The Principal Investigator (PI) must be tenure-line faculty in LAS who teaches at least one course a year in a unit or program associated with the Urban Collaborative. Other members of the research team can be full-time or part-time faculty associated with any academic unit at DePaul.
I have a project, but I am not eligible to be a Principal Investigator because I am not tenure-track in a LAS Urban Collaborative program or center. Can I find partners?
You could search DePaul’s community engagement Collaboratory for partners, or contact the Faculty Scholarship Collaborative in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and ask for their advice and assistance as they work with faculty across the College.
May grant money be used to buyout release time from teaching?
The grant can fund one course release for the PI. All course release requests must be accompanied by a letter of support from the faculty member’s Chair or Program Director.
May grant funds be used to pay someone at the collaborating partner organization to participate in the project?
Yes, as a contracted subject matter expert. The grant can also pay an organization as a consultant.
May grant funds be used to pay faculty at another university?
Yes, as a contracted subject matter expert, as long as the faculty member is not already receiving grant funds from another entity to pay for the same work.
Am I required to include an LAS student in my research proposal?
Yes. To be eligible, research proposals must include opportunities for LAS students to participate as researchers on the team. Students participating on the research project must be in LAS, although major and minor are not restricted.
May grant funds be used to pay students from outside LAS or from another university?
No.
May grant funds be used to support community participation in research?
Yes. Grant funds may be used to compensate research participants for their time and local travel (for focus groups or other research activities), to purchase refreshments for participants visiting campus, for services rendered, or for the costs of renting space from a community partner for research activities. This list is meant for illustrative purposes; all expenses will be reviewed at the time of application.
May grant funds be used to pay for travel expenses? Is there a limit?
Yes. Grant funds may be used to fund reasonable domestic and international travel expenses incurred to conduct research, up to $3500. Please explain any extenuating circumstances that would justify spending more than this amount.
May I hold this grant at the same time as I hold others?
All DePaul faculty on the team may be paid up to 1 month summer salary from the UCCRI grant; however, summer salary or research expenses that are covered by grants or payments from other sources (internal or external) cannot also be funded by a UCCRI grant. The UCCRI grant can be held at the same time as another grant, provided the funds do not cover duplicate work. In no case may a grant from this program, combined with other grants or salary, result in more than two summer salary units for full-time faculty.
What if my project involves human or animal research subjects?
Projects involving human or animal research subjects must receive IRB approval before UCCRI funding can be authorized. A description of the proposed research and the consent forms must be submitted to the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects or to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. The relevant committee(s) will review the research protocol and will notify both the principal investigator and the LAS Research Committee of their decision. For more information on either the IRB or the IACUC review process, please visit the website of the Office of Research Services.
How will grant funds be dispersed?
Faculty will receive stipends as summer salary; expenses will be reimbursed per university guidelines. PIs will submit honoraria payment requests for subject matter experts; consultants will submit invoices as outlined here. Students on the grant will be hired by the PI as student workers and paid hourly, per university guidelines.
Am I required to request $25,000?
No. Teams are encouraged to apply for the amount that is justified by the scope and nature of your project, up to a maximum of $25,000.
What is the length of the grant period?
Up to, but not longer than, 12 months, beginning on July 1. All awarded funds must be used in the year for which they were budgeted. Special extensions from the duration of the approved UCCRI project proposal and/or carry-over funds that are not expended during the period of the award must be justified by unanticipated extenuating circumstances and approved by the Dean of LAS.
May grant funds be used to provide training for students or community partners?
No. The only exception is if the training is part of a wider research project.
How explicit should I be about my plans to seek further funding beyond this grant?
Applicants should be able to identify likely types of funding that might logically follow a successful implementation of the current project. You will be asked to be more explicit in your end-of-grant reporting.
Can members of the UCCRI Award Committee apply?
No. If a faculty member is planning to apply for a UCCRI grant, they cannot serve on the UCCRI Award Committee in the year of application.
