Research and Sponsored Programs

1. Kaufman Foundation New Investigator Grant – LOI is due March 21, 2023 – reach out to Andrea Morris for questions.
2. Kaufman Foundation New Initiative Grant – LOI is due March 21, 2023 - reach out to Andrea Morris for questions.
3. Spencer Foundation Small Research Grants application is due April 5, 2023 - reach out to Catherine Spaur for questions.
4. MRI Pre-Proposals due 7/1/23 - reach out to Andrea Morris for questions.

This opportunity has passed but please check back again next year for a similar opportunity!

InfoReady link

In recognition of the importance of faculty directed research and creative activities, Dr. Lorraine Bernotsky, Executive Vice President and Provost, has committed funds to support the Provost Research Grant (PRG). In keeping with the university’s mission to develop graduates who will “succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good,” the PRG encourages faculty applicants to include a model for student/faculty collaboration in their proposals and all proposals must demonstrate student impact.

• Grants may be awarded up to $10,000 (including winter or summer salary)
• Approximately 10-14 awards will be made
• The funding period may be up to 2 years
• Winter/summer salary will be based on the Collective Bargaining Agreement

Program Purpose:

The purpose of the PRG grant is to support faculty research, scholarship, and the production of scholarly/creative outputs; all of which must demonstrate student impact.

Eligibility:

All tenured and tenure-track faculty are eligible for awards on a competitive basis. Continuing non-tenure-track faculty members are encouraged to apply with a tenured or tenure-track faculty member if the latter is the primary grantee. Temporary faculty must indicate that they expect to be employed at WCU during the grant period.

Scope:

It is expected that all projects will enhance the professional development of the faculty members involved and demonstrate student impact. Priority will be given to activities and expenses to the extent that they meet one or more of the following criteria:

• The project generates a discernible research or creative activity output whose value is recognized externally within appropriate disciplinary frameworks or forums.
• The project’s results can be brought directly into the classroom in alignment with WCUs Teacher-Scholar model.
• The project leads to full development of proposals for submission to external funding agencies.

This opportunity has passed but please check back again next year for a similar opportunity!

InfoReady link

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Faculty Professional Development Council (FPDC) was established by Board of Governors’ Policy 1985-06-A, “to encourage continuous attention to the professional growth and development of System faculty as teaching scholars.” The Council has addressed a wide range of faculty interests, needs, and talents, and provides professional development opportunities for faculty at all levels and in all disciplines and professional fields. The FPDC Annual Grant Program is intended to provide professional growth opportunities for individual faculty incorporated with the three strategic priorities of the Board of Governors in the System Redesign, which includes a strong focus on projects that encourage student success.

This opportunity has passed but please check back again next year for a similar opportunity!

The West Chester University Office of Research and Sponsored Programs invites you to apply for the Campus Sustainability Research and Creative Activity (CSRCA) Grant. This program supports faculty efforts to investigate and develop sustainability-related research projects on campus. Funding preference will be given to proposals that specifically address and work to realize one or more goals of WCU’s Climate Action Plan while fostering collaboration between members of the WCU community (faculty, students, and staff) and promoting the concept of the university as a living laboratory/artistic space. The CSRCA encourages faculty applicants to include a model for student/faculty collaboration in their proposals. All proposals must demonstrate student impact.

Amount of Award: Proposals will be funded for up to $2,000.00. Each applicant may submit one proposal per funding cycle. An applicant may not be listed as a team member on multiple applications during the same funding cycle.

• Funding will be made available November 30, 2022
• All awarded funds must be used by June 15, 2023

Eligibility:

All tenured and tenure-track faculty are eligible for awards on a competitive basis. Continuing non-tenure-track faculty members and staff are encouraged to apply with a tenured or tenure-track faculty member if the latter is the primary investigator and grantee. Temporary faculty must indicate that they expect to be employed at WCU during the grant period.

Application:

Faculty applicants must submit a 250-word abstract that concisely summarizes the planned project by 11:30 pm on Tuesday, November 1, 2022. This proposal abstract must specify which aspect(s) of the Climate Action Plan the project addresses and indicate how the funds will be utilized. For research projects, the research questions(s) should be identified and research methodologies should be summarized. For creative activities, the artistic vision and the approach for realizing this vision should be described. The abstract should also identify the Principal Investigator and any student interns or faculty/staff collaborators. Your one-page application must be submitted to this link: https://wcupa.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1783247.

Important Dates:

Semi-finalists will be invited to present their proposals for comment and revision to a panel during the week of November 14, 2022. Presentations are limited to 15 minutes.

