What do all the abbreviations stand for?

Below is a list of program abbreviations:

• AHPEG: Arts + Humanities Program Enhancement Grant
• EIEG: Equipment & Infrastructure Enhancement Grant
• FYAP: First Year Assistant Professor
• DRP: Distinguished Research Professor
• DSA: Developing Scholar Award
• DSF: Developing Specialized Faculty
• DUS: Distinguished University Scholar
• Seed: Seed Grant
• SGP: Small Grants Program
• SRS:  Summer Research Support - formerly the Committee on Faculty Research Support (COFRS) Grant

What happened to the Planning Grant (PG), Multidisciplinary Support (MDS), Committee on Faculty Research Support (COFRS), and Funding Agency Travel (FAT) programs?

The CRC regularly evaluates its programs and the usefulness of those programs in meeting faculty research needs, making adjustments as needed. The MDS and PG programs have been replaced by the Seed Grant (as of 2022). The COFRS still is offered, but the name changed in 2023 to the Summer Research Support (SRS) Grant to aid in programmatic clarity and understanding. Travel funding can be proposed with all CRC programs except the EIEG; travel funding is also available through the Office of the Provost's Faculty Travel Grant program.

Are there any reporting requirements or deliverables for CRC awards?

Yes. The PI of the project will be required to respond to short project outcomes surveys via email at 6-, 12-, and 18-month intervals after the award end date. Surveys will allow faculty to identify the proposals, publications, exhibits, presentations, and/or other external funding outcomes resulting directly from CRC-funded awards.

FYAP award recipients are required to deliver a poster presentation of their research project at the FYAP Grants Workshop immediately following their award period. Failure to fulfill this requirement will render the PI ineligible for all future CRC funding as either a PI or Co-PI.

What are the application cycles for these programs?

Who is eligible to apply for these programs?

1. Participation is open to all full-time, active-status FSU faculty who are eligible to apply for CRC funding. Please refer to the Job Code Eligibility list for specific information.
2. Visiting professors, whose only reason for being labeled “visiting” is the expectation that they shortly will attain permanent residency status, are eligible to apply for this award. Full-time, active status must be achieved by the award date in order to receive funding.
3. Students and post-docs are not eligible to be a PI on CRC grants.
4. Certain programs, including the Honorary Awards (DSA, DUS, DRP, DSF) have specific eligibility requirements for each program, stated in detail in the Request for Proposals/Nominations for each grant/award.

Can I apply for more than one grant within an academic year?

Yes, although generally PIs will not be awarded more than one CRC grant during an academic year (August - July). If a PI is awarded more than one CRC grant in an academic year, they may be asked to choose which grant they would like to receive. However, there are exceptions in the following cases:

1. During the years that an applicant is eligible to apply for the First Year Assistant Professor grant, that faculty member may also apply as a PI or Co-PI for other CRC programs. 
2. Eligible applicants who have received awards from other CRC programs during this academic year remain eligible to request funding for the Equipment + Infrastructure Enhancement Grant (EIEG) program.

PLEASE NOTE:  With the exception of the EIEG program, only one application from a PI or Co-PI may be submitted to any given CRC program per competition round. If a faculty member submits a proposal as a PI, they cannot be listed as a Co-PI on another proposal within the same round of competition. Faculty members included as a Co-PI on an EIEG proposal may be included on one other EIEG proposal per competition round.

Is there a hiatus period after receiving a CRC grant?

There is a hiatus period for each grant with the exception of the EIEG (one application may be submitted from a PI per competition round; however, this investigator may be listed as a Co-PI on an additional proposal) programs. 

Additionally, faculty who have received a FYAP are not eligible for an SRS (formerly COFRS) award for two years following their FYAP award.

Principal Investigators (PI) and Co-PIs that have received awards in the fiscal years listed below are ineligible to request funding for the same program during FY 2024 – 2025.

Are there post-award requirements for a First Year Assistant Professor (FYAP) awardee?

FYAP award recipients are required to deliver a poster presentation of their research project at the following FYAP Workshop. Failure to fulfill this requirement will render the recipient ineligible for future CRC funding as either a PI or Co-PI. The PI of the project will also be required to respond to short project outcomes surveys via email at 6-, 12-, and 18-month intervals after the award end date. Surveys will allow faculty to identify the proposals, publications, exhibits, presentations, and/or other external funding outcomes resulting directly from CRC-funded awards.

What is the process for amending my post-award budget?

It is expected that all awardees will only spend funds as their approved budget dictates. The CRC allows some limited flexibility to account for cost increases; any proposed budget category may be adjusted up to 10%, with the other budget categories reflecting that change. However, if a situation arises where a revision is necessary, changes to the originally-funded budget must be approved by the CRC before any changes occur.

To request consideration of a revised budget, a Budget Amendment Request Form must be submitted via the Time Extension and Budget Amendment Submission page, along with a statement of justification for the requested changes. Here's an example of a completed Budget Amendment form.

