Proffitt Internal Grant Competition

Proffitt Internal Grant Competition

Deadline: December 2, 2024
(Awards will be announced by mid-February)

The School of Education is soliciting applications for the Maris M. Proffitt and Mary Higgins Proffitt Endowment Grants. Consistent with regulations of the Endowment, the grants are to be used to support research related to teaching, learning and curriculum that have implications for early childhood, elementary or secondary education. Quality of the research is the primary criterion for award of the fellowships. Priority will be given to pre-tenure faculty members but all faculty members are encouraged to apply.

Members of the Research, Development & External Partnerships Committee evaluate each proposal and determine which studies to be funded by the Proffitt Endowment.

Proffitt Internal Grant Competition Guidelines

  1. The project director must hold a regular tenure track academic appointment in the Indiana University IUB or IUPUI School of Education, at the rank of assistant professor or higher or have an appointment as clinical faculty.
  2. Proposed research studies must be related to teaching, learning or curriculum, and have implications for early childhood, elementary or secondary education. A brief statement in the proposal should make clear how the proposed research is consistent with the intent of the Endowment.
  3. This competition is intended to support research related to developing faculty research programs. Proposals should make clear how the proposed research study is a part of, and contributes to, a larger research program. Proposals should make clear how the research, if funded, will enhance the likelihood of obtaining external funding to support the continuation of the applicant’s research program or, if external funding is not likely, how the research program could continue without such funding. The committee recommends that proposals that have a likelihood of obtaining external funding indicate which agency may fund the continuation, what programs would be targeted, contacting agency program officers and indicating the specific feedback given to them by the program officers in the proposal.
  4. Priority will be given to pre-tenure faculty or faculty starting a new line of research or are not currently funded in the area.
  5. Each budget submitted should meet the following criteria:
    1. Budgets may not exceed $25,000 and are limited to a maximum funding period of 12 months. The maximum funding will be proportional to the length of the project. All projects will begin between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024 and end within 12 months of the starting date.
    2. No more than one Graduate Research Assistant (GA) at .50% FTE, 20 hrs/wk, will be supported (limited to a 10-month appointment instead of a possible 12-month appointment).
    3. If support for a graduate research assistant is included in the proposed budget, a limited fee scholarship will be awarded in addition to the $25,000. A fee scholarship of up to 12 semester hours is available for each of Semester I and Semester II. Fee scholarships are proportional to the time the student is appointed on the project.
    4. Budget requests may not include salary/stipends to faculty members.
    5. Purchase of equipment is not generally encouraged but will be considered.
    6. Professional travel may be included.
    7. Budget must include printing cost of one poster for internal grants poster session.

You are required to submit your budget to Sean Price at caprice@iu.edu in the R&D Office for review and feedback prior to submission of a proposal.

  1. Proposals must be concise and must not exceed ten 8 ½ x 11 double-spaced pages with one-inch margins on the top, bottom and sides, using 12 point font (12 characters per inch). Font size does not apply to charts, tables, figures and graphs.
  2. An abstract, bibliography, budget, and budget justification, including a project timeline, should be attached to the proposal but are not counted in the ten-page limit. Other materials may be attached but will be read at the discretion of the reviewers.
  3. Over-budgeted and over-length proposals will be returned to the applicant for prompt revisions. A revision deadline will be announced and must be met in order to qualify for committee review.
  4. If a proposal is concurrently submitted for review by any other funding source(s), the other funding source(s) must be noted on the proposal. If you have received Proffitt funding in the past five years, a copy of the final report must be on file in the R&D Office and one copy should be included with your proposal. If you have a currently active Proffitt grant, you must include a brief summary of the status of the project with the proposal.
  5. All proposed studies involving the use of human subjects must have a completed "research protocol involving human subjects" approved by the campus committee before funding will be released.

The members of the RD&EP Committee apply the following criteria in their evaluations of the research study proposals and look for specific discussion of each criterion in the proposal:

  1. Proffitt Endowment criteria:
    • Is the proposed research study one that is related to teaching, learning or curriculum and that has implications for early childhood, elementary or secondary education? Does the proposal explain this relationship?
  2. Significance of the Study:
    • Does it seem likely that the proposed research study will make a clear contribution to the knowledge base in the relevant field of study?
    • Is attention given to the value of the findings to research in the field of study related to the topic of the research and/or to practical applications?
    • Will the study have potential for leading to external funding to support a continuation of the applicant’s research program?
  3. Study Method:
    • Is the problem statement clear?
    • Are the procedures clear and are they likely to answer the stated problem?
    • Are the analyses appropriate and thorough?
    • Is attention given to reasonableness of time and suitability of locale? d.
  4. Study Plan:
    1. Is the project likely to be completed within the time frame?
    2. Is the budget consistent with the scope of the project?
  5. What is the overall quality and originality of the proposal?
  6. Is the applicant a pre-tenure faculty or a tenured faculty starting a new line of research?

The RD&EP Committee would like to remind faculty that they may apply to EITHER the Proffitt Grant competition or the Proffitt Summer Faculty Fellowship but not both in any given year.

Reporting Requirements

A final report MUST be sent to the Office of Research and Development (randd@iu.edu) no later than six months after the conclusion of the award period. The final report form can be obtained from RD&I. Failure to complete the final report will make the grant PI ineligible to compete for any internal grant program. You will be expected to present your research at an upcoming School sponsored event.

Submission

Submission form