9:42 p.m.
Dear Faculty,
I received three questions about eligibility or procedures related to the RFP for COEHD
Research and Mentoring Awards that I distributed on Monday. I want to share those
questions and my responses with you all. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Michael
Questions and Answers (Set #1) Regarding College Research & Mentoring Awards
Takeaway 1: Faculty could be involved in both a Research Award and a Mentoring award, but
just not take the lead role on both. But faculty cannot be listed as involved in more than
one application per award. If a faculty member is involved in a secondary role (e.g. as
Co-Investigator or Co-PI) on a Research Award application submitted by another faculty who
is clearly identified as the PI, then the faculty who is secondary on the other PIs
Research Award application would both be eligible to receive the Mentoring Award and to
serve on the other PI’s Research Award project.
Faculty member’s question: “I have a questions about multiple submissions. I am thinking
about submitting an application for the mentoring award, but a pre-tenure colleague just
invited me to co-author a COEHD research award application as a co-PI. The guidelines say
that “Faculty will only be awarded one award, however, and by submitting both proposals
faculty are acknowledging their willingness to accept the award designated by the
committee.” Does that mean if I submit a mentoring award application and a research award
as a co-PI application I’ll only be considered for one of the two awards (even though I am
not the PI for the research award)?”
Takeaway 2: Funds may be used for summer RA/GRA appointments, because funds would have
been accounted for (encumbered and set aside for this purpose) before August, even if not
fully paid out until the end of August. The purpose of a July 31st spending date is to
avoid a rush of last-minute (“spend it or lose it”) charges and administrative activity in
August.
Faculty member’s question 2: “I was reviewing the guidelines for the COEHD faculty
research awards and saw that student expenses are an allowable expense but funds must be
spend by July 2019. Does that mean that summer RA’s or student works to assist in data
input and analysis would be allowable expenses?”
Takeaway/Answer 3: Faculty may include participants compensation in their awards, and
would not be penalized for doing so, as long as they propose a mechanism of
payment/distribution that does not require COEHD fiscal administrative staff to have to
process individual SIF forms and payment vouchers. For example, the use of gift cards that
are distributed by a secondary vendor (e.g., Giftbit.com) would not place an undue burden
on administrative staff at UTSA. PIs wanting to do this (or something like it that
similarly lessens the administrative burden of participant compensations) will need to
think through, plan, and describe their procedures for distributing incentives in a less
administratively burdensome manner than direct payments to individuals. We are working
right now to learn more about the use of online distribution methods for gift cards (e.g.,
Giftbit.com or Rewards Genius' Tango Card program automatically distributed via
Qualtrics), and we will share more information on this as we learn more (hopefully in the
next week or two). However, faculty will need to familiarize themselves with these or
other alternative methods and describe how they will use that approach in their proposal.
If gift cards or other such service is not feasible, then such costs should not be
included in the Award Budget, or the number of payments required be kept to a minimum, or
applicants may be include what is needed for their project with the knowledge that doing
so may disadvantage their application relative to others’.
Faculty member’s question 3: “I have a question about budget policy on page 3. I have been
doing clinical research with ___ patients, and would prepare a proposal for the COHED
faculty research award in this area of study. In clinical, lab-based studies like my past
studies, it is a common practice to pay for research participants (for their time and
effort). However, budget policy on page 3 indicates “Not prohibited but strongly
discouraged is the use of funds for participant expenses (i.e., multiple small payment)”.
So, should I not pay for research participants? If I incorporate subject payment in the
budget, would that almost disqualify my proposal for this grant program due to it? Can you
please share your thoughts about it? I am confused about what the sentence really
means.”
Michael J. Karcher, Ed.D., Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Research
Professor of Educational Psychology
College of Education and Human Development (COEHD)—UTSA
COEHD-Office of the Dean, MB 3.304D (Main Campus)
(210) 458-2032 (Direct); 458-2650 (Department); 458-5200 (Dean’s Office)
michael.karcher@utsa.edu<mailto:michael.karcher@utsa.edu>