Funding

Research Equipment and Tools Funding Program

This program in will not be offered for FY2023.

Purpose

The Graduate School is providing funds to assist with updating and furnishing research equipment and research tools.

Nature of Award

The Graduate School has funds available for the purchase of equipment and tools for research purposes only. Research tools are defined as non-consumable items, such as microfilm, books, software, and data sets. Requests for equipment or tools that can be used by more than one researcher, especially from different units, are encouraged. Typically, only one piece of equipment or one tool should be on a request. However, if a suite of complementary items is needed, the request will be considered. Funds must be expended or encumbered by June 30, annually.

 Eligibility

All SIUE faculty on continuing, full-time appointments are eligible to apply for this funding. All qualified faculty are encouraged to apply, including minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and protected veterans.

How to Apply

• All requests must be submitted by completing the Research Equipment and Tools form in Kuali Build. You can access this form by going to the Graduate School forms page.
• Faculty with disabilities desiring accommodations in the application process should contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at (618) 650-2333.
• A complete proposal will include the following items:
  1. Cover Sheet (completed as part of the Kuali Build form).
  2. Budget and Budget Justification (completed as part of the Kuali Build form).
  3. A single PDF uploaded to your Kuali Build form, consisting of the following:
     • Application Cover Sheet
     • Narrative statement (one page maximum) describing the item and justifying the need for it.
     • References (if applicable).
     • Curriculum Vitae (one page maximum per named personnel) of Applicant and all named co-Investigators (if applicable).
     • Vendor Quotation(s) - Include documentation of the cost from one or more potential vendors. While not required for your application to this program, note that Board of Trustees policy requires 3 informal bids be obtained for purchases between $20,000 and the formal bid level of $100,000, and purchases of $100,000 or more require a bid/RFP solicitation.
     • ITS Approval - check with ITS prior to requesting software or computer equipment to obtain approval for the request. Email ITSApprovals@siue.edu and include the specifications, quote, and any details regarding the purpose and intended use. Note that the review will take longer if it includes a new or re-purposed cloud service. Submit ITS’s response with your application.

Timeline/Dates

• Applicants must complete and submit the Research Equipment and Tools form in Kuali Build by 4:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday in February.
• Each School/College Research Committee will put these requests into priority order and provide a justification for each request by completing the School/College Research Committee Chair Only - Evaluation section of each applicant’s Kuali Build form by 4:30 p.m. on the last Monday in February.
• The Graduate School will carefully consider these evaluations when making all funding decisions by mid-March.

Evaluations

The School/College Research Committee will prioritize the requests within their school/college using the following criteria.  (The list below reflects descending priorities.)

1. Faculty holding active external grants.
2. Equipment requests that involve multiple collaborative users, especially equipment to be used across units.
3. Faculty whose research is hampered by lack of equipment and tools.
4. Impact on the research productivity or potential of the PI.
5. Impact on the research infrastructure within your unit. 

Terms and Conditions

As a condition of the award, all successful lead applicants will be required to:

• Meet with a pre-award staff member of the Graduate School’s Office of Research and Projects (ORP) to discuss funding opportunities
• Work with ORP on a submission
• Submit an external grant proposal as PI or Co-PI that is accepted for review by the sponsor by June 30th of the following year (e.g., funding received in 2020 requires submission by June 30, 2021)
• Route the submission for internal approvals within Kuali Research at least 10 business days before the sponsor’s deadline.

Questions?

Please email any questions to siueresearch@siue.edu