Office of Research in the UK College of Communications and Information Studies

Resources and Research Policy

College Research Activity Awards

CRA Application Guidelines

The College Research Activities (CRA) Award program is designed to enhance the research enterprise of the College of Communication and Information by assisting faculty and students in developing and advancing their programs of research.

The CRA award program will support funding of faculty, graduate and undergraduate student research activities; international travel (preference given to presenting papers to international conferences); bridge funding; grants administration; and miscellaneous research-related expenses (e.g., purchasing equipment, page prints, attending workshops).

Below are listed review criteria, eligible activities, application deadlines, directions for applying for funds, and information on providing a final report on CRA activities to the College.

CRITERIA

The CRA review committee, which consists of a representative from COM, JAT, and LIS, will review all proposals and make funding recommendation decisions to the ADR. The following criteria will be considered in reviewing applications:

  1. Critical college level activities (e.g., research facilities, grants administration, graduate student recruitment, conferences, student groups) that promote the common good and that are not available from other funds.
  2. Activities (e.g., bridge funding) that maintain grant activities, revenue streams, and involve students.
  3. Activities furthering the career development of untenured faculty members, then associate professors, finally full professors (except in the case of pursuing honors that contribute to the University's Top Twenty ranking, which will receive the highest preference).
  4. Applicants who have not previously received support, then those who received support least recently.
  5. Applicants who provide matching funds or who have generated indirect costs.
  6. Applicants who are simultaneously (or soon will be) requesting funds from extramural or intramural sources (e.g., VP for Research). In the event that funds are secured from these other sources, then college funds would only be used to provide critical supplements.
  7. Graduate student professional development, then undergraduate professional development (e.g., attending honors conferences).

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES

Faculty Research Project Support
Up to $3,000 may be requested to support faculty research projects. Allowable expenses include purchase of research supplies (e.g., software, photocopying), research subject payment, research assistant payment, and travel for data collection. Preference will be given to activities furthering the career development of untenured faculty members, then associate professors, finally full professors (except in the case of pursuing honors that contribute to the University's Top Twenty ranking, which will receive the highest preference). If more than $3,000 will be needed for a project, faculty members are encouraged to apply to the Vice President for Research through the Small Research Grants (SRG) mechanism. With approval from the CIS CRA review committee, CRA funds of up to 15% of the SRG budget, but not more than $3,000, may be listed as matching funds on the SRG application. Only one project per faculty member may be funded per fiscal year. Awards are made contingent on fund availability.

Faculty Domestic Conference Travel Support
CRA funds will not be allocated to support faculty travel to domestic conferences.

Faculty International Travel Support
Up to $2,000 in travel support may be requested by faculty who are traveling internationally to conferences to present peer-reviewed papers (first or presenting author; if multiple authors are co-presenting, the $2,000 must be shared); in the case of invited papers or panel presentations, up to $1,500 may be requested; in the case of conference attendance only or travel for other research-related purposes, up to $1,000 may be requested. Awards are made contingent on fund availability.

Doctoral Student Scholarships
Doctoral students may apply for a fellowship of up to $500 during their dissertation year. Awards are made based on the student's graduate record and the quality of his/her dissertation proposal. Awards are contingent on fund availability.

Graduate Student Conference Travel Support
Funding for travel to domestic and international professional conferences is available through the CIS Graduate Program, the Department of Communication, and the UK Graduate Program. Therefore, CRA funds will not be allocated for this purpose.

DEADLINES

Research Proposals
There are two deadlines for research proposals: June 1 (for July 1-December 31 expenditures) and December 1 (for January 1-June 30 expenditures). Regardless of funding period, funds must be spent before June 30; carry-forward is not possible.

Applicants must build in sufficient time for review/approval of proposals by their Chair/Director. In the case of multiple submissions from the same unit, the Chair/Director will prioritize proposals before submission to the Associate Dean for Research.

Other Funding
Individual applications for international travel, bridge funding, grants administration, and miscellaneous research-related expenses will be accepted on a rolling-receipt basis.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please read and follow all directions carefully.

Research Proposals
The research proposal is to contain the following:

  1. Cover sheet.
  2. Abstract of proposed work (250 words).
  3. Research plan: Specific aims, background and significance, preliminary studies (if applicable), research design and methods, and a section explicating addressing how the proposed work will advance your research.
  4. Detailed budget and budget justification.
  5. Brief biosketch of principal investigator - such as NIH or Community of Science/Community of Scholars.

The research plan is limited to 5 pages (12-point type, single space). While IRB approval may be pending at the time of proposal submission for projects involving human subjects, it must be obtained before any awarded funds will be released. The cover sheet is available in MS Word format by clicking here.  Please note that incomplete applications or applications that do not follow directions will be returned without review.

