Office for Research Advancement

Eligibility

Current Year Research Advancement Academy (RAA) Fellows are eligible for 2024 RAS funds. Fellows must be in good standing with the RAA program, which includes demonstration of progress toward RAA goals and engaged participation in academy sessions and processes. All Fellows must have communicated with and negotiated the terms of matching funds with college leadership, including the Associate Dean for Research in the college(s) of one’s faculty appointment and the unit head to which the applicant reports.

Seed Fund Amounts

Applicants are encouraged to ask for the amount they need (up to $50,000) to make significant progress toward their research leadership goals in one year. The information below is intended to help applicants estimate the appropriate amount for a seed fund request based on their planned work.

Team Building – up to $25K including matching funds

This Team Building category is intended for fellows seeking to build a transdisciplinary team, conduct front-end laboratory, analytical, or interpretive work, and/or engage with stakeholders and potential partners to better understand the problem space in which they are working from both academic and societal points of view. For this level of funding, proposals must identify a viable list of potential transdisciplinary team members including external non-academic partners and present a detailed plan for how the seed funds will be used to cultivate relationships and build a viable team (see priorities A, C and D above). Cultivating new partnerships with entities that serve or represent minoritized or underrepresented populations, and/or international partners is strongly encouraged.

Team Building may include: travel to connect with, or direct support for, stakeholders, rights holders, and partners; facilitated meetings to develop shared vision; collaborative development of a research agenda or white paper that better defines a critical societal or scientific challenge and/or identifies gaps in knowledge that would benefit from a transdisciplinary approach; activities related to securing future funding such as meeting with agency or foundation program officers and exploring new funding options.

Proposal Development – up to $50K including matching funds

Fellows who have already made considerable progress developing a core team and clarifying shared interests and plan to submit or make significant progress toward submitting at least one well-constructed proposal with a total budget > $1MIL per year within the award period should aim for proposal development funds.

Lower total budget proposal submissions may be appropriate depending on disciplines and external partners involved. Longer timelines also may be appropriate depending on available information and deadlines for the targeted solicitations, but these projects will need to make a well-justified request for extension toward the end of the award year.

The scope of work should result in evidence of a diverse and well-functioning team. This may include completion of products that demonstrate the viability of the team and that will strengthen the large proposal submission required in this track such as white papers, preliminary results, reports from partner or stakeholder workshops, research gap analyses, new tested methods, etc.

Team building may be incorporated early in the timeline of such a project. If a large-scale proposal is already secured or close to submission, seed funds can be used to improve and resubmit, and/or reconfigure the proposal for a different source of funds (if allowable), and/or to develop spin-off or scale-up proposals that add value to ongoing work and build the applicants leadership in the domain.

Important Dates  

• April 2024, Pitch Development Time Office Hours (by appointment)
• March 15, 2024 – InfoReady application portal open for submissions
• April 18, 2024, 5:00 p.m. – Written narrative plan, budget and budget justification, logic model due in InfoReady
• April 23, 2024, 5:00 p.m. – Pitch slides must be submitted in .ppt and .pdf form to research.development@oregonstate.edu and copy puja.agarwal@oregonstate.edu
• April 25, 2024, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., MU Horizon Room, Public Pitch Session, (applicants must be present to deliver a pitch presentation, plan to arrive 20 minutes early to prepare. Illness related accommodations will be made if necessary)
• May 15, 2024 – Awards announced
• July 1, 2024 – Seed fund project start date

Review Process

Reviewers will consider the full application package which includes the oral Pitch (see next section), a written narrative plan for seed funds (see following section), budget, and budget justification. The written portions of the application (narrative, budget, and budget justification) must be approved by the appropriate college leadership (generally an ADR and unit lead or direct supervisor) through InfoReady after submission. Applications will then be reviewed by ORA (Office of Research Advancement) to ensure the applicant is in good standing and application materials are complete and of high quality. Each remaining application will be reviewed by at least two members of the RAA Advisory Committee. Reviewers will be selected to minimize conflicts of interests and optimize capacity to provide actionable feedback to applicants. Reviewers will complete a rubric providing both quantitative scores and qualitative explanations and recommendations in the following categories.

