Project Grant FAQ's
FAQ Project Grants
The Faculty Benefits Committee sponsors three competitive award programs to support the professional development of tenured and tenure-track faculty: sabbaticals, summer fellowships, and project grants. The following questions are typically posed by applicants pursuing project grant. Applicants are strongly urged to consult the Faculty Handbook (Part 1.XII. A-D, and Part 2. IV. A-D) for a complete description of the purpose, eligibility, conditions of acceptance and application procedures of each program.
- What are legitimate uses of project grant funds?
- When is the deadline for filing a grant application and who receives copies of the proposal?
- Where can I obtain an application form and related information about this faculty development program?
- What is the department chairperson's role in the application process?
- When am I eligible for a grant
- What is the maximum amount I can request?
- How much time do I have to spend the grant funds?
- What are the final reporting requirements and when is the report due?
- Who receives the final report?
- Can I apply for a summer fellowship, a project grant and a sabbatical leave during the same academic year?
- Is a chairperson eligible for a project grant, and if so, who evaluates their application and verifies their eligibility?
- When will I know if my proposal is approved?
- Where can I find an example of a successful application from a prior year?
1. What are legitimate uses of project grant funds?
Answer: Funds can be used to purchase equipment, to cover financial expenses associated with sabbatical leaves or summer fellowships, to hire student assistants on a faculty project, or to cover expenses associated with instructional, scholarly, or creative projects when financial support is not available through department budgets. Recipients cannot use grant funds to pay their own salary or to pay the salary or an honorarium of a full-time faculty member. The grant cannot be used to cover expenses of a student project.
2. When is the deadline for filing a grant application and who receives copies of the proposal?
Answer: The deadline for filing an application is the first Tuesday of October of each academic year. Submit copies electronically to:
a). Faculty Senate Office, AC 105, c/o Grace M. Hiles (hilesg1@nku.edu);
b). the department chairperson.
3. Where can I obtain an application form and related information about this faculty development program?
Answer: Application forms can be down-loaded at the Benefits website . The procedures, eligibility conditions, and reporting requirements are covered in the Faculty Handbook (Part 1.XII. A-D and Part 2. IV. A-D). At the beginning of the fall semester, the Benefits Committee holds a workshop on the application process for all award programs. Attendance is voluntary. The date of the workshop is announced in August through e-mail, Midweek, and circulars distributed by the Professional and Organizational Development Center.
4. What is the department chairperson's role in the application process?
Answer: The chairperson is responsible for writing a letter of evaluation for the applicant. The letter will reflect the chair's perception of the quality of the proposal, the ability of the applicant to carry out the project, stewardship of prior awards and eligibility. The chair's deadline for forwarding the evaluation letter is the second Tuesday in October. The chair forwards electronic copies, (preferable PDF) to:
a). the Faculty Senate Office, AC 105, c/o Grace M. Hiles (hilesg1@nku.edu);
b). the dean of the applicant’s college;
c). the applicant.
5. When am I eligible for a grant?
Answer: Tenured and tenure track faculty are eligible for a project grant every year. A faculty member who will receive a terminal contract is ineligible.
6. What is the maximum amount I can request?
Answer: Applicants may request any amount up to a maximum of $6,000. Especially worthy projects may be funded for additional amounts, but applicants should ordinarily plan a budget that stays within the $6,000 cap.
7. How much time do I have to spend the grant funds?
Answer: Funds must be expended between July 1 and June 30.
8. What are the final reporting requirements and when is the report due?
Answer: Recipients must submit a final report electronically upon completion of the grant. The typical report takes the form of a letter, addressed to the Provost, which summarizes what the applicant accomplished with the award. Tangible products of the award (e.g., a scholarly manuscript, book or book chapters, etc.) do not have to be submitted with the report; however, the applicant should make them available to administrators upon request.
9. Who receives the final report?
Answer: Award recipients submit electronic copies of the final report to:
a). the Faculty Senate Office, AC 105, c/o Grace M. Hiles (hilesg1@nku.edu);
b). the department chair;
c). the dean of the applicant's college;
10. Can I apply for a summer fellowship, a project grant, and a sabbatical leave during the same academic year?
Answer: Yes, but be aware that separate applications must be submitted for each award, that there are different eligibility requirements for sabbaticals and summer fellowships, and that there are different final report deadlines for the various awards. Check the Faculty Handbook for eligibility requirements for the different awards (Part 1. XII.A.2; Part 1. XII.B.2; Part 1.XII.C.2) and for deadlines of final reports (Part 1. XII.A.4 ; Part 1.XII.B.5; Part 1.XII.C.7).
11. Is a chairperson eligible for a project grant, and if so, who evaluates their application and verifies their eligibility?
Answer: Yes, department chairs are eligible. They submit their applications simultaneously to the Faculty Senate Office, AC 105, c/o Grace M. Hiles (hilesg1@nku.edu) and to their college dean who evaluates the application and verifies eligibility.
12. When will I know if my proposal is approved?
Answer: The Provost informs applicants of the status of proposals no later than December 24.
13. Where can I find an example of a successful application from a prior year?
Answer: A binder of successful applications from the prior year is available at the Steely Library circulation desk.