POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR SUPPORTING RESEARCH,
SCHOLARLY, AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY
This revised policy supersedes Policy Statement 10-11
This policy statement was recommended by the Academic Senate on September 22, 2011
and approved by the president on October 17, 2011.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
This policy addresses support for research, scholarly, and creative activity, which is a core mission of our comprehensive master’s granting institution. Support for research, scholarly, and creative activity (RSCA) is divided into two programs: (1) mini-grants and summer stipends (MGSS) and (2) reassigned time. Funding and regulations for MGSS are mandated by the legislature and the Chancellor’s office, while funding and regulations for reassigned time are determined on the campus. The allocation of funding for MGSS and reassigned time shall be made transparent to CSULB faculty through an active educational program including workshops sponsored by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and the appropriate college-level bodies responsible for the oversight of all research, scholarly, and creative activity.
2.0 AWARD ELIGIBILITY
All members of Unit 3 (Faculty, Librarians, Coaches, and Counselors) are eligible to compete for funding MGSS programs (except faculty members receiving new faculty reassigned time). Only tenured, probationary, and full-time lecturers are eligible to compete for reassigned time funding (except faculty members receiving new faculty reassigned time). Faculty members with 12-month appointments are not eligible for summer stipends. Summer stipend applicants must have 30 consecutive days available in the summer of the award when they do not have additional employment in the CSU or an auxiliary.
3.0 TYPES OF AWARDS
A faculty member is allowed to apply for only one award: a summer stipend, a mini-grant, or reassigned time in a given year under this policy. All applications for these awards shall be subject to the same application deadline.
3.1 Mini-Grants and Summer Stipends
3.1.1 Mini-Grants
Mini-grants allow recipients to test promising ideas and obtain preliminary results prior to seeking external support. Funds may be used for undergraduate and/or graduate student assistants, clerical assistance, minor equipment, and for travel and supplies necessary for the activity. These mini-grants are intended to be ‘seed’ money leading to the application for external support. Since this award is “seed money,” acceptance of a mini-grant requires that the application for external funding based on the proposal be submitted within two years of the date of the award and prior to any subsequent mini-grant awards.
3.1.2 Summer Stipends
Summer stipends are equivalent to the prevailing 3-WTU Vacant Rate to support a recipient in continuance of scholarly and creative activity during the summer. A recipient of a summer stipend may not be employed in summer session during the stipend period.
3.1.3. Mini-Grant and Summer Stipend (MGSS) Award Committees
In accordance with the Chancellor’s mandate, the mini-grant and summer stipend (MGSS) award committee is designated to serve as the primary advisory body to the Academic Senate, the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs or designee, and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, in furthering an atmosphere conducive to research, scholarship, and creative activity. The MGSS is a standing committee of the Faculty Personnel Policies Council.
Each college shall have a MGSS committee to review and rank mini-grant and summer stipend proposals. The college MGSS committee forwards its recommendations and rankings to the college dean. The faculty of the college shall devise procedures so that the committee membership reflects the diversity of disciplines within the college in order to assure that applicants are likely to have their proposals judged by persons familiar with their fields of specialization.
3.1.4. Duties for MGSS committees
3.1.4.1 The College Mini-Grant and Summer Stipend Committee shall:
a. Meet to discuss criteria, processes and procedures for the review, evaluation, and rating of mini-grant and summer stipend proposals; and
b. Discuss, rate, recommend, and provide written rationale on recommendations of applications to the college dean.
3.1.4.2 The College Dean shall:
a. Review the college mini-grant and summer stipend ratings and recommendation;
b. Agree or disagree with the college committee’s recommendations; and
c. Forward all proposals and recommendations to the university committee.
3.1.4.3 The University Mini-Grant and Summer Stipend Committee shall:
a. Meet to review criteria, processes, and procedures for the review, evaluation, and rating of mini-grant and summer stipend proposals;
b. Review and rate the proposals for summer stipends and mini-grants;
c. Make recommendations to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs concerning the awarding of mini-grants and summer stipends;
d. Review University policies governing research and creative activities and make recommendations to the Faculty Personnel Policies Council;
e. Work with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs to generate announcements with deadlines and application forms; and
f. Submit an annual report to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
3.1.5 Committee Membership
3.1.5.1 College Level MGSS Committee Membership
a. Each College elects membership under procedures set by the college; and
b. Members of the MGSS committee are not eligible to apply for these awards.
