Funding

Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award

Purpose

The Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Awards recognize assistant professors whose research or creative activities promise to make significant contributions to their fields of study. 

History

Dr. Stephen Hansen, Graduate School Dean Emeritus, established the Lindsay Research Professorship Endowment that funds the award in honor of Dr. Vaughnie Lindsay, who served as graduate dean from 1973 until 1986 and was responsible for creating infrastructure supporting faculty research and scholarly activity. Faculty and the emeriti faculty at the time of the award's conception donated the funds to endow the award.

Those wishing to help support new investigators through the Vaughnie Lindsay Award may make a donation to the Vaughnie Lindsay Research Professor Endowment.

The Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Awards are made to early career SIUE faculty members to recognize and support individual programs of research or creative activities. These Awards recognize faculty members whose research or creative activities have the promise of making significant contributions to their fields of study.

Definition of Research

Research is broadly defined as all creative, critical, scholarly, and/or empirical activity that expands, clarifies, reorganizes, or develops knowledge or artistic perception. This definition of research includes the demonstration, implementation, application, and dissemination of research results and those grants designated as research by the granting agency. This definition of research does not include departmental curriculum development, faculty development (learning an established technique, a language, or a methodology; dissertation research), institutional research (studies related directly to the operation of the University), and public service and consulting activities. 

Eligibility

To be eligible, a nominee must have:  

• earned the appropriate terminal degree in their discipline
• a regular full-time tenure or clinical track faculty position at the assistant professor level, which must be maintained throughout the award period (July 1-June 30 of the fiscal year following the award date).
• submitted their midpoint dossier for review within the last two academic years
• submitted completed final reports and fulfilled the terms and conditions, including submission of an external proposal, of projects previously funded by the SIUE Graduate School at least 5 business days before this program deadline.  (The nominator may contact siueresearch@siue.edu to verify.)

All qualified candidates are encouraged to be nominated, including minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and protected veterans. 

The Award can be received only once.  

Nominees can be renominated as long as they meet the above requirements.

Award Description

Up to one Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award will be made per year, pending availability of funds. 

• The award period starts on July 1 of the fiscal year following the award date.
• The award consists of $6,000 from the Graduate School to support the awardee’s research and creative activities.

Timeline/Dates

Nominations must be submitted by a Department Chair or Dean via the Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award Nomination form in Kuali Build no later than the last Thursday in October.  Those desiring accommodations in the nomination process should contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at (618) 650-2333. 

The estimated announcement of the awardee(s) is January. 

Terms and Conditions of Award

By accepting the award, the faculty member agrees to give a brief presentation about their research and creative activities or a performance at the Provost’s Celebration of Research Reception.

 Nomination Procedure

1. The Department Chair or Dean submits the Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award Nomination form in Kuali Build no later than the last Thursday in October. The nominator will include the following:
   1. the nominee’s current cv
   2. the research or creative activity statement from the nominee’s midpoint dossier
   3. a support letter that highlights how the nominee meets the selection criteria below.  Strong nomination letters will provide concrete evidence aligning with the selection criteria beyond the cv and dossier statement.  They may quote external letters of support, including the qualifications of the evaluator, and the department evaluation letter.  See the scoring rubric linked below under Selection Criteria.  Review this tool to consider bias in the letter before submitting. 
2. The nomination will then route to the Chair or Dean, who will include a support letter.  Strong nomination letters will provide concrete evidence aligning with the selection criteria below beyond the cv, dossier statement, and nominator’s letter.  They may quote external letters of support, including the qualifications of the evaluator, and the school/college evaluation letter.  See the scoring rubric linked below under Selection Criteria.   Review this tool to consider bias in the letter before submitting.
3. Upon approval, the nomination will route to the nominee for acceptance of the nomination and the terms and conditions if awarded.
4. If the nominee accepts, the nomination will be reviewed by the Graduate School's Research and Development Committee, who will make recommendations to the Graduate School.

Selection Criteria

The selection process will focus on identifying the nominee whose research or creative activities promise to make the most significant contributions to their fields of study.  The R&D Committee will evaluate the following factors using this scoring rubric:

• history at SIUE of research and creative activity products, including but not limited to presentations, publications, patents, performances, and juried exhibits
• significance of the research and creative activities, including but not limited to national and international awards and nationally or internationally funded projects
• promise of making significant contributions to the field of study.

Other Resources

• Reviewer Guide for Graduate School Internal Grant Programs
• Graduate School x3010 or siueresearch@siue.edu

Previous Awardees