Sustainability & Climate Solutions Grant Program
PROGRAM UPDATE: Due to unforeseen delays, awards will not be announced until early June.
“Fostering interdisciplinary research opportunities to address sustainability and climate change issues.”
Sustainable practices and solutions aimed at addressing the climate crisis are crucial for long-term societal well-being, environmental health, and economic prosperity, and accomplishing these goals requires innovation and transformational change. FSU is dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary research that will play a critical role in documenting sustainability and climate change challenges, developing solutions (including utilizing FSU as a “living laboratory”), training the next generation of leaders, and creating a culture of innovation and change.
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Program Overview
The Sustainability and Climate Solutions program is a directive of the Florida State University Office of the President. Research proposals can focus on any aspect of sustainability (including the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability) or climate change (e.g., climate change mitigation, risk assessment and management, adaptation, resilience, public health, business management and entrepreneurship, government and public policies, and education). Interdisciplinary and collaborative proposals are strongly preferred.
Recipients will be expected to pursue external grant funding at the conclusion of the funded project, using the project outcomes as a catalyst for larger external grants and research initiatives.
Applications will be submitted utilizing the Council on Research & Creativity (CRC) application portal. NOTE: This is not a CRC program and will not be administered by the CRC.
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Important Dates
PROGRAM UPDATE: Due to unforeseen delays, awards will not be announced until early June.
Application website opens – December 5, 2022
Proposal Submission Deadline – February 9, 2023 @ 4:59 pm
Award Notification – April 2023
Award Start Date – May 15, 2023
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Investigator Eligibility
- All full-time, active-status FSU faculty (and FAMU-appointed Engineering faculty), including tenured and tenure track faculty and research faculty, are eligible to apply, following the same eligibility criteria as CRC grant programs.
- Proposals can have up to 5 Co-PIs in addition to the lead PI. Postdoctoral researchers, graduate students and undergraduate students cannot apply as PIs or Co-PIs but are encouraged to contribute to proposals and can be supported on the funds.
- Current members of the Review Committee are not eligible to apply as PIs or Co-PIs.
- There is no limit on the number of proposals on which a faculty member can participate, but it is highly unlikely that the Review Committee will fund more than one project per laboratory team or research group.
- Awardees in the 2022-2023 inaugural award cycle will not be eligible for any future cycles of this grant program until their existing grant has concluded.
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Review Criteria
The Review Committee, composed of FSU faculty members, will evaluate applications on the following:
- Intellectual merit
- Inter- and multi-disciplinarity
- Innovation
- Likely impact on all dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social, economic)
- Justification of requested funds
- Potential to lead to future external funding
The merits of the proposal should be clear to both experts in the applicant’s field as well as a cross-disciplinary audience.
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Available Funding
The total available funds will be up to $1,000,000 in 2022-2023, and applicants may apply for up to $150,000 payable over one or two years, as specified by the applicant in their proposal. The Office of Research Development and Office of the Vice President for Research reserve the right to terminate any grant at any time for cause.
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Award Timeline
- The application portal will open on December 5, 2022.
- Full proposals are due on February 9, 2023 at 4:59pm.
- Award decisions will be made in April 2023.
- Funding availability will begin May 15, 2023.
- Reports of research progress and spending will be due from award recipients one year after initial receipt of funds (no later than June 30, 2024).
- Final reports will be due within 60 days after the award end date.
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Application Requirements
Applications for funding from the Sustainability and Climate Solutions Grant Program will be submitted utilizing the Council on Research & Creativity (CRC) application portal. NOTE: This is not a CRC program and will not be administered by the CRC. You will be asked to submit the following information and documentation by February 9, 2023:
Proposal Transmittal
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- The Proposal Transmittal document will be generated from the information entered into the submission portal.
- This information will include the proposal title, PI’s name and department affiliation, and the name(s) and department affiliation(s) of any Co-PI(s).
- If a staff member from your department will be assisting with the submission process, you can grant them proposal editing or view-only access by adding a “Proposal Contact” to your application.
Abstract
This section is completed within the program application portal. The abstract cannot exceed 250 words.
Curriculum Vitae/ Biosketch
A biosketch or CV is required for the Principal Investigator (PI), Co-Investigators (Co-PI), Collaborators, and all other named team members. The CV must be no longer than 2 pages at no less than 12-point font, with 1-inch margins. All CVs must be submitted in PDF format. Applicants are encouraged but not required to use this template.
