A sixth year of funding has been announced for the Research Enhancement Program (REP). This program is designed to strengthen the University's performance as a nationally recognized research university, as described in the Strategic Action Plan, and is intended to contribute toward developing research themes for the University that are consistent with an emphasis on the urban mission and a global presence.
President Reid has designated a portion of the REP funds for the second year of a three-year commitment to support research projects in the arts, creative arts research or research that engages the arts in carrying out the University's urban research mission. We will consider awards in the range of $10,000 to $50,000. These projects are expected to lay the foundation for further work beyond the award end date and result in external funding appropriate for the field of study, e.g., a fellowship award, commission or grant award to continue or expand the project.
Individual faculty members and research teams led by full-time faculty are invited, by means of this memo, to develop proposals that are responsive to this funding announcement. Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to: creative activity that extends the reach of the arts to underserved populations; creative projects that have a transformational impact that is cultural, economic or social; an investigation of cultural expression through the arts; projects that build knowledge and appreciation of the arts in the community; visual sociology and non-traditional visual projects; visual components of literacy; documenting and/or preserving important works of art; exploring, utilizing and advancing technology in the arts; and developing leadership and entrepreneurship in the arts. Collaborative teams that include faculty from the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts are encouraged.
A pre-proposal meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 31st, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., in room 6202 (sixth floor) of 5057 Woodward Avenue. Parking is available at the Visitors Parking structure on the corner of Cass and Putnam Avenues. Access this structure by driving north on Cass Avenue for 1 block past Warren Avenue. Turn right on Putnam, and turn right halfway down the block to enter the structure. We will validate your parking ticket. During the pre-proposal meeting, an overview of the funding guidelines will be provided. Potential applicants are highly encouraged to attend.
There are no proposal forms. The assessment of submissions will proceed in three phases as follows:
Phase 1: Principal Investigators should e-mail a Letter of Intent (LOI) to the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) to sjames@wayne.edu.
The LOI should be limited to three-to-four pages in which the following are summarized: (1) research objectives and plan, (2) participating faculty/researcher staff, (3) budget in the form of a spreadsheet (maximum 18-month budget), (4) potential external funding sources and timeline for submitting proposals to these sources, and (5) potential of the project to enhance graduate programs and institutional reputation. Biosketches (not to exceed four pages) of the participating faculty should be appended. LOI's and biosketches are due by e-mail attachment in one pdf document no later than 5:00 PM on December 3, 2007.
Phase 2: An advisory committee consisting of faculty from the arts disciplines and representatives from the Office of the Vice President for Research will evaluate the LOI's on the following criteria:
• Relevance of project to the intent of the REP
• Significance of the project
• Demonstrated excellence of the participating faculty
• Clarity and viability of the research or project plan
• Appropriate composition of multidisciplinary teams, when applicable
• Contribution toward advancing graduate programs, research experience for undergraduate students, or institutional reputation
• Potential to secure external grant funding, a fellowship award, or a commission for further study or dissemination of the project
Capacity to build knowledge and appreciation of the arts in the community, including a clear statement of expected outcomes and how they will be measured
Inclusion of Graduate Research Assistants or post-doctoral students in the budget is encouraged.
Investigators will be selected from the Letters of Intent to develop full proposals. This initial review will be completed by December 21, 2007 and investigators will be notified shortly thereafter.
Phase 3: Complete proposals including summary, narrative, and full budget will be due in PDF format to the OVPR by e-mail (sjames@wayne.edu) no later than 5:00 PM on March 3, 2008. Proposals require the approval of all deans of the faculty involved. External reviews will be solicited to assess scientific merit, likelihood of external funding and other criteria for final award decisions. Award recipients will be informed by the Office of the President no later than April 21, 2008. Funding will be contingent upon the availability of funds at that time; however, the President's commitment is to give a high priority to the support of research even in difficult financial times.
We look forward to receiving your Letters of Intent!
Irvin D. Reid, President
Nancy S. Barrett, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs