Texas Air Research Center
TEXAS AIR RESEARCH CENTER
CALL FOR
RESEARCH PROPOSALS
The TARC solicits proposals from researchers at member universities for the current funding cycle. Proposals will be accepted only from researchers at universities affiliated with the Center. Proposals are due to the Center by close of business day ????. Refer to the following Example of Call for Air Research Proposals for guidance and format. Hard copies of the call are available from the Office of Sponsored Research and the technical coordination council member at each institution. Return only the required number of copies of the proposal using the cover sheet and abstract form in the call.
PARTICIPANTS:Lamar University
Texas A&M University
University of Houston
University of Texas at Austin
Director:
Dr. Thomas Ho
Phone: 409/880-8790
Fax: 409/880-2397 / TECHNICAL
COORDINATION COUNCIL:
Dr. Jerry Lin
Dr. Bill Batchelor
Dr. Bill Rixey
Dr. David Allen
The Texas Air Research Center (TARC) is funded by the State of Texas and solicits proposals for research projects focusing on the Center's mission.
The mission of the Texas Air Research Center is to coordinate an integrated research program in air quality for Texas that will provide policy makers with factual data for decision making.
The key pursuits are to: Build a track record of competent air research for Texas, build a database for air quality, develop a foundation of air expertise in the state, enhance the abilities of the member universities and the research community by providing assistance and encouragement to research and faculty members, and leverage state resources to compete for other research opportunities.
Proposals must be submitted in the following format:
PROPOSAL FORMAT
The format used in this Request should be followed as closely as possible (font size 12 pt or larger, double line spacing, margins 1" or larger, etc.) 15 pages, double spaced. The cover sheet and the budget sheet are included in the 15 page limit. Abstract (1 page max) and curricula vitae (2 pages max) are not included in the overall length. Total pages allowed = 18.
Please send the Proposal (with signatures) as a pdf and the Abstract as a Word Document by email attachment to also send hard copies of the Proposal (1 original with signatures and 3 copies) with cover sheet and abstract to:
Ms. Rachel Edwards
TARC
211 Redbird
Beaumont, TX 77710-0613
Phone: 409/880-8768
Fax: 409/880-2397
Proposal Cover Sheet and Abstract
The cover sheet is enclosed. Please fill out all requested information including the address of researcher even if the proposal is submitted through a university's Office of Sponsored Research. Without a complete address, telephone, E-mail, and fax information, the researcher may not receive timely notification of proposal acceptance or rejection.
The abstract should concisely cover the major elements of the proposal. The importance of the abstract cannot be overstated. It is the first section of the proposal read by the reviewer and sets the tone. The Abstract is limited to one page. Your abstract should:
· define the problem
· describe the proposed research program
· describe the methodology used to achieve the research objectives
· estimate the total cost of the project (year by year)
· specify the total length of time required to complete the project
· give estimated capital and operating costs for successful new technologies, when possible
· show cost improvement over other technologies, if possible
Problem Statement
This is the most important section of your proposal. It should:
· convince your reviewer that the work is a vital solution to a well-defined problem
· be supported by hard evidence drawn from experiences, from statistics, and/or from knowledgeable people or organizations
· document the problem(s) to be solved and state the work you are proposing to do if you are funded
· provide an explanation of the background (show you understand the problem; the circumstances that lead to the discovery, the relationship of events that will affect the problem and its solution)
· indicate how improvements can be made in capital and/or operating costs
Program Objectives
The Program Objectives section of your proposal should:
· state the benefits or results of funding your project in measurable terms
· include the type of work to be done, when it will be done, and who will be responsible
· describe the criteria that determine when the research objectives have been met
Methodology
In this section, spell out exactly how you plan to achieve your objectives. Methods could relate to your objectives and should be understandable and logical. Describe your methods in terms that are understandable to other technically trained people.
The following subheadings are also recommended:
· Procedure/Equipment
· Capabilities
· Capital and operating costs associated with the technology
· Personnel Requirements
· Timetable
· Literature search
Including this section may enhance your funding chances by demonstrating that your research idea is new and innovative.
Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan
This section should address plans for submitting a detailed QA/QC plan shortly after award of the project. Safety issues should also be addressed.
