Faculty and Staff

Idea Grants

DESCRIPTION

Small grants are available to encourage the investigation of innovative ideas by new or junior faculty and staff members of the Institute of Agriculture.

PURPOSES

To stimulate the development of new ideas related to research, teaching, or extension.

To enable new scientists to assess the feasibility of such ideas.

To provide seed grants for pilot projects based on innovative ideas.

To help junior scientists gain experience, improve their competence, and establish track records that will increase their ability to obtain major outside grants.


ELIGIBILITY

Faculty and staff members who have been full-time employees of The University of Tennessee for five calendar years or less.

GUIDELINES

Grants are made for periods of not more than one calendar year.

Only in exceptional circumstances will funds for a project be renewed or extended beyond one year.

Because funds for this program are limited, grants will be awarded up to $3,000.


CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

In selecting those projects to be funded, particular attention will be paid to their imaginative and innovative character. Proposals will be favored which show promise of leading to expanded projects or programs supported by funds from other sources. However, the quality of a project’s contribution to the professional development of the faculty or staff member also will be an important consideration. This small-grants program is not intended simply to supplement funds available to programs or projects already under way. The main thrust is to encourage and support new, imaginative ideas.

METHOD OF SELECTION

A small panel of senior faculty and staff members representing all units of the Institute will be asked to review applications and make recommendations as to which proposals would be funded, in what order or priority, and at what levels of funding. Final decisions will be made by the Vice President after consultation with the appropriate deans.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Proposals must be submitted before January 15 each year.
Each proposal must bear the signatures of the principal investigator (PI) and the PI’s department head, leader, or supervisor.

Proposals should be typewritten, double-spaced, and should include a detailed budget.

The narrative of the proposals should be concise, in most cases three pages or less, but should include an outline of the protocol and a statement as to what the PI expects to learn.

Include, with proposals, an abbreviated, two page, curriculum vitae.

Submit by January 15 to: Jim Godkin, 105 McCord Hall, Department of Animal Science. Electronic submissions: jgodkin@utk.edu.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE GRANT

Each proposal approved for a grant will be assigned a number for an account against which authorized expenditures may be charged.

Expenditures from these accounts will be processed in the same way as from other University accounts.

This program will be financed with undesignated private gift funds, therefore:
a. All expenditures must be approved by the Vice President.
b. Any unencumbered balance remaining in an account at the end of the grant period shall be returned to the general fund.

REPORTING

Within a month following the end of the grant period, the grantor will submit to the Chairman of the Idea Grant committee a final report of achievements under the grant (not more than five pages).

Requests for change in the provisions of the grant may be addressed to Chairman of the Idea Grant Committee through the grantee’s department head, leader, or supervisor.