Call For Proposals
Vermont Space Grant and Vermont's NASA EPSCoR Program
2010 Faculty Research Competition
Proposal Deadline: March 29, 2010
BACKGROUND: Key goals of the Vermont Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) and Vermont's NASA EPSCoR Program are to build research infrastructure and help Vermont's academic faculty establish ties to NASA and become nationally competitive for external research funding. To support these goals, subject to continued NASA funding the VSGC and VT-NASA EPSCoR will hold a competition to award Travel Grants to visit NASA, seed-money Research Minigrants, and Small-Scale Research Grants again this year. Proposed academic research projects must be aligned with new or continuing NASA research priorities and should have the potential to link Vermont faculty to NASA colleagues at Field Centers and/or Mission Directorates.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE: Eligible principal investigators are those persons who are full-time faculty members at any of Vermont's higher educational institutions. Preference will be given to tenure-track faculty. The principal investigator and all other personnel to be supported by this funding must be U.S. citizens.
AREAS OF INTEREST AND NASA LINKS: Proposed research projects must be in an area that is aligned with a new or continuing NASA research priority or technology need, and the proposal narrative must make an explicit connection with NASA. The proposal should also detail plans for establishing or strengthening links with NASA researchers. If contact has been established with colleagues at a NASA Center or Mission Directorate, a letter or email of support for the project from a NASA contact will significantly strenghten the case for funding. For Small-Scale Grants, a significant degree of NASA contact is expected and should be detailed in the proposal package.
TYPES OF GRANTS: Funds may be requested for a Research Minigrants of up to $5,000 to provide seed money to explore a project in an area aligned with a new or continuing NASA research priority. A smaller Research Minigrant may also be used as a Travel Grant to allow an investigator to visit a NASA Center to meet potential NASA collaborators and explore common interests. For a more well-established project, Small-Scale Grants of up to $25,000 are also available. Small-Scale Grants may include funding for project components such as summer support of faculty, graduate student research support, project operating funds, the purchase of specialized equipment directly related to the research project, and other appropriate research expenses. Small-Scale Grants will usually include travel funds to visit a NASA Center. Because of restrictions in NASA funding for the VSGC and VT-NASA EPSCoR, funding awarded in this competition cannot be used to purchase general-purpose equipment such as computers and cannot be used for foreign travel.
REVIEW CRITERIA: Projects chosen for awards will be in research areas that align with new or continuing NASA research priorities and technology needs, should lead to the development of long-term research capabilities, will have a high potential to become nationally competitive for follow-on funding, and will also be aligned with state technological, economic, and educational goals. Successful proposals will have a clearly described plan to establish or strengthen links with potential NASA collaborators, and the proposal budget will include matching funds to demonstrate the commitment of the principal investigator’s department or school to the proposed project. Faculty researchers requesting funding in this local competition to initiate or develop projects for possible submission to the National 2011 NASA EPSCoR Research Team Competition should note this intention in the proposal narrative.
BUDGET AND MATCHING FUNDS: A detailed budget request should be part of the proposal. All budget items should be fully explained. The budget request should contain only direct costs. Indirect costs (IDC, overhead, F&A) are not allowed. Matching funds are required for proposals to be eligible for this competition. Central funds available to to match NASA dollars are very limited. Therefore, potential principal investigators should be proactive in seeking as much cost-sharing for their research projects as possible. Funding requested from the VSGC and VT-NASA EPSCoR must be matched at least 1:1 by local non-Federal funding. Matching funds can include in-kind cost-sharing such as donated time during the academic year. All cost-sharing must be documented by signed letters of commitment from the source of the match. Funding may be requested to buy specialized equipment required by the project.
PROPOSAL FORMAT AND DEADLINE: Potential participants should submit 5 copies of an application packet (including a project description of no more than 5 pages, a detailed budget request, short CV's for and information on project participants, letters of commitment on cost-sharing, etc.) to the VSGC office (Mailing address: c/o Vermont Space Grant, Votey Building, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405-0156) no later than 4:00 PM, March 29, 2010. An electronic version of the proposal’s project description and detailed budget request (Word or PDF format) should also be sent to Prof. William D. Lakin, Director of the VSGC and Vermont's NASA EPSCoR Program, at wlakin@together.net by this deadline. Proposals will be peer reviewed by a panel of experts, and awards will be announced in May, 2010. Funding for successful projects will normally start on September 1, 2010, although this start date is contingent on the timely receipt of NASA funding.
Please contact Prof. Lakin by email (wlakin@together.net) or phone (802 324-8206) if you have any questions.