Month: February 2018

Clemson University faculty are encouraged to apply for internal funding under the Clemson SEED program to support the initiation of research or the completion of a scholarly project or product. 

Clemson SEED (Support for Early Exploration and Development) provides two tiers of funding. Priority consideration is given to faculty who may not have large start-up packages or significant financial research support and resources.

In Tier-1 awards, projects or products for completion can include finalizing peer-reviewed publications, scholarly books, chapters in books, or showings as in the case of the visual and performing arts.

Tier-2 initiation awards must include a proposal to an external funding agency as one of its deliverables. Initiation activities can include establishing baseline data, completing a phase of a research project that will lead to greater funding opportunities or developing research partnerships with collaborators at other institutions.

The deadline to apply for a Clemson SEED grant is March 7. Full details are available online.

Last year’s SEED grants supported work by faculty in every college. A full list of last year’s recipients is available online here.

Clemson SEED is one of four R-Initiative funding opportunities available this semester. The R-Initiative funds are part of the ClemsonForward strategic plan, representing the “R” of the REAL priorities – Research, Engagement, the Academic core and the Living environment.

For details, guidelines and instructions for applying, visit the R-Initiatives webpage. Questions should be directed to Diana Thrasher in the Division of Research at dianas@clemson.edu or 864-656-6444.

Hit the Ground Running 

Welcome back! As you all prepare for another successful semester, I want to remind you of ways to engage with the Division of Research to ensure your research advances smoothly, to encourage you to apply for internal funding under the University’s R-Initiatives, and to invite you to join me at the Watt Family Innovation Center for a special event in May.

The deadline to apply for funding under the SUCCEEDS program is Feb. 14. Grants of up to $35,000 are available to position inter-disciplinary faculty teams to compete in major external funding opportunities. Don’t miss the opportunity to collaborate with your colleagues and advance your research. This is just one of four R-Initiatives providing funding this semester. Details are online here.

One of the roles of the Division of Research is to support your success by establishing research policies designed to make your work progress smoothly by mitigating various risk. I appreciate your adherence to these policies. Our website has a repository of Division of Research Policies at this page. We are working hard to update this page, so I encourage you to bookmark it as it will be your resource for policy updates. We expect several updates to the site soon. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact the Division of Research or one of its departments.

Additionally, our Conflict of Interest office is working hard to ensure you comply with federal requirements for grant proposals. More federal agencies are requiring researchers that submit grant requests to file annual conflict of interest disclosures. Additionally, the University requires all faculty to complete training on conflicts of interest every four years and to file a disclosure form. Currently, about 85 percent of faculty have completed this requirement. Thank you. The training takes around 30 minutes and will soon be moving to the University’s Bridge Training Management System. All of the information on these policies, training requirements and disclosure forms is available on the Conflict of Interest webpage.

I want to remind you that the Grants and Contracts Administration is now operating as part of Finance and Operations. The move better positions the University to identify and address potential risks before they result in reportable issues by putting the administration under the guidance of the office responsible for internal accounting controls, financial reporting, and coordination of external audits. The Grants and Contracts Administration continues to work very closely with the Division of Research and remains in its current Strom Thurmond Institute location. I appreciate the patience and support you’ve shown during the transition.

I am excited for us to continue our research growth this semester with even more collaboration across disciplines. Faculty from every college is invited to our 3rd Annual Clemson University Research Symposium 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 9 at the Watt Family Innovation Center. This event provides a platform for faculty from all colleges to tell their stories and find colleagues who may share similar or complementary interests. This is the venue to make the connections that lead to fruitful interdisciplinary collaborations. We have had fantastic participation at past symposiums, and I look forward to seeing you there this May.

Go Tigers!

Tanju