Proposed Budget
(TWO YEAR BUDGET FROM September 1, 201? UNTIL JULY 31, 201?)
The proposed budget for your project should immediately follow the cover sheet. A budget example is provided on the following page.
Proposed Budget (Example Year 1)
------
Requested from
TARC
------
A. Salaries
I. Principal Investigator
(two academic months)
(one summer month) $5,250
II. Graduate Assistant
(12 months) $12,000
III. Undergraduate Assistants
(300 hours) $1,500
------
Subtotal Salary $18,750
IV. Fringe Benefits on 1 through 3
(24.3% of Salary) $4,556
------
Total Salary $23,306
B. Travel
1 National Meeting $1,000
C. Equipment (Field Sampling Gear) $2,500
D. Supplies $2,000
E. Other Expenses $3,000
------
Total Costs $31,806
Total Project Cost is $31,806
Funding Requested from TARC is (2 year amount)
NOTE: TARC will fund either academic year support or summer support, not both. Exceptions will require prior approval by the Center Director.
BUDGET EXPLANATION
The following rules are applicable to funded projects:
· Funding of salary for faculty members will be one to one and one half (1-1½) months plus benefits per project except under special circumstances approved by the Director.
· Support for graduate students and post doctoral students will be at 50% Full-Time Employee (FTE) at the wage or salary rate for similarly qualified students at the student's university.
· Undergraduates may be hired up to half-time at the normal rates for the campus on which the work is done. Undergraduates are normally expected to be hired to help the graduate student(s) on the project.
· Unless the need for additional graduate students is documented, the normal ratio will be one graduate or undergraduate student per faculty member per project and one post doctoral student per project.
· TARC expects the university to provide major items of equipment. Equipment cost of each project should be limited to specialized items needed to accomplish the project. Variations from this situation should be documented in the proposal.
· Travel for research projects should include part of the cost of attending a national meeting and the cost for the PI to participate in the annual Advisory Committee Meeting.
· Supplies cover consumable materials needed for the project. Other items should be documented in the proposal.
· Indirect costs are not allowed to be charged against state awards.
PROPOSAL RATING CRITERIA
A. Technical Merit (30 points maximum):
Is the proposal prepared with supportive information, self-explanatory, and clearly understandable? Is the proposed effort technically defensible and practical? Can the project objectives be achieved in the stated time period with the allotted personnel and budget? Are other center affiliates involved in the effort?
B. Qualifications (25 points maximum):
Do the key project personnel have experience in the proposed area of research? Have key personnel committed an appropriate amount of time to the project?
C. Originality (30 points maximum):
Does the proposal reflect originality or other special qualities that make it more attractive or potentially useful than the current state of the art?
D. QA/QC, and Safety plan (10 points maximum):
Are these items addressed in the proposal?
E. Budget (5 points maximum):
Is the budget within the Center's funding level? Are direct project costs listed in the budget reasonable? Is the level of effort allocated to each task reasonable?
TEXAS AIR RESEARCH CENTER FULL PROPOSAL COVER SHEET
PROPOSAL TITLE:
(Please copy this form and provide the following information for any additional researchers)
Principal Researcher: / Co-Researcher:
Department/University: / Department/University:
Mailing Address: / Mailing Address:
City / State / Zip
/ City / State / Zip
Telephone / Fax
/ Telephone / Fax
E-mail Address / E-mail Address
Office of Sponsored Research Information: / Budget Manager:
Contact Name and Signature: / Contact Name and Signature:
Dept./Mailing Address: / Dept./Mailing Address:
City / State / Zip
/ City / State / Zip
Telephone / Fax
/ Telephone / Fax
E-mail Address / E-mail Address
AUTHORIZING SIGNATURES
Principal Researcher Signature
Department Head Signature
Additional Signature(s) as needed: (Please include titles and addresses)
Please provide a project abstract that is suitable for publication. Your abstract should be approximately 600 words in length. It should be clear and concise and include the following information:
1. A description of the problem you are attempting to solve.
2. The research objectives to be achieved.
3. The methodology or the type of activities which will be conducted to accomplish the objectives of the research.
PROJECT ABSTRACT