3.1.5.2 University Mini-Grant and Summer Stipend Committee
a. Elected members serve two-year terms. No member may serve consecutive terms.
b. Full-time tenured faculty members elected by their respective colleges: four (4) from the College of Liberal Arts; two (2) from each of the other colleges; and one (1) full time tenured librarian.
c. Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs (or designee).
d. Associate Vice President for Research and External Support (or designee).
e. Members of the committee are not eligible to apply for either the mini-grant or summer stipend during committee service.
3.1.6 MGSS Evaluation Criteria
Awards shall be based primarily on the quality of the proposed research or creative activity as manifested in the proposal. Proposals are expected to be clear to reviewers outside the discipline.
Criteria include:
a. Significance of the research, scholarship, or creative activity;
b. Extent to which the methodology is appropriate to the stated purpose;
c. Likelihood that the work proposed will be completed within the timeline;
d. Extent to which the project will promote the faculty member’s scholarly or creative development, direction, or purpose;
e. Probability that the project will lead to peer-reviewed publication, exhibitions, or external grant proposals; and
f. Extent to which the project benefits the university mission.
3.1.7. MGSS Award Decisions
The Office of University Research shall allocate support for mini-grants and summer stipends based on the recommendations from the University MGSS Committee.
3.1.8. MGSS Documenting Work Accomplished
3.1.8.1. Faculty who receive awards shall be required to submit a mini-grant or summer stipend Report of Work Accomplished by the announced deadline to the Office of University Research. This requirement must be met whether or not a faculty member chooses to submit a subsequent scholarly and creative activities application.
3.1.8.2. The documentation of work accomplished shall include:
a. What was accomplished;
b. How what was learned, experienced, or achieved has contributed to the faculty member’s professional development. This may include how the research, scholarship, or creative activity has contributed to more effective teaching and enhanced student learning; and
c. How the information will be disseminated or showcased.
3.1.8.3. Applicants who do not submit the required Report of Work Accomplished shall be automatically disqualified from receiving subsequent mini-grant and/or summer stipend awards until the required report is submitted.
3.1.8.4. The University shall provide opportunities for award recipients to showcase the results of their projects, whether final or preliminary.
3.1.9. Additional Duties of the Office of University Research and Sponsored Programs
Once MSGG awards have been made, the Office of University Research and Sponsored Programs shall provide the applicant with any available feedback generated by the evaluation process, upon request. The Office of University Research and Sponsored Programs shall submit a report on MGSS every three years to the Academic Senate.
3.2 REASSIGNED TIME AWARDS
Reassigned time will be awarded through a competitive process at the college level. Each college will be allocated support from Academic Affairs for reassigned time applications. Colleges may supplement this amount with their own funds. Each reassigned time award will be equal to 3 units of reassigned time for one year.
3.2.1. College faculty councils shall:
a. Establish the policies and procedures for evaluating reassigned time; and
b. Determine the composition and charge of their reassigned time award committee.
3.2.2. Reassigned time awards committee shall:
a. Meet to discuss criteria, processes, and procedures for the review, evaluation, and ranking of proposals; and
b. Discuss, rank, recommend, and provide written rationale on recommendations of applications to the college dean.
3.2.3. The College Dean shall:
a. Review the college reassigned time and college committee recommendations;
b. Make final decisions on reassigned time awards.
3.3 DOCUMENTING WORK ACCOMPLISHED
Faculty who receive awards shall be required to submit a reassigned time Report of Work Accomplished by the announced deadline to the College Dean’s office. This requirement must be met whether or not a faculty member chooses to submit a subsequent reassigned time application.
The documentation of work accomplished shall include:
a. What was accomplished;
b. How what was learned, experienced, or achieved has contributed to the faculty member’s professional development. This may include how the research, scholarship, or creative activity has contributed to more effective teaching and enhanced student learning; and
c. How the information will be disseminated or showcased.
EFFECTIVE: Immediately
