Collaborative Faculty-Student Project Grant Links

General Information

Collaborative Faculty-Student Project Grants (CFSPG) encourage and support joint faculty-student research or creative pursuits within NKU’s College of Arts and Sciences. 

Because CFSPG funding originates from fees paid by external grants, this financial support is considered seed money that hopefully assists recipients to secure other external funding. 

General information on the grant guidelines is listed below. For a printed copy of this information, click here.

1. Grant Purpose and Priorities

Funding is allocated on a competitive basis to proposals that   might best achieve the following outcomes:

• a. Encourage collaborative, learner-centered research/creative endeavors between NKU faculty and students.
• b. Generate additional external funding or strengthen the potential for securing external grants for future research/creative projects.
• c. Contribute to students’ professional growth in Arts & Sciences disciplines.
• d. Enrich the research base or creative scholarship within Arts & Sciences disciplines.

2. Faculty Eligibility

Tenure track or non-tenure track renewable NKU Arts & Sciences faculty (including chairs) are eligible with these stipulations:

• 1. Faculty must participate actively in all aspects of the project, even when working collaboratively with other colleagues
• 2. Faculty may receive this grant and still teach summer classes if the department chair approves the combination of assignments.

3. Student Eligibility 

Full-time NKU undergraduate or graduate students majoring in Arts & Sciences disciplines are eligible.  Students minoring in Arts & Sciences disciplines are not eligible. 

• 1. Students who attempt to supplement this grant with a Summer Undergraduate Research/Creativity Fellowship (SURF), Student Undergraduate Research & Creativity Award (SURCA), Graduate Student Research Grant (GSRG), or other internal or external funding will receive priority consideration.  For details on these other grants, please visit  the following links 
  • SURF 
  • SURCA 
  • GSRG  
    
• 2. Students must complete their portion of the project before they graduate.
  
• 3. Students must present some aspect of the project in the Celebration of Student Research and Creativity held annually in April, unless they graduate before the spring semester.

4. Funding

Maximum allocation = $5,000/project. Recipients may receive the full amount requested or a smaller amount as determined by proposal reviewers and the Dean of Arts & Sciences.

• 1. No less than 50% of funds awarded for a single project must be used in direct support of student collaborators (e.g., stipend, travel expenses, conference registration, or other approved uses). 
  
• 2. Faculty maximum stipend = $2,500, paid during summer months.  If 2 or more faculty collaborate, the combined total stipends may not exceed $2,500. 
  • Please note that Faculty who receive an NKU summer CINSAM grant, Summer Fellowship, or any other grant providing salary may not use funding from this grant for supplemental salary.
    
• 3. Student stipend rate = $8-12/hr.  The faculty mentor determines the exact hourly rate, the student’s overall maximum stipend, and the schedule by which the student receives the stipend.  Multiple students may participate, but total student funding may not exceed  $5,000/grant project. 
  • Please note that University policy regulates student work schedules.  Either through multiple University programs or just one, a student may not work more than a total of 35 hours per week during the summer and not more than a total of 25 hours per week during the academic year.
    
• 4. Materials & supplies maximum = $500.
  • b. Recipients may use funding only for allowable expenses which include stipend(s), equipment, supplies, travel, printing, software, and similar items, all of which the proposal budget must identify specifically.
  • c. All materials (including books and software) purchased with grant funds remain the property of NKU.
  • d. The faculty member’s chair administers grant funds through the departmental budget. All grant related stipends and purchases must conform to University policies set by Accounting and Purchasing offices.

5. Abstract & Proposal 

The faculty member submits all materials:

• 1. Abstract 
  • a. Abstract cover page requiring the chair’s signature to indicate approval for the faculty member to pursue the grant.  If you intend to apply for the grant, contact Gail Mackin at macking@nku.edu to secure a proposal cover page.
  • b. 200 word (maximum length) single-spaced project abstract (due date 23 Oct. 2009). Submit the abstract electronically via email as a Word (.doc) document attachment to Gail Mackin at macking@nku.edu with “CFSPG Abstract” in the subject line.
    
• 2. Full project proposal with cover page, budget, and appropriate addendums (due date 13 Nov. 2009). Submit the proposal electronically via email as a Word (.doc) document attachment to macking@nku.edu with "CFSPG Proposal" in the subject line.
  • a. The proposal must clearly and fully explain the nature of student involvement.
  • b. The review committee will consider only those proposals which conform exactly to stipulated guidelines.   
  • c. For a template for the project budget, contact Gail Mackin at macking@nku.edu. 
    
• 3. For proposal guidelines, see Project Proposal Guideline on the A&S CFSPG webpage.
  
• 4. For project selection criteria, see Project Proposal Selection Criteria on the A&S CFSPG webpage.
  

6. Proposal Review Process

• a. The Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences or his representative serves as chair for the preliminary review committee.
• b. Preliminary review:  A committee of 5-9 Arts & Sciences faculty from various disciplines reviews grant abstracts and proposals.  Using project selection criteria noted in 5.4 above, the committee makes award recommendations to the Dean of Arts & Sciences. Committee members may not also be project grant applicants.
• c. Final review:  The Dean of Arts & Sciences reviews grant proposals and preliminary review committee recommendations and then determines awards.

7. Summary Report  

• a. The faculty member submits a final project report by the deadline stipulated in 8.f. below.
• b. The report is a maximum 3 single-spaced pages (12-font) and includes a summary of the project purpose, the methodology used, the project outcomes, and any publications and/or presentations generated by the project.
• c. Submit the summary report electronically via email as a Word (.doc) document attachment to macking@nku.edu with "CFSPG Summary Report" in the subject line.

8. Timeframe & Deadlines 

• a. 200-word abstract & abstract cover letter with chair’s signature of approval due no later than 4:30 p.m. on 23 Oct. 2009 (or sooner).
• b. Full proposal with cover page, budget, and addendums due no later than 4:30 p.m. on 13 Nov. 2009 (or sooner).
• c. Grant awards announced at the beginning of March 2010 (or sooner).
• d. Funds accessible within one week of the award announcement.
• e. Project completion deadline 31 December 2010 (or sooner).
• f. Summary report deadline Friday, 21 January 2011 (or sooner).

*Project abstracts or proposals submitted after indicated deadlines will not be accepted or reviewed. 

9. Acknowledgement

All publications, presentations, and/or performances resulting from CFSPG supported projects must acknowledge "Northern Kentucky University College of Arts and Sciences Collaborative Faculty-Student Project Grant" for partial or full funding.