The WCU Office of Sustainability will notify grant awardees by Tuesday, November 30, 2022.

What is an indirect cost (IDC)?

Indirect costs are the expenses associated with doing business on WCU’s campus. These are generally referred to as “overhead costs” or “general management costs.” Some examples of indirect costs across campus include utilities, building maintenance, staff time in the Offices of Research and Sponsored Programs and Finance and Administration, etc.

General management costs are necessary for any grant/contract to exist; however, without the indirect cost rate, there would be no standard way for each award to contribute its share of those costs. WCU’s federally negotiated indirect cost rate ensures an efficient way to recover a share of those general management costs. Therefore, when faculty submit applications for external funding, IDC costs are included in the budget, unless dictated as unallowable by the funder.

What is the IDC rate?

WCU’s federally negotiated IDC rate, as decided by the Department of Health and Human Services, is 39%. This is not a percentage that is chosen by ORSP.

Does the federally negotiated rate always have to be used?

When indirect costs are permitted to be collected, WCU will use its rate of 39%. The exception to this rule is when a funder caps the indirect cost percentage. For example, the Spencer Foundation limits all indirect costs to 15%. WCU will then use that capped amount, rather than the federally negotiated rate.

Does WCU ever waive indirect costs?

No. If indirect costs are permitted to be collected, whether at the federally negotiated rate or a capped rate, those costs must be included.

How are IDC funds calculated?

The IDC rate is a percentage of all direct costs. For example, if supplies are included in the grant budget, then an additional percentage would be included on those supplies to cover the indirect costs.

• Lab Supplies for $1,000 x 39% = $1,390 is the total budget

As the direct costs of the budget are spent and invoiced, the applicable indirect costs are also calculated and invoiced. Indirect costs are never received up front, they are accrued as the budget is spent.

Who receives the IDC funds?

The WCU Policy on Allocation of IDC Recovery from Externally Funded Grants/Contract Awards specifies the distribution of the total recovered IDC as follows:

Allocated To	%
Principal Investigator	15%
Office of the Dean of Academic Colleges/Division/Program	10%
Office of the Chairperson of Department/Unit within a College/Division/Program	10%
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs	55%
Office of Finance and Business Services	10%

How do I receive my indirect costs?

Cost Centers will be created for all Principal Investigators where their IDC funds (15%) are deposited. The Principal Investigator is the manager of the cost center. If a Principal Investigator does not currently have an IDC cost center, one will be created for them. Notification will be sent from the Office of Finance and Business Services. Typically, the cost center is created within three months of the start of the grant.

As invoices are paid, the recovered indirect costs will be split and deposited into cost centers, as specified by the WCU Policy on Allocation of IDC Recovery for Externally Funded Grants/Contract Awards.

• Example: $500 of Lab Supplies are spent in a month x 39% = $695 is invoiced to the funder for reimbursement:
• $500 in Supplies
• $195 in indirect costs
• Of that $195 of indirect costs recovered, 15% of it ($29.25) will be deposited into the Principal Investigator’s IDC cost center.

The Principal Investigator will be alerted annually as to the amount in their IDC cost center, along with a reminder of how those funds may be used.

Each Dean and Chairperson has their own assigned IDC cost center and funds are deposited as specified by the percentages in the WCU Policy.

How can IDC funds be used?

IDC funds can be used on any allowable expense to support the faculty’s research agenda, including the current project and any additional research the faculty member is conducting. Allowable expenses may include the following:

• Student wages
• Materials and supplies
• Travel
• Publication costs
• Conference registration
• Tech or equipment to support research

If you have any questions related to allowable expenses, please contact your grants specialist (Catherine Spaur or Andrea Morris).

Is there a time limit to spend IDC funds?

No, IDC funds do not typically expire; however, it is highly encouraged that IDC cost centers show consistent usage, as they are an available financial resource. Faculty, Chairpersons, and Deans may save funds for a specific purchase, but it is recommended that those plans be shared with the supervisor. Although uncommon, the university can reclaim IDC funds due to extenuating circumstances.

How does the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs use IDC funds?

IDC funds received by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs are used to provide and supplement programming and activities across campus that promote, support, and encourage research and creative activity. A few examples of programming and activities include:

• WCU-CARES
• Word-Works
• IRB
• InfoReady
• Professional Development

Need help with any of the following publishing tasks?

• Proofreading
• Citation Formatting
• Copyediting
• Documentation Conversion

Whether you need help with proofreading, copy-editing, formatting citations, or creating an index, WCU Word Works can make these aspects of the publishing process easier for you. Its trained WCU MA English and Publishing Certificate graduate students are now available to handle your publication needs.