• Clearly defined outcomes and deliverables. Does the applicant clearly describe the possible and intended short-term, mid-term and long-term impacts of success including how short-term success (during the RAS period July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025) will be measured and assessed?
• Compelling rationale and alignment with SP 5.0. Does the plan provide a compelling rationale and alignment with applicable priorities A-D above? Are the proposed processes likely to result in meaningful progress in a critical area that both advances transdisciplinary science and meets societal needs?
• Partnership engagement. Does the plan include appropriate development or cultivation of a transdisciplinary team matched to the scope of work and topic of research? Is the proposed process for including partners sound and equitable?
• Fellow development. Does the application demonstrate that the applicant is well-prepared to lead and be successful with the proposed investment? Is scope of work well-reasoned and situated within longer-term goals for developing research leadership?

Pitch Structure

Oral Presentation: Applicants will provide a 3-minute timed oral presentation to an audience of their faculty peers, graduate students and postgraduate trainees, program advisors, and university leadership. This presentation should focus on why the applicant wants to lead in the domain and provide a compelling narrative that describes the impacts possible with success over the next 5-10 years. It should answer the question how will the world (and specific populations/stakeholders) benefit. It should inform the audience about the partners and stakeholders who are, or will be, involved and why they are motivated to engage. Presentations should avoid all technical language or jargon.  

Optional additions:  Applicants may include a maximum of two power point slides (submitted as both .ppt and .pdf documents no later than April 23, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.). Slides are encouraged only if they add value and enhance understanding of the planned presentation. One slide is preferable to two. The most effective visuals include imagery of the place and/or people/animals/things connected to the impact your work can have. Visuals shall not be used to provide text, technical or graphical supplements to the information provided orally. Visuals should not use jargon and should not require disciplinary or technical context to interpret. Audio, video, or props may be used; however, applicants are required to provide all equipment and technical support needed to effectively use these.  Additional presentation time is not available to accommodate the use of additional technology. Committed collaborates may have a role in the oral presentation. Please consider possible and distracting logistical implications of including these options in a 3-minute presentation. 

The panel of reviewers will be seated in the front row, special guests from university leadership will also be invited to attend. Fellows will present in clusters of 4-5 with a few minutes for questions provided after each group. Additional time will be reserved for questions at the end of all the presentations.  A hosted reception will immediately follow the session (after 5:00 p.m.) to celebrate the Fellows as they complete the academy.  Applicants are encouraged invite collaborators, students, friends, and family to attend this event.  

Narrative Plan

The narrative plan and scope of work can be up to 3,000 words (about five pages) with up to two figures (concise tables, timelines, photos, graphics, etc.). Figures should have minimal text and should not be used to work around the word limit. Narratives should consider the rubric above and include the following.

1. A brief summary (this should be very similar to your planned oral presentation) that clearly and concisely articulates why progress in the domain is important and how success will advance transdisciplinary science and societal outcomes. Define a critical societal or scientific challenge that will be addressed and identify gaps in knowledge that would benefit from your proposed transdisciplinary approach. Include alignment with SP 5.0 in this section.
2. Description of the populations, stakeholders, rights holders, communities, and/or partners who stand to benefit from the solutions you are working toward and how representatives from those communities are, or will be, included in your work.
3. Describe the team (both individuals already committed or individuals/roles you will pursue during the RAS period) and what collaborative processes will ensure equity, inclusion and relevance across disciplines and interest groups. Note: team building proposals are not required to identify specific individuals or organizations, they may instead indicate the types of organizations/individuals who will be invited and what incentives and processes will be used to ensure thoughtful engagement.
4. Clearly describe the specific activities for which you are requesting support through RAS funds and, when those activities estimated to occur, and why are those activities critical to the outcomes proposed within the scope of one year.
5. Describe key tangible outcomes relevant to the disciplines and external partners/stakeholders involved and describe key metrics and a general timeline for deliverables of short-term success (within one year).
6. Characterize previous key research projects/programs and partnerships to indicate readiness for success with your proposed scope of work. Describe how your plan will leverage your previous work and development during the RAA to move your research towards transdisciplinary processes and outcomes.
7. Situate the scope of work within a longer-term trajectory. Describe your vision beyond the one-year scope of work on a time scale that makes sense for your specific project.

Supplemental Documents

• Required: Completed Budget Template

• Required: Completed Budget Justification (pre-award support personnel in your college are valuable partners in developing the budget and justification).

• Required: one-page logic model covering the award period describing the resources and assets that will be leveraged to support proposed activities and the outputs and outcomes that are expected as a result of those activities (additional instruction on logic models will be provided in RAA sessions).

