DEADLINE: February 20, 2009 before 4:00 p.m.
NOTE: Late proposals will not be accepted.

SUBMIT 12 COPIES TO:
Committee on Institutional Studies and Research
c/o College of Science, Engineering & Technology
201 Industry and Technology Building, Murray State University

Address questions to Rhonda Rogers, 2888

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS FOR THE
PRESIDENTIAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Murray State University

All proposals are judged on their clarity, thoroughness, and adherence to committee guidelines.

Each Dean appoints two persons to the Committee for a term of two years. A list of current CISR members appears on the CISR website. See any committee member if you have questions before writing your proposal.

I. CRITERIA FOR AWARDS

Funds are available on a competitive basis for a limited number of appointments in the Presidential Research Fellowship Program of the Committee on Institutional Studies and Research (CISR). Since the amount of funding requested usually exceeds that available for grants, CISR works diligently to determine which projects are most worthy of support. The committee considers only the quality of the proposal, and if applicable, the applicant's track record in the distribution of funds.

General criteria for awarding the Presidential Fellowships.

A. Awards will be made to those who have nearly completed the final stage or are in the final stages of a significant project and are, in the opinion of CISR, most likely to complete the project during the term of the Fellowship.

B. The activity must involve significant research or creativity. The committee has traditionally given preference to proposals with application beyond the confines of the University.

C. The project proposed in a Presidential Research Fellowship, if rewritten, may be submitted as a regular CISR grant. Necessary adjustments in all aspects of the revised proposal must be made to conform to the regular CISR grant proposal guidelines.

D. Although Fellowships may be held in conjunction with regular CISR grants, the Presidential Fellowship work must not be dependent on a regular grant. It is the exception that the committee would award a Presidential Fellowship and a regular research grant to the same person in a grant period.

E. The application must contain a list of significant obligations to which the applicant is committed to or will apply for during the Fellowship period. The percentage of time devoted to those obligations should be indicated. More detail will be expected for the first third of the Fellowship period, May- August, than for the two thirds of the award period that is further removed from the start of the Fellowship. During the summer, the applicant is required to devote full time to the project. Presidential Fellows may NOT teach in the May-August period.

F. Proposals submitted for CISR consideration must strictly follow CISR guidelines.

G. Persons who are unsuccessful in applying for a Presidential Fellowship may reapply in successive years.

H. A person is limited to holding a Presidential Fellowship not more than once during a five year period. For example, a person who was awarded a Presidential Fellowship in May, 2004 for the 04-05 grant year may reapply for another Fellowship in the spring of 2009 for the 09-10 grant year.

II. AMOUNT OF AWARD AND DURATION

The MSU Presidential Fellowship will consist of a minimum stipend of $6500 plus an additional $650 in a university account to be used to facilitate the applicant's proposal. The university will treat the $6500 portion as salary and as such is subject to Social Security and retirements deductions. The $650 is not considered income and may be used to further your research project, but it can not be paid to you as salary. This $650 portion of the grant must be expended in accordance with university guidelines for expending funds.

The Fellowship will be awarded from May of the calendar year of the application through June of the following calendar year (May, 2009-June, 2010).

III. AN OUTLINE FOR PREPARING THE PROPOSAL

Standard forms must be used for the title page and bibliographical information. These forms, which are attached, and a narrative must be included in the proposal. Twelve (12) copies of the completed proposal, collated and stapled, must be forwarded to the Chair of CISR before the deadline. REMEMBER: Late proposals will not be accepted. The cost of proposal preparation is the sole responsibility of the applicant.

A. THE TITLE PAGE (page 1): The title should be clear and concise.

The abstract, not to exceed 200 words, should include a description of the proposed project, the methods to be used, and a statement of significance. Illustrations may be included provided the space for the abstract is not exceeded.

B. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION (page 2)

Respond to all 7 areas. If the space provided on the standard form is insufficient, additional pages may be included (2a, 2b..., as necessary).

C. THE NARRATIVE (page 3, etc.)

This part of the proposal, not to exceed five (5) typed, double spaced, 8 ½ x 11 inch pages, should be attached to the completed forms (pages 1, 2, 2a, etc.). The pages are to be numbered consecutively, the first page of the narrative will be page 3. The information requested should be presented in the order given in the headings listed below. Each section should be labeled. References to related works may be appropriate. Should this format not be functional for the proposed project, an alternative may be discussed with the Chair of CISR.

REMEMBER, BE CLEAR TO THE NON-SPECIALIST!!!

1. Title of the Proposed Project. Repeat the title from the title page.

2. Introduction. The historical background of the project should indicate the basis for the anticipated contribution of the research.

3. Objectives and Procedures. The specific objectives of the project should be identified, and the procedures to achieve each objective should be described. (If additional space is needed to define and explain the project to the committee, an appendix may be added.)

4. Significance. The general significance of the project should be discussed in language understandable to one not expert in the field. Remember, your proposal is evaluated by members of the academic community, the vast majority of whom are not in your field. Since the proposal is the applicant's primary contact with CISR, the care, thoroughness, and clarity with which it is written will have an obvious bearing on its acceptance. Symbols and terminology peculiar to the writer's discipline should be avoided wherever possible. When such expressions are deemed necessary, they should be explained so that their meaning is understandable to the non specialist.

5. Results. The form in which the anticipated results will be presented (e.g., printed publication, product, exhibit) is to be specified.

6. Facilities. The facilities required and available for completing the proposed project should be discussed.

D. SUMMARY OF OBLIGATIONS FOR THE AWARD PERIOD

During the period May through August, the applicant is required to devote full time to the project. For the remainder of the grant period, please indicate other obligations such as teaching, other grants, etc.

E. HUMAN SUBJECTS

Compliance of this proposal with the university policy concerning human subjects is essential. MSU policies and application forms for the Institutional Review Board (IRB) are available from Sally Mateja, Coordinator IRB, 327 Wells Hall, (2916) or on the web:

http://campus.murraystate.edu/administ/irb/msu_irb_home_page.htm

You as well as any workers who help you with this research must receive special training. You must indicate how you are going to comply with this requirement if your grant involved human subjects. If your proposal involves human subjects it must be approved by the Murray State University Institutional Review Board for the protection of human subjects BEFORE CISR FUNDS WILL BE AWARDED. Dr. Paula Waddill, 401A Wells Hall, phone 809-2317, is the chairperson of this committee. The approval of the Murray State University Institutional Review Board does not mean your proposal will be funded by CISR but non-approval means it will not be funded by CISR. CISR is the sole judge as to the quality of all CISR research proposals as they compete with other CISR proposals across the MSU campus. If applicable this section must address your compliance with Human Subjects, if not applicable indicate by the letters N/A.

F. ANIMAL SUBJECTS

For projects involving work with non human animals, compliance with NIH guidelines must be discussed. Information regarding university policy concerning work with non human animals can be obtained from Michael Wetherholt, 809-3536, the chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

G. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Include a listing of the literature cited in the proposed project