Please email Dr. Eleanor Shevlin (eshevlin@wcupa.edu) for more information or a consultation about your project.

InfoReady is an automated workflow system used by WCU as its proposal management system for external and internal funding opportunities to support research. All externally submitted proposals must have chair, dean and provost approval before submission. Faculty may request approval for external grant applications via InfoReady. Internal grants such as the Provost Research Grant, Campus Sustainability Research and Creative Activity Grant and college opportunities may be applied via InfoReady.

Dual Compensation Instructions

These forms are very tedious but are not hard as long as you complete it step-by-step, line by line!
Forms must be completed and submitted BEFORE the work is actually done.

1. Fill out the Dual Comp Request form.
2. Follow the on-screen directions to open a new request form.

Completing the Request for Dual Compensation Form

1. Name and Title, employee
2. Dates of Dual Employment, this must be completed.
3. Number of hours
4. Description of Employment Duties/Responsibilities – Very Brief description of the work you will be doing
5. Dual Compensation Employer is WCU
6. Department is Your Department
7. Total Request: (do not include fringe benefits in this number)
8. Print a copy for your records and hit submit, which sends the form to HR.

Once approved, HR sends an excel version of the dual comp form. You will need to fill out the form from HR (see below) and submit to your Chair the approval email with the electronic form attached, so save this email.**

Finalizing the Request for Dual Compensation Form

1. Name and Title, employee (HOME/ Department) SAP ID # is NOT your PeopleSoft Number. You can find your SAP number on your payroll stub (look at ESS, online pay stub)
2. Home SAP Fund Center: click on the drop down, this must be filled in with your department’s SAP Cost Center, ask the department chair if you are not sure what this 10 digit number is.
3. Dates of Dual employment will be the same as previously entered
4. Type your name and date in the employee (Person receiving the Dual Comp) section
5. Under to be completed by Employer, enter the SAP Fund Center where the funds paying your dual comp are housed.
6. SAVE THIS FORM. Attach this form to the original approval email ** and route it to the chair. Let the chair know that they must email the form, (after they type in their name and date (In 2 places 1- under Chair, 2- under Authorizing Signature) and save it), to the Dean. The dean or budget manager signs (In both places where Dean is indicated) and emails the form to Provost – Dual compensation (type provost in the TO: on email and this address will pop up).
7. The Provost’s office will then route everything—original email with HR’s approval, completely signed form to Payroll and you will receive an email stating that the Payroll office received it and when to expect the compensation.

Please use this link to go to the New Student Payroll Portal. The Portal will contain links to the Excel based Student Payroll form, as well as a link to the new Submission form. FAQs, training guides and other resources are also available on the Portal page.

Follow this link for info describing the student hiring process . If you have any further questions, contact StudentPayroll@wcupa.edu.

All purchases must be made using SourcePoint. SourcePoint is the Procurement software platform which integrates directly with the SAP financial system. Visit this link for more information. You may also visit the PASSHE's SourcePoint Portal site to get the latest information for training, FAQs, Policies and Procedures, etc.

(PLEASE NOTE: You must be logged onto the VPN to access the PASSHE Portal site). SourcePoint Training Dates and Registration can be found on the university's FAST Training site.

Please access this link to find a listing of the various forms you can utilize to request services from the Finance and Business office. This office is designed to streamline and expedite business processes for university employees. Forms include: Fund Center \ Cost Center Maintenance, Travel Reimbursement, Expense Transfers, Budget Transfers, etc. Select the form you are interested in using to see a description of what it will do for you. A direct link to the form will be shown. These forms are only available to WCU employees (students cannot access them).

For further information, please contact Accounts Payable, invoices@wcupa.edu.

PIVOT is a subscription database that contains funding opportunities from over 11,500 sponsors and provides the ability for WCU faculty, students, and staff to identify and connect to the most comprehensive source of Federal, State, and private sector funding opportunities. PIVOT also enables researchers to identify potential research partners inside or outside WCU. Successful matches require researchers to claim and update their PIVOT profiles so that they accurately reflect research interests.

If you have never logged into PIVOT before:

1. Go to the “Use login from my institution” box and click the drop down arrow
2. Select West Chester University
3. Enter your WCU username and password
4. Begin searching

Helpful PIVOT Resources:

Claiming & Using your Profile

Quick Search Guide - Faculty & Staff

Quick Search Guide - Student

Funding Search Tips