If your are applying for an NEH, Guggenheim, or ACLS fellowship, be sure to talk with the Associate Dean (Susan Cook; 2-1044) in advance of the Fall Competition deadline.
Who should I call if I have questions about my application?
General questions: Rebecca Patterson (2-8387) or Steve Schwoegler (2-8386)
Computer or web related questions: Calvin Chan (5-9772)
Questions specifically on content of application: Susan Cook (2-1044)
Where does the money come from for the Research Committee Fall Competition?
The Research Competition is funded largely by a gift from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). Since its founding in 1925, WARF has served the UW-Madison scientific community by patenting research discoveries at the UW-Madison and licensing such technologies to leading companies in Wisconsin, the U.S., and worldwide. WARF distributes the income from these commercial licenses in an appropriate manner between the UW-Madison Graduate School, the inventors, and their departments (http://www.wisc.edu/warf/). The Research Committee Fall Competition is one means by which the Graduate School distributes its gift to faculty and permanent PI’s on campus. Some state funds are also used in the Fall Competition.
What are the components of an application?
The application process begins with an online application form, including short abstract, budget, project description, and other information. After the application deadline, your file will be assigned to a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Committee, who will contact you or your department secretary about setting up an appointment for an interview. At that time, he or she will also request a copy of your cv, either in printed or electronic format. At the interview, your interviewer will ask you follow-up questions to the written application and cv, and try to learn as much as possible about your research project and your qualifications as well as the results of projects previously funded by the Research Committee. In the case of junior faculty, the interviewer also speaks with the department chair. At a Research Committee meeting, the interviewer then presents your proposal, and answers questions from other committee members. He or she acts as your representative, and you should be sure that he or she understands your project as well as possible. Decisions for funding are made by the committee as a whole. You will be informed of the results of the competition by the middle of December.
What is an average award in the Fall Competition?
Awards vary greatly. For the 2007-2008 competition, the average award was $23,000 which included amounts for fringe benefits and tuition remission. The Committee usually funds some requests at the full amount, and some at partial amounts. Multidisciplinary team awards will usually follow this pattern, multiplied by the number of team members. In the Arts and Humanities, applicants often ask for summer salary, for a project assistant, for an hourly worker, and/or for flexible funds for research travel, supplies, etc. It is possible to ask for a semester research leave, if your eligibility allows. Note that a semester leave is an award substantially above the average, and is usually granted as supplementation or insurance to an external grant. Be sure to talk with your interviewer about your budget priorities.
What is a PA? RA? Hourly Worker?
The committee strongly encourages you to consider ways in which a graduate student assistant might contribute to your project. Our resources go further when they both fund a graduate student and support faculty research. A project assistant (PA) can be requested to help on aspects of the project that require graduate-level training. They are usually 33.3% or 50% appointments, for one semester or two. Summer assistantships are also possible. A research assistant (RA) is expected to do research for the project that also feeds into his or her dissertation work. An hourly worker need not be at the graduate level. Be sure to indicate clearly on the application how the student will contribute to the project. What is a multidisciplinary project?
In the spirit of the Cluster Hire initiative, the Graduate School supports applications from teams of researchers, representing at least two fields. You are eligible to file a multidisciplinary proposal as well as an individual proposal. If you are uncertain if your project qualifies as a multidisciplinary proposal, contact your Associate Dean in the Graduate School (2-1044).
What is considered “research” for the purposes of this competition?
In general, you will be submitting proposals for the type of activity for which you were hired, or into which your activities have turned through your tenure at UW. In the Arts, this might mean creating original works of art, developing violin repertory, or writing on the theory of set design. In the Humanities, it is more likely to be scholarship – the research and/or writing of an article or a book chapter. Note that since WARF explicitly supports the research mission of the University, rather than instruction, applications must be for research, and not classroom projects. In general, there is a tremendous amount of variety to the research on campus. If you have questions about the appropriateness of your project, please contact your Associate Dean at the Graduate School (2-1044).
Is the writing of textbooks included in “research”? What about translating? Editing?
Many different types of projects are funded through the Research Competition. In general, the Committee gives preference to original scholarship/research/creative activity, but takes into consideration the type of research products that are appropriate for your field and/or the field of the proposed project.
What if I want to branch out from my regular research, and propose a project in a completely new area?
The Research Committee encourages new research areas. You must, however, indicate your qualifications to enter the new area.
At what stage of my project should I enter the competition?
Projects are funded at many different stages. If you are uncertain about the suitability of your project, contact the Associate Dean of your division. Note that, in general, the Research Committee is not able to fund the identical project over a series of years.
How important is it that I have sought/am seeking external funding for this project?
The Research Committee supports only a small portion of research activity on campus. It is important that you investigate other sources of funding, although the Committee understands that funding is more readily available in some areas than in others. Be knowledgeable about what is available, and be prepared to speak with your interviewer about this question. If you have/are preparing to apply for external funding, investigate in advance the average levels and tenure of award. If you are applying to the NEH, ACLS, or Guggenheim, contact your Associate Dean before submitting your application.
Can I apply for insurance against an outside grant?
Most definitely. Indicate on the application that you are applying for a specfic award or awards, and explain that you are requesting a Research Committee award in case the external funding does not come through. If you receive Research Committee funding as insurance and receive the extramural award, the Research Committee award will not be activated. If your extramural efforts are unsuccessful, you must provide formal proof of that to the Graduate School in order to activate your Research Committee award.
