Graduate Student Assistant Program

It is my pleasure to announce the establishment of the SJSU Foundation Graduate Student Assistant Program (GSAP). The GSAP offers an additional resource for faculty engaged in research by providing support for a graduate student assistant, while providing graduate students with hands-on research opportunities and experience.

The maximum award of $2,500 per year may be used for either graduate stipends or graduate student travel to professional conferences where the student is sole author or co-author with the faculty research mentor. The graduate assistant's efforts are expected to provide the faculty mentor increased time for the development of a research plan for a sponsored research proposal submission. (For example, a $2,500 stipend will support approximately 300 hours of graduate student assistant effort at an $8.00/hour pay rate).

The GSAP is administered by the SJSU Foundation. A measure of success of this program will be the increase in research proposals as a result of the student support provided to faculty. From the student's perspective, the valuable research experience and opportunity for authorship on publications will support student efforts for eventual acceptance into a doctoral program or finding a suitable job in industry after graduating from SJSU.

If you have any questions at this time regarding the GSAP please contact Jerri Carmo, Office of Sponsored Programs, at 4-1429. We look forward to receiving your applications.

From: Mary Sidney, Chief Operating Officer

It is my pleasure to formally announce the establishment of the SJSU Foundation Matching Funds Program. As discussed at the Provost's Forum in April, 1999, the Matching Funds Program is intended to support, increase, and diversify sponsored program activity at SJSU by providing increased resources to fund key project requirements, including faculty effort, equipment, or other costs. Junior faculty, faculty who have limited experience in grant proposal development and submissions, or faculty looking to develop programs in new research areas are particularly encouraged to apply. The program provides a cash match to selected proposals upon their receipt of external funding. Possible uses of the cash match include, but are not limited to:

• Faculty salary support on grants where the sponsor's budget maximum severely limits the level of faculty compensation possible
• Compensation to faculty on grants where sponsor policy prohibits overload compensation during the academic year
• Funding for specialized equipment needed for a project, without expending routine operating funds
• Cost-share opportunities for faculty who typically do not benefit from indirect cost allocations to departments and colleges.
• A demonstration of institutional cost-share when required by the sponsor.

Indirect cost revenues generated from the awards will more than offset the cost of the Matching Funds program, and are anticipated to provide for the continuance of the program in the future. Application procedures are provided on the following page. Please take time to read through the guidelines and determine if this program can be of benefit to you. If you have any questions, please contact Jerri Carmo, extension 4-1429, or your Sponsored Programs Manager.

Faculty Mentoring Program

A specific goal of the Foundation's Strategic Plan to Increase and Diversify Sponsored Program Activity is to provide resources to facilitate, broaden and expand proposal submission efforts. This goal can be further expanded by focusing on increasing the number of junior faculty engaged in sponsored program activity. The Faculty Mentoring Program (FMP) provides honoraria or discretionary funds to senior principal investigators working with junior faculty members to develop grant proposals. FMP will enhance SJSU's research capabilities by increasing grant and contract activity and providing outreach to faculty new to sponsored programs.

Process

Up to 16 faculty pairs will be selected for participation. The deans of the eight colleges will be contacted by the Foundation to solicit participation in the program. Working with faculty and Foundation staff, college deans will nominate one senior or highly experienced researcher and one junior faculty member to work collaboratively on the development of a funding proposal. An additional eight faculty pairs will be selected by the AVP for Graduate Studies and Research, in consultation with the Associate Dean GS&R, Faculty in Residence, and Chair of SPAC.

When a full proposal is submitted to a funding agency, the senior faculty will receive an honorarium of $1,000. Should the proposal receive funding, the senior and junior members will split an additional $1,000. For complex, interdisciplinary proposals involving a number of faculty members, both honoraria amounts will be $2,000. The funds to support this program are provided by the Foundation.

Proposal Development Assistance

The Foundation will provide a variety of resources in order to help faculty through the process. These resources will include identifying funding opportunities, facilitating meetings between program officers at funding agencies and faculty to discuss potential projects, interpreting guidelines, preparing budgets, forms, and other materials for proposal submission, obtaining university approvals, copying and mailing of proposal, etc.

Mechanism and Guidelines

Faculty chosen to participate in the Faculty Mentoring Program will need to be approved by the Dean of their respective college.

The senior faculty member of the pair must have relevant grant experience (serves/d as a PI or Co-Investigator on numerous grants, participates/d in peer reviews of grants, etc.) The senior PI should belong to the same college as the junior faculty member. Exceptions to these criteria can be made on a case-by-case basis, or when interdisciplinary proposals are selected.

The senior faculty member is expected to assist and provide direction to the junior faculty member throughout the entire process of submission. Tasks would include reviewing potential sponsors/programs for appropriateness, advising on strategies, tips, etc. in applying to certain agencies, assist with editing/critiquing drafts and final copy of proposal, etc. The pair can tailor the experience to meet the needs of the junior faculty member.

The junior faculty member must be willing to participate in the Faculty Mentoring Program and take an active role in pursuing grant opportunities.

The pair should initially meet with Foundation's Office of Sponsored Programs and the Faculty in Residence, as well as periodically to assess progress and determine if special services are needed.

The pair has one year from the first meeting with Foundation staff to submit a full proposal in order for the senior faculty member to receive incentive. Exceptions to this can be made on a case-by-case basis.

If the proposal is declined by the sponsoring agency, a one year extension can be made on a case-by-case basis depending on evaluative comments. This will assist the junior faculty member in the resubmission of the grant.

The proposal submitted must be a full proposal to a federal, state, private foundation, or profit-making entity. Letters of intent, letter proposals, capability statements, etc. do not qualify as submissions.

The pair can end their participation at any time during the year. Notification should be made to the Foundation staff member assigned to them as soon as possible.

For further information please contact Jerri Carmo, Director, Office of Sponsored Programs at (408)924-1429 or jcarmo@foundation.sjsu.edu.