Request for Proposals 2005-2006
- Introduction
In order to continue to move the university forward in new and exciting ways, we are continuing the Targeted Excellence
program. This initiative initially came about after the completion of a new strategic plan for the university and is
intended to complement our effort to become a Top-Ten Land Grant institution by making resources available "to
enhance those programs (primarily inter-disciplinary) with the most promise of elevating the university's stature."
Individuals interested in making a proposal for consideration should read and study carefully the