A Budget Amendment request may not be submitted after the expense has occurred, and all budget amendment requests must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the award expiration date.  Budget Amendments are limited to no more than 2 per award.  Requests submitted within 30 days of the project end date will be rejected without review.

Am I eligible for the Distinguished Research Professor award if I hold a named and endowed Professorship or endowed Chair?

Faculty who currently hold a named or endowed Professorship may be nominated for this recognition. If the named or endowed Professorship is funded through an FSU Foundation account, but did not reach the level of an endowed Chair, then the faculty member is eligible. 

Faculty already holding an endowed Chair, the Robert O. Lawton Award, Daisy Parker Flory Award, or have been previously awarded the Distinguished Professor Award are not eligible.

Are there requirements for a time extension on my award?

Time extensions require the prior approval of a representative of the CRC. Any request and justification for a time extension should be submitted to the Time Extension + Budget Amendment Submission page at least 30 days prior to the award expiration date; extension requests submitted within 30 days of the award end date may be rejected without review. Only one time extension is permitted per project; if the project budget is in good standing, a 90-day extension will be automatically granted upon request. Time extension requests for greater than 90 days will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

What are the Standard Terms and Conditions of a CRC award?

The following Terms and Conditions are applicable to all proposal-based awards issued by the Council on Research + Creativity unless otherwise noted in the program RFP.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

• CRC grant funds may only be used to support research and creative activity.
• Award funds may be used for such expenses as project-related travel, production of a body of work, supplies, etc.; faculty salary is allowable in some programs.
• Project-related travel is allowed on most CRC grants; however, travel is restricted to necessary and direct support of the research conducted as part of the proposed work. Conference or workshop attendance for the purpose of presenting research or creative activities is not permitted, with some exceptions allowable for the Arts + Humanities Program Enhancement Grant program. If awarded, any travel plan alterations must receive prior approval by a representative of the CRC before the travel occurs.
• Computers and computing equipment purchases are not allowed on CRC grants.
• Book subventions cannot be funded by CRC grants, with the exception of the Small Grants Program.
• Equipment purchases are not allowed on CRC grants, with the exception of the Equipment + Infrastructure Enhancement Grant program.
• CRC grants may support a stipend for a student hired on a grant; matriculation and tuition fees cannot be paid for by CRC funds. Student travel cannot be funded by CRC grants.
• Faculty members who receive CRC funds during sabbatical will be asked to repay those funds if they terminate employment with FSU during the year following the award. In addition, summer funding (First Year Assistant Professor and Summer Research Support programs) will not be awarded to faculty planning to leave the university immediately following the award period; if grant funds have been used prior to award termination, it will be necessary for the PI to repay the spent funds.

CHANGES TO PROJECT:

• The CRC approved the scope of work as submitted with the proposal. The written approval of a representative of the CRC is required prior to implementing any change to the scope of work. Actions likely to be considered a change of scope include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Change in the goals or specific aims approved at the time of the award;
  • Any change from the approved use of animals or human subjects;
  • Shifting the emphasis of the research from one area or another; or
  • Transferring the performance of substantive programmatic work to a third party by contract or any other means.
• Scope of work violations may result in loss of CRC funding eligibility for multiple years.

BUDGET AMENDMENTS:

• The CRC approved the project budget as submitted with the proposal. Budget deviations greater than 10% per budget line item (cumulatively) require the prior written approval of a representative of the CRC.
  • Budget revisions should be requested via the Budget Amendment Form. The Budget Amendment form, which can be downloaded from the CRC Forms page or the submission request page, must be electronically signed by the PI and submitted via the Time Extension + Budget Amendment Submission page. Here's an example of a completed Budget Amendment form. Please note that the CRC Budget Amendment form is not the same as the Sponsored Research Budget Amendment form.
  • If the budget revision is approved by a representative of the CRC, the OMNI Project Budget will be modified to reflect the newly-approved categories and amounts. 
  • Budget amendment requests must be approved before any changes can occur. You may not submit an amendment request after the fact, and all budget amendment requests must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the award end date. Requests submitted less than 30 days prior to the end of the award period may be rejected without review.
  • Budget amendments are limited to two per award.
• The CRC reserves the right to withdraw remaining funds from a project if unauthorized spending occurs, and may also require misspent funds to be repaid by the PI/Department.  
• Budget violations may result in loss of CRC funding eligibility for multiple years. Penalties will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

TIME EXTENSIONS:

• No cost extensions (limit 1 per award) require the prior approval of a representative of the CRC. 
• Requests for a time extension, along with justification, should be submitted to the Time Extension + Budget Amendment Submission page at least 30 days prior to the award expiration date. Requests submitted less than 30 days prior to the end of the award period may be rejected without review.
• Your request will be reviewed, and you will be notified of the decision via email. Generally requests will be determined 4 - 6 weeks after submission, but times may vary due to the CRC programmatic calendar.

PROGRAM-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS: Certain CRC programs restrict the uses of funds in various ways; consult the RFP for your specific award program to be sure you understand these particular restrictions.

If I receive a FYAP, is the $20,000 provided to me in a lump sum?

