Provost's Scholarship Development Program

TO:         Members of the University Faculty, Storrs & Regional Campuses

From:     Peter J. Nicholls
                Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Date:      December 26, 2007

Subject:     Provost’s Scholarship Development Program (Competition Deadline: 4:30 p.m. Friday, February 22, 2008)

I am pleased to continue the Provost’s Scholarship Development Program now in its 17th year. This competitive program offers an opportunity for release time from teaching for one semester to eligible faculty engaged in long-term research projects. For the 2009 Calendar Year, $50,000 has been set aside to fund the competition. The deadline for applications is 4:30 p.m. Friday, February 22, 2008 for awards during the 2009 Calendar Year.

The Provost’s Scholarship Development Program is designed to support and promote long-term research projects that cannot be funded via other, more traditional avenues. Examples of eligible projects include (1) the final or near-to-final stages of a long-term scholarly book-length manuscript (cannot be a textbook) or creative, artistic composition; (2) the final or near-to-final stages of unusually time-intensive research on a pilot project which will lead to major extramural funding; and (3) the final or near-to-final stages of an unexpectedly difficult aspect of a funded long-term research project. From time to time, these projects require that scholars be able to work during part of the academic year free of teaching obligations. Although the regular sabbatic leave program helps in this regard, as does the availability of summer support via extramural research grants, such support is limited and not always available at points in time crucial to success of the project. Recipients of the Provost's Scholarship Development Awards are able to undertake such long-term and/or especially demanding projects with a surer sense that the projects can be completed, resulting in publication or exhibition, or the award of important extramural funding, in a timely fashion.

Eligible faculty members. Eligible faculty members include those in tenured positions who hold the following titles: University Professor, Professor, and Associate Professor. The Program is open to faculty in all disciplines, from physical and life sciences, engineering, social sciences, as well as humanities and the fine arts.

Application procedure. Each applicant should complete the application form available at http://research.uconn.edu/ips/#scholarship_development and submit electronically (.pdf format preferred) to larisa.hull@uconn.edu no later than the competition deadline date, 4:30 p.m. Friday, February 22, 2008. Please complete all sections as directed and obtain the necessary signatures. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.

Progress report. Award recipients are expected to complete a progress report (two pages maximum) on the research project within six months of the completed granted release time.

Evaluation of requests. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Education is handling peer review for the Provost’s Scholarship Development Program. The Vice Provost will appoint a review committee that will review and rank all applications, and choose ad hoc reviewers for additional expertise when needed. The peer review committee will be comprised of faculty members from a wide variety of research areas. Therefore, the proposals should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and, insofar as possible, understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader.

Evaluation criteria. The peer review committee considers the following factors:

  1. Overall excellence of the proposed research project and its scholarly significance. The highest priority is given to projects rated "excellent" by the peer review committee.

  2. Evidence that the research project is in the final or near-to-final stages. Those projects closest to completion (e.g., publication contract for book-length manuscript) are given the highest priority. Projects in the initial or very early stages are assigned a low priority.

  3. Evidence that other, more traditional sources of support are not available to support completion of the research project. The Program is not designed to support regular research projects; such projects are expected to be conducted in the usual manner during the course of the academic year or over the summer, and may be funded via internal or extramural grants.

  4. Evidence that release time from teaching is crucial in order to complete the research project. The applicant must make a compelling case for the requested block of time. Priority is given to applicants who are mid-way between sabbaticals or other forms of release time from teaching. Thus, under ordinary circumstances, applicants who have just had release time, or who are due to receive release time in the near future, are not given as high a priority. Occasionally a Research Development Scholarship "piggyback" award may be made, but only when the project is determined to be of outstanding scholarly merit and the applicant has made a strong and convincing argument for the additional release time.

Announcement of awards will be made by the Provost’s Office in May, 2008 for Spring 2009 and Fall 2009.

I wish to remind you that recipients of the Provost’s Scholarship Development Award may also apply for faculty research grants offered by the Research Advisory Council, to cover research-related expenses. Application may be made in the usual manner for technical assistance, equipment, supplies, travel, per diem and contractual services related to the project.

Coordination of the competition is being handled by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Education. If you have any questions, please contact Larisa Hull at 486-6378 (Fax 486-5381) or e-mail at larisa.hull@uconn.edu.

PJN/llh