Faculty Scholarly/Creative Activity Grant

Full-time JSU faculty members may apply for a Faculty Scholarly/Creative Activity Grant as a source of funding for a research or creative project.  The following timeline identifies important dates in the proposal process and requires a progress report for those awarded funding.  Carefully consider the following timeline for submission, award, expenditure of funding, and reporting of project progress.  Guidelines for the proposal format require summary information, and proposal details.  If there is any request or expectation in the grant for departmental or college support (e.g., new space allocation, financial support, etc.), then an email documenting approval from department head/dean is required.  Questions about this process should be addressed to the Faculty Honors and Grants Committee Chairs. This process is now managed by the Office of Sponsored Programs, 381 Merrill Hall. 

Faculty Scholarly/Creative Activity Grant Timeline

  • January – Call for Faculty Scholarly/Creative Activity Grant proposals
  • March 31st – Faculty Scholarly/Creative Activity Grant proposals due
  • May/June – Faculty notified of funding decision
  • October 1 (current calendar year) to August 31 (next calendar year) – All funds awarded must be expended.  Budget managers should plan for purchases that will need to be made during this time and obtain purchase orders prior to August 31

March 1 (next calendar year after funds awarded) – Progress report due from Faculty Scholarly/Creative Activity Grant recipients 

Guidelines for Faculty Scholarly/Creative Activity Grant Proposal Format

Please read all guidelines before submitting your proposal. Failure to follow guidelines may result in proposal rejection.

Applicants will submit their proposal through the online Faculty Scholarly/Creative Activity Grant Proposal Form. The following guidelines reflect the minimum requirements that applications must meet in order to be reviewed by the Faculty Honors and Grants Committee. All required fields (marked in the online form by an asterisk) must be completed.

  1. Summary Information
    • Proposal Submission
      Proposals will be considered for original scholarly/creative activities.  Funds are limited and projects that are feasible with partial funding will be considered.  This fund is to support faculty scholarly and creative activities writ large.  For example, the types of grants that have been given in the past include funding for an art exhibition or residency, travel to visit museums/archives for research purposes, lab equipment/supplies, money for student research assistants, and specialized software or computer hardware
    • Researcher Information
      Detailed information must be provided for each researcher, to include contact information for the principal researcher.  A curriculum vitae must be attached for each researcher.  Up to three additional researchers may be added to the proposal.  Be sure to describe each person’s qualifications and role in the project.
    • Application Limits, Training, and Grant Conditions
      There are no limits on the number of applications one can submit year-over-year.  However, to receive funding for a third year on the same project, the applicant must show significant progress over the previous two funding periods.  Successful applicants will undergo budget manager training before they can use grant funds.  Successful applicants may also be required to present their research at a Faculty Research Symposium or Faculty Commons event.  Note that although there is no set limit on the amount requested, yearly awards typically are capped between $3,000 and $3,500, depending on the number of submissions and budget for a given year.  Note also that this grant does not cover professional development opportunities or travel to conferences (only travel to conduct research/collect data and/or arts residencies are included); we request that you seek money from your college or department for professional development opportunities and travel.
  2. Proposal Details
    • Project Summary
      Faculty are asked to describe the details of the project including the rationale for why the funds are being requested.
      • What is the project about?  Provide a clear and concise description of your project, including its goals and objectives.  (Limit the use of technical terminology in stating objectives and benefits to facilitate better understanding of the proposal by diverse committee members.)
      • Why is this project important?  Explain the significance of your project within your discipline and how it impacts your career development at JSU.  This may also include ties to JSU’s mission statement or strategic plan.
      • What need does this project address?  Identify the specific problem or gap your project aims to fill or hypotheses your project aims to test.  Discuss the timeliness and relevance of your project.
      • How will you carry out the project?  Outline the methods, strategies, and activities you will use to achieve your project goals.
      • What are the key milestones and timeline?  Provide a detailed timeline with major milestones and deliverables to show that the grant funding requested can be used within the project timeline outlined on this page.
      • If this is a research proposal, are human subjects being used?  If yes, then you must include documentation of approval for research from the Institutional Review Board before any grant money can be awarded.
      • If this is a research proposal, are animal subjects being used?  If yes, then you must include documentation of approval for research from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee before any grant money can be awarded.
      • How will you evaluate the project’s success?  Describe the evaluation methods and metrics you will use to assess the project’s outcomes (e.g., number of participants at an exhibition, presentation of the project at a professional conference, publication in a journal, etc.).
    • Detailed Line Item Budget
      Each proposal must include a detailed line item budget using the Faculty Research Grant Budget Form.Requests should not be inflated and should minimize expenditures whenever possible.  The Faculty Honors and Grants Committee reserves the right to modify line items in a budget request.  If the faculty member is partnering with another academic institution, agency, etc., the amount of funding from that participating body must be indicated.  Any changes made in the budget during the grant period that exceed $200 in any one category or object code must be approved by the Chair of the Faculty Honors and Grants Committee.
      • If a line item exceeds $500, please provide justification and specify the impact that the purchase of the item may have on future scholarly/creative activities for the faculty member and colleagues.
      • All funds must be expended within the 12-month period beginning October 1 of this year and ending August 31 of next year.  Note that expenditures made before or after this time period do not qualify for reimbursement.  
  3. College/Departmental Support
    • Resource Support
      If there is any request or expectation in the grant for departmental or college resource support (e.g., new space allocation, additional financial support, etc.), then an email documenting approval from department head/dean is required.
    • Submission Approval
      Grant proposals must be approved by the department head of submitting faculty members. It is the responsibility of faculty members to discuss with the department head and receive consent for proposal submission before filling out the Faculty Scholarly/Creative Activities Grant Proposal form.

Human Subjects Review
For proposals where humans or live animals are to be used in the research, National Science Foundation and U.S. Government standards for humane treatment must be followed, as well as requirements set forth in the University's Policies and Procedures Manual. If using human subjects, funding of the research is contingent upon approval of the University Board for Human Subjects Review (IRB). Documentation of approval by the University Board for Human Subjects Review is required before final approval can be granted.

Faculty Scholarly/Creative Activity Grant Progress Report 

A vital objective of this Committee is that awards result in successful outcomes.  Therefore, if you received a Faculty Scholarly/Creative Activity Grant from this Committee in the prior year, you must submit a Faculty Scholarly/Creative Activity Grant Progress Report. 

The faculty member must provide a brief description of the project's results and evidence of accomplishments resulting from the sponsored project. The report is due by March 1 of the next calendar year after funding was received.

The faculty member must provide a brief description of the project's results and evidence of accomplishments resulting from the sponsored project. The report is due by March 1 of the next calendar year after funding was received.

The faculty member must provide a brief description of the project's results and evidence of accomplishments resulting from the sponsored project.  The report is due by March 1 of the next calendar year after funding was received.  

  • The faculty member must provide a brief description of the project's results and evidence of accomplishments resulting from the sponsored project.  The report is due by March 1 of the next calendar year after funding was received.  
  • Name
  • Brief description of the status of the project (progression of project, preliminary findings/outcomes, etc.)
  • Explanation of how funding was used to support the project
  • Evidence of the project’s success (e.g., number of participants at an exhibition, presentation of the project at a professional conference, publication in a journal, etc.).

Forms