Can I apply for salary supplementation for a major outside award.
Most definitely. Be sure to talk with your Associate Dean in advance of the application, to consider various options. Letters & Science and School of Education faculty should note that, through a partnership between the School/College and the Graduate School, supplementation will be guaranteed within our specific guidelines in advance for winners of NEH, Guggenheim, and ACLS fellowships. It is our hope that faculty can accept prestigious outside fellowship awards without a substantial income reduction, but we cannot guarantee that faculty salaries can be supplemented to their full levels. Contact the Graduate School for more information on the supplementation program.
What are my chances of winning my full request?
The Research Committee can only fund a portion of requests. This means that only some applicants will receive funds, either in whole or in part. You should request the full amount that you need to accomplish your project, however, and the Committee will decide how to allocate its funds.
What does it mean that funds are “prejudicial”? What is "eligibility"?
According to current policy, faculty members and permanent PIs on a 9-month pay cycle are eligible for a maximum four months of salary (4.5 months, if taken as a semester rather than summer funding) every three years. (If you are on a 12-month appointment, speak with Steve Schwoegler or Rebecca Patterson for clarification of your eligibility.) Departments sometimes refer to start-up or retention funds that count toward this maximum as “prejudicial.” Your eligibility rolls over each year, so you should count your awards over the past two years to calculate your eligibility. Only salary is considered in eligibility totals.
Do I need to be in residence for my award?
If your research takes you elsewhere, this is fully appropriate. Remember, however, that Research Committee salary support is an investment in University tenured or tenure-track faculty and Permanent PI development. It is available only for persons who will be UW-Madison staff members in residence on the Madison campus in the semester following that support.
If I intend to leave UW-Madison for another job beginning in a fall semester, can I still accept a Research Committee summer salary award for the prior summer?
No. If you receive a summer funding award from the Research Committee you may activate those summer funds only if you will be in residence at the UW-Madison the following fall. Research Committee funds are limited and only support a small portion of research activity on campus. What support is provided is done so as an investment in both the future of individual faculty and the University as a whole.
Can I enter the competition if I have a previous Graduate School award that I have not yet expended (start-up, retention, Romnes/Kellett Mid-Career/Named Prof)?
Unless specifically designated as counting against your eligibility, awards are not prejudicial. To be sure, check your offer letter or award memo. Because Research Committee funds are limited, however, our assumption is that you will make use of the funds currently available to you; they are not intended to serve as insurance against another Research Committee award. Start-up funds for summer salary, in particular, should be expended before requesting new summer salary. However, if you are saving those funds for a clear project that will take place in the near future, state your intentions to your interviewer, and explain how your application fits into or differs from that future project.
I heard that preference is given to junior faculty. Is it worth my while to submit an application if I am already tenured?
The Research Committee recognizes that tenured faculty have important funding needs, and does its best to fund continuing, as well as new faculty. If you have an appropriate project, you are encouraged to submit an application to the Fall Competiton. In addition, the Research Committee is also responsible for the Romnes/Kellett Mid-Career/Name Professor awards, as well as for Vilas Associate awards when appropriate. All of these specifically reward tenured professors for their research activity. The chair of your department receives notice of these competitions.
The application asks for “Extramural and Intramural Support.” What should I put in this section?
Your interviewee will have information about your previous Research Committee awards, including Fall Competition, Start-up, Retention, and others. The committee will also want to know about your other current sources of funding, including other UW and departmental chairs and funds, and your interviewer will ask about your plans for their expenditure. The application asks for active, pending, and “to be submitted” awards. If you are planning to submit an application to a funding source during the up-coming year, you should list this as well. If you forget to include an item, be prepared to let your interviewer know at your interview.
The application asks how I have used recent Research Committee awards. What should I put in this section?
The Committee will want to know how you have benefited from previous awards, and whether you accomplished what you intended in your previous application. If your project turned out differently than planned, explain this to your interviewer.
How can I best present my project in the limited space available on the application?
The same advice holds as for all competitions: State up front what you are requesting; make a case for the value of your research in the context of your field; state your qualifications for this particular project. And explain your project with a minimum of jargon. Remember that your proposal will be judged by scholars in your broad discipline, but not necessarily by anyone with a close knowledge of your particular area. Note also that the interview is an important part of the application process, and you will have a chance to expand on your written application at that time.
What should I expect in the interview?
Make a current CV available to your interviewer before the scheduled date of the interview, so that he or she can adequately prepare for your meeting. Have any publications or other materials that might help explain your project available to show your interviewer at the actual interview. He or she may ask to borrow some of them to share with the entire committee. And remember that your interviewer is not so much your advocate on the committee, as the member who has become most knowledgeable about your project. Equip your interviewer with the information she or he will need to present your proposal as clearly and concisely as possible.
Once I have won an award, can I move funds between categories?
This is sometimes possible, although the committee usually insists that graduate student funding be protected. It is also sometimes possible to receive summer salary during the academic year, as supplement to another research award. On rare occasions, an early start to an award is also possible. Contact Steve Schwoegler or Rebecca Patterson if you are contemplating one of these options.
With whom should I talk if I have questions about the outcome of the competition?
You should call your Associate Dean in the Graduate School (2-1044).