Other Funding
Please provide the following information in memo form to the ADR:

REPORTS

All awardees should file a brief report with the Associate Dean for Research detailing the outcomes of the activity and how it contributed to UK's research mission within 90 days of its completion.

Submitting IRB Applications

Visit http://www.research.uky.edu/ori/ and click on "Nonmedical IRB Meeting Calendar" to learn when expedited and full review IRB applications are due.  (Exempt applications are accepted on a rolling receipt basis.)

To submit an application, follow these three steps:

  1. Please notify the ADR that you plan to submit an IRB application.
  2. Submit an electronic copy of the complete application to the ADR by 9:00 AM two days before the application is due to the IRB. The ADR will review your application and either sign off on the application and return it to you (assuming everything is in order) or contact you with questions (if there is a problem). 
  3. Submit the application (including the appropriate number of copies) to the IRB by the deadline.

Note: If you would like help developing your application, please contact the ADR at least two weeks in advance.

Submitting Grant Proposals

It is the responsibility of the ADR to review and sign off on all research proposals, grants, and contracts - both internal and external. Please be sure to keep the ADR informed of your funded research plans and activities so she/he may facilitate your work as much as possible and ensure that you follow all applicable policies and procedures.

Of particular concern is research space. Major grant proposals in particular may require the allocation of research space beyond what the College already has been assigned. It is imperative that the ADR be given sufficient notice and time to work with upper administration to secure appropriate agreements before final submission of the grant proposal.

Please work with the College Grants Officer and the ADR to determine which approvals you must obtain before formally submitting your proposals.

Use and Scheduling of Research Technology

UK Resources

University of Kentucky Research

The main site for research at the University of Kentucky. This site includes information and links to a wide variety of resources related to academic research.

Office of Sponsored Projects Administration

OSPA submits extramural proposals and receives and administers grants and contracts for research, instructional and service activities. OSPA assists faculty with budgets and other business requirements of proposals; received, reviews and negotiates changes to awarded grants and contracts; serves as a source of information on grant/contract procedures and regulations; and prepares contractual documents when outside consultants and subcontractors are required. The unit also serves the administration of the university by implementing policy decisions affecting grants and contracts, by protecting the university's interests in interactions with sponsoring agencies as well as internal review of grant/contract matters, and by providing information concerning proposal and award activity.

Office of Research Integrity (ORI)

ORI guides the university in developing and implementing policies/procedures which ensure compliance with federal requirements for the ethical conduct of research. ORI provides administrative assistance to three Medical Boards and one Nonmedical Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the Protection of Human Research Subjects, the Radioactive Drug Research Committee (RDRC), and the Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC). ORI also advises faculty, staff, and students regarding university and federal regulations; disseminates IRB, RDRC and IACUC application forms; prepares and maintains federally mandated reports; and assists in handling IRB, IACUC, and RDRC reports of noncompliance.

Sponsored Program Development Homepage

SPD assists faculty in securing extramural funding to support their scholarly activities. Specific services include disseminating announcements about funding opportunities; identifying potential funding sources; serving as a liaison with appropriate funding agencies; assisting individuals and groups of faculty in developing programs and proposals; conducting seminars on securing grants and funding strategies; conducting new faculty orientations; and coordinating multidisciplinary research proposal submissions.

External Resources

Community of Science (COS) - Funding resource, expertise database and abstract management system

Community of Science (COS) is the leading global resource for hard-to-find information critical to scientific research and other projects across all disciplines. We aggregate valuable information so you spend less precious time and money searching for the information you need, leaving more time and money for your projects.

AHRQ: Search for Information Form

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) mission is to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. Information from AHRQ's research helps people make more informed decisions and improve the quality of health care services. AHRQ was formerly known as the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research.

NIST: Project Database

Founded in 1901, NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Commerce Department's Technology Administration. NIST's mission is to develop and promote measurement, standards, and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate trade, and improve the quality of life.

U.S. Dept of Education Grant Awards - Main Menu

ED was created in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies. Its original directive remains its mission today — to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation.

IMLS: Search

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent federal agency that fosters leadership, innovation and a lifetime of learning. IMLS supports all types of museums, from art and history to science and zoos, and all types of libraries and archives, from public and academic to research and school. IMLS expands the educational benefit of these institutions by encouraging partnerships.

CRISP - A Database of Biomedical Research Funded By the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The National Institutes of Health is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation. It is an Agency under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

NSF - Funding - Award Data

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the U.S. Government, established by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended, and related legislation, 42 U.S.C. 1861 et seq., and was given additional authority by the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885), and Title I of the Education for Economic Security Act (20 U.S.C. 3911 to 3922).