• Strongly Encouraged: evidence of support and intended partnership from collaborators across disciplines and outside of OSU and academia. This simple google form allows collaborators to verify that they have reviewed your draft narrative; intend to collaborate as indicated; and the planned compensation and incentives are equitable without the burden of composing a letter of support.

Budget Guidance

Budgets will vary among projects and should reflect realistic costs that might be incurred implementing the scope of work described in the narrative plan.
Pre-submission consultation with your home college(s) and unit is required. College-based staff can support budget development and completion of the budget template. The completed budget template must be uploaded to the InfoReady platform for your application to be reviewed.

NOTE: applications without a completed budget that clearly defines the amount and source of match will not be considered for funding.

Allowable costs: Costs must represent new investments or allocations of effort and time to research development and cannot offset ongoing college or unit costs. Allowable costs include, but are not necessarily limited to: PI summer effort; academic-year effort if newly allocated for the purpose of this award; honoraria to external collaborators; travel; incentives and other costs for external partners; research support staff; materials, subscriptions, equipment use associated with producing preliminary results; and facilitation, travel, workshop costs, hosting, facilitation, etc.

Required costs: External consultants at Hanover Research will provide the following types of supports for fellows who receive seed funds. These required costs must be included in the Research Office portion of the budget as a flat rate as indicated below and in the budget template. Hanover will provide the following services to seed fund awardees:

• Prospecting – Assessing and producing a report on the best fit funding opportunities for a faculty project or a set of research interests
• Proposal Review or Revision – Providing detailed recommendations for improving a proposal or white paper draft.
• Proposal Management/Project Coordination – High level project management to ensure progress toward proposal milestones and coordination between key team members.

Costs for capital equipment, subawards, and indirect costs are not allowable in the project budget. The Budget Justification must clearly state how each cost will advance new efforts to develop a transdisciplinary team, generate viable products and early results, and produce and/or submit transdisciplinary proposals.

Match: All seed fund requests require matching funds from the home college(s) and/or unit(s). This is a 1:1 match. For a $50,000 in Total Project Cost, $25,000 in funds will come from the Research Office and $25,000 in funds or equivalent supports will come from the PI’s College or unit. Match may come from units other than the Fellow’s academic home (if appropriate) and may be split between units in cases of joint appointments and/or relevant collaborations.
College/unit-level match must provide access to resources that the PI did not previously have access to in support of transdisciplinary team and large proposal development. Match is intended to ensure partnership and reduce barriers to a large proposal submission.

• Existing PI/Senior Personnel academic-year research effort (salary and fringe) is not allowable as match.
• Course buyouts valued according to department policy may be included as match but are subject to unit approval and may not be accessible to all units.
• Other forms of match, such as access to facilities or graphic design services, may also be included. Please detail the basis for estimating the value of these costs in the Budget Justification.
• Other external grants secured by the PI or co-PIs are generally not allowable as match.

Budget Justification

The amounts for each budget line item requested must be documented and justified in the required Budget Justification. Please include the anticipated Hanover services and approximate planned timing of your requests as indicated in the Budget Justification sample.

InfoReady Submission and Approval Process

The RAS program will use the OSU submission platform called InfoReady. When submissions open, Fellows will receive a link to the application after submissions open on March 15, 2024. Fellows should
already have an account linked to their ONID details (if those details have recently changed you may need to open a new account). After the narrative plan is submitted (April 18) via InfoReady, Department/Unit heads and/or Associate Deans for Research will be asked to approve the proposed match via InfoReady, and they will receive an email with directions on the review and approval process.

 For budget questions or assistance with the InfoReady system, contact research.development@oregonstate.edu.

Important Contacts

• General questions should be directed to Julie Risien, Director of Transdisciplinary Research, Office for Research Advancement at Julie.Risien@oregonstate.edu.
• For questions interpreting budget guidelines prior to submission or assistance with the InfoReady system, contact research.development@oregonstate.edu.
• Projects planning to include Indigenous communities and/or Tribal governments should contact Chance White-Eyes, Director of Tribal Relations, Office of Institutional Diversity at Chance.White-Eyes@oregonstate.edu.
• Projects including non-U.S. partners should notify Julianna Betjemann, Global Affairs Associate, Office of Global Engagement at Julianna.Betjemann@oregonstate.edu.
• Projects including Oregon place-based communities or organizations should contact Marina Denny, Associate Vice Provost for Engagement to be connected with the relevant County Extension office(s), at Marina.Denny@oregonstate.edu.