Current & Pending Support: Applicants must use the form (CRC system) to summarize active and pending support (internal and external contracts and grants) for the Principal Investigator and any Co-PIs.
Budget
This section is completed within the program application portal. Funds may be requested for up to $150,000. Use the tips below as a guide for your specific budget items:
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- All expenses must be itemized.
- Non-allowable expenses include:
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- Student tuition and/or matriculation fees
- Renovation costs
- Indirect Costs/ F&A
- Faculty salary is only allowable for 9-month faculty, and only for summer support; faculty on a 12-month appointment cannot request salary support.
- Personnel costs should include appropriate fringe rates.
- Any travel costs must adhere to FSU travel policies.
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Proposal
The Proposal Text cannot exceed eight (8) pages (not including references/citations or appendices). Pages must be formatted with 1-inch margins, single-spaced, and utilize 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font; text in figures may be less than 12-point font, but must still be legible. This template is strongly recommended but is not required. Only a PDF version of your proposal will be accepted.
The proposal should be understandable to reviewers from any discipline; field-specific jargon and acronyms are discouraged unless clearly defined within the text. Supplementary materials, such as citations and images/figures, may be attached to the Proposal Text as appendices. Applicants are not required to include any supplementary information, and reviewers are not required to consider this information in their evaluation. The Proposal Text must address the following:
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- Project Goals and Objectives: Describe the project or issue your proposal will address. Briefly describe the goals and/or objectives of the project.
- Research Methods/ Creative Activities: Describe the research methods and/or creative activities that will be undertaken, including scientific or creative objectives, data or materials to be used, and methods of analysis or performance of the project.
- Significance of Intended Outcomes: Describe the basis for the evaluation of results and/or conclusions, the importance of these outcomes/conclusions, and the significance or contribution of your project to the field and/or society.
- Cross-Unit/ Interdisciplinary Collaboration: This section is not required, but is encouraged. Identify the partners (departments, programs, and/or individuals) in the multidisciplinary alliance, if applicable, noting their role(s) in the project.
- Future Funding: Describe how the proposed research and/or creative activity will enhance the prospects for future external funding. List anticipated outside funding sources to support follow-up activity, including specific grant programs, the goals of those programs, and the amount of funding available. List the approximate date(s) by which you intend to request external funding from one or more of the funding sources you identified.
- Schedule of Project Activities: Provide a statement indicating the amount of progress anticipated during the grant period and the intended schedule for completion of the plan, including start and completion dates of major project activities, publications, performances, etc. If appropriate, briefly describe the related research and/or creative activities that will take place before and after the grant period.
- Budget: Provide a detailed, clear budget explanation and justification of all proposed expenses. The information should mirror the items listed on your budget in the submission portal but should be significantly more detailed. The description should be narrative in nature and should include quantifiable financial information. Proposed spending should meet the standards of FSU travel and procurement policies.
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Research Compliance
All recipients of a Sustainability and Climate Solutions grant must comply with all University policies governing the conduct of research including, but not limited to, the use of animals, human subjects, hazardous materials, and export controls. Please address plans to comply with any relevant policies in the Proposal Text.
Research activities requiring compliance review and approvals require the completion and submission of forms to the appropriate FSU department or group. You must seek and receive approval before such research is attempted and before any funds can be released, if awarded. See Human Subjects, Animal Care and Use Committee, Environmental Health & Safety, or Research Compliance for other compliance requirements that may apply to your research or performance plan. Grant awardees will not receive funds until all relevant compliance reviews and approvals have been granted.
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Proposal Submission Process
- Navigate to the CRC Submissions Portal and logon using your FSU username and password.
- Start a new proposal by selecting the Sustainability & Climate Solutions grant program listed under the Apply tab. Complete all the sections and upload each of the required elements.
- You will have the ability to submit/save your proposal elements and update/edit them until the posted deadline for the program.
- Proposals with incomplete required fields will not be able to submit for Chair/Dean approval until all required fields are completed. Minor changes can still be made to the proposal after it has been submitted for Chair/Dean approval.
- Once the application is submitted, the Directors/Chairs and Deans of the PI and Co-PI(s) will be contacted automatically via email for approval of the submission. Please provide sufficient time for electronic approvals prior to the proposal deadline. It is advisable to check on the availability of those who are required to approve your application if you are intending to submit close to the deadline.
- Directors, Chairs, and Deans have 24 hours after the proposal deadline to electronically approve applications. Submissions that lack the necessary approvals within the provided time will be disqualified and will not be reviewed.