No. The maximum award amount of $20,000 for the FYAP program will be disbursed over the award period through the bi-weekly pay cycle. Deductions and fringe benefits will be paid from the total amount as they would in a typical paycheck. 

Any funds not budgeted for salary will be available on a cost-reimbursable basis as shown on the approved budget summary.

Is advanced spending allowed on my CRC award?

No. Funds cannot be advanced prior to your award's start date. However, if you will be using a portion of your award to book travel, you may create a Travel Authorization utilizing your CRC award's OMNI project number prior to the start date. Keep in mind, though, that travel charges must be incurred within the award period. Similarly, cash advances for participant support are allowed within the award period.

Is "boilerplate" language available for me to acknowledge my CRC award in my publications?

Yes.  Please use the following statement if you wish to acknowledge your award in future publications:

This work has been made possible in part through the support of the FSU Council on Research and Creativity (Proposal Title; Award Program, Award Year).

What are the requirements for Research Compliance?

The requirements for FSU's research compliance varies by area, and the general process is as follows:

Vertebrate Animal Use:

• If Vertebrate Animals are involved in the project, and the proposal is awarded, the PI will be responsible for completing the steps outlined on the Laboratory Animal Resources (LAR) website at: https://lar.fsu.edu/animal-research-at-fsu/ . Once the approval letter is obtained, please submit it to the CRC at: RSCH-CRC@fsu.edu. The average business days from submission to approval for full protocol submissions varies between 29 and 47 days and is dependent on investigator response to committee queries. If the research has already been approved at the time of the application, enter the Protocol Number, and attach the ACUC approval letter with your proposal. The project budget will not be set up until the ACUC has approved the protocol associated with the project.

Human Subjects Use:

• If Human Subjects are involved in the project, and the proposal is awarded, the PI is responsible for submitting their study to the FSU IRB through RAMP: https://myramp.research.fsu.edu/ , then submitting the approval to the CRC at: RSCH-CRC@fsu.edu. IRB approval may take on average 40 days. For more information, visit the Office for Human Subjects Protection website: https://www.research.fsu.edu/research-offices/ohsp/grant-applications-funding-the-irb/ohsp-guidance-on-post-award-funded-projects/ . The project budget will not be set up until the Human Subjects Committee has approved the protocol associated with the project.

DNA/RNA Use:

• If DNA/RNA Use is involved in the project, the PI will be responsible for obtaining approval from the Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Board and submitting the approval to the CRC at: RSCH-CRC@fsu.edu. The process and specific forms to fill out are available on the EH&S website at https://www.safety.fsu.edu/safety_manual/ . The project budget will not be set up until EHS has approved the project.

Radioactive Materials Use:

• If Radioactive Materials will be used in the project, the PI will be responsible for obtaining approval from the Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Board and submitting the approval to the CRC at: RSCH-CRC@fsu.edu. The process and specific forms to fill out are available on the EH&S website at https://www.safety.fsu.edu/safety_manual/ . The project budget will not be set up until EHS has approved the project.

Hazardous Chemicals Use:

• If Hazardous Chemicals will be used in the project, the PI will be responsible for obtaining approval from the Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Board and submitting the approval to the CRC at: RSCH-CRC@fsu.edu. The process and specific forms to fill out are available on the EH&S website at https://www.safety.fsu.edu/safety_manual/ . The project budget will not be set up until EHS has approved the project.

Select Agents Use:

• If Select Agents will be used in the project, the PI will be responsible for obtaining approval from the Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Board and submitting the approval to the CRC at: RSCH-CRC@fsu.edu. The process and specific forms to fill out are available on the EH&S website at https://www.safety.fsu.edu/safety_manual/ . The project budget will not be set up until EHS has approved the project.

Nanomaterials Use:

• If Nanomaterials will be used in the project, the PI will be responsible for obtaining approval from the Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Board and submitting the approval to the CRC at: RSCH-CRC@fsu.edu. The process and specific forms to fill out are available on the EH&S website at https://www.safety.fsu.edu/safety_manual/ . The project budget will not be set up until EHS has approved the project.

Marine Lab Use:

• If the project involves the use of the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory (FSUCML) facilities or personnel, and the proposal is awarded, the PI will be responsible for submitting a "Proposed Research Plan", including copies of all permits, and the support required from the laboratory, to Cullen Morris: ccmorris@fsu.edu. The approval must then be submitted to the CRC at: RSCH-CRC@fsu.edu. Information about the FSUCML research approval process can be found at: https://marinelab.fsu.edu/research/research-guide/ . The project budget will not be set up until the FSUCML has approved the project.

Compressed Air Diving (ADP) Use:

• If the project involves Compressed Air Diving, and the proposal is awarded, the PI will be responsible for submitting a detailed dive plan for approval by Chris Peters (FSUCML Diving Safety Officer/Program Manager) and the full Dive Control Board to: cpeters@fsu.edu. The approval must then be submitted to the CRC at: RSCH-CRC@fsu.edu. Information about ADP may be found at http://www.marinelab.fsu.edu/marineops/diving/. The project budget will not be set up until the Dive Control Board has approved the project.