Minutes of the September 26, 2006 Meeting of the

Research/Creative Activity Grants (RCAG) Committee

Attending: Paul Gares, Vice Chair and Acting Chair, Geography; Suzanne Orr, Health and Human Performance; Mark Sprague, Physics; Carol Jenkins, Social Work; Karen Hall, Music and Representative of the Faculty Senate; Daniel Wong, Allied Health Services; Elias Katsoulis, Mathematics; David Rosenthal, Business; Mary Schmidt, Education; Carl Billingsly, School of Art and Representative of the Chancellor; Jeff Bair, School of Music; John A. Tucker, Secretary, History.

Attending ex officio members included Alan Schreier, Representative of Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies; Mark Taggart, Chair of the Faculty Senate.

Acting Chair of the Research and Creative Activities Committee, Paul Gares called the meeting, held in Rawl Annex 142, to order at 4:30. With a quorum present, Gares circulated the minutes from the previous three meetings. The minutes were approved with modifications.

The committee proceeded to consider the remaining proposals from the February 17, 2006 meeting. Discussion first focused on decreasing the frequency with which faculty could apply for awards, from every two to every three years. On a related count, the committee considered limiting the total number of awards that an individual faculty could receive. Discussion also emphasized the importance of funding “meritorious research” according to the current guidelines. The majority of the committee voted, by a show of hands, not to extend the frequency from two to three years. Also, by a show of hands, the committee next voted not to limit the total number of awards that a single faculty can receive.

After reviewing other proposals very briefly, the committee decided that it was unnecessary to discuss and vote on the remaining issues one by one.

The next question discussed was the number of reports ---- three-month progress and/or final --- that should be required of those who receive a research award for upcoming fiscal year grants. The committee agreed, without a vote, to require only a final report; to set the date for submission of the final report as Sept. 1 following the fiscal year of the grant; and that the final report of the preceding grant be included in future grant applications submitted to the committee.

The committee also agreed, without a vote, to move toward, in the future, electronic submission and review of proposals rather than requiring hard copies of the applications.

The committee also discussed the following application format requirements --- use of Arial or Helvetica font, 12 point; double-spacing; an abstract of 250 words; 5 pp. double spaced proposal; 2 pp. bibliography; 2 pp. vita, and 2 pp. of appendices limited to documents that support the proposal such as letters from publishers, editors, etc., inclusion of a multimedia CD component for applicants in the arts and music.

The acting chair then announced that materials will be circulated for review for prompt submission to the Faculty Senate. The committee adjourned at 5:46 pm.

Submitted by John A. Tucker, Secretary