doesn’t fit on the form, can I use a second form and label it as a continuation?
A: Yes.
Q: Is the CV four page limit a combined total for all personnel or is it four pages per person?
A: CVs are limited to four pages per person and should be submitted for PIs, Co-Is, and key personnel.
Q: Is an NIH biosketch-type format allowed?
A: Yes.
Q: Are any attachments allowed?
A: Appendices should be limited to measurement instruments, surveys, letters outlining administrative plans and agreements relevant to carrying out the research, and letters of support.
Q: Is a college/department/unit letter of support required for each participating PI and Co-I?
A: No. Letters of support should only be provided if a department/college/unit is providing some type of resource (dedicated space, protected faculty time, cost share funds) necessary to conduct the project. The letter should outline the details of the commitment.
Q: Who must sign the signature page?
A: Signatures are required from:
- Anyone designated as a Principal Investigator. There will be will be a minimum of two Principal Investigators on a proposal.
- Co-investigators.
- Department heads for respective PIs and Co-I(s).
- Deans sign when:
- a Co-I is a Department Head.
- pledging cost share.
- Other key personnel do not sign the signature page.
Q: The Appropriateness criteria includes a statement that the “integration of component projects is important and should be described explicitly”. Could you clarify what is meant by component projects?
A: The integration of components would only apply if you and the fellow PIs were undertaking more than one discrete research project under the auspices of this award – given the award size, this will probably not be applicable to most applications.
Q: I’m not sure which boxes I should check for CRB review subcommittee. I am concerned that our proposal won’t fare well because the committees are not multidisciplinary.
A: The CRB Subcommittees will not be working in isolation. We expect that review teams will be formed which are comprised from the 5 CRB committees in order to review many proposals. Checking the boxes provides us with an administrative starting point. The CRB chairs will be assess the lay summaries and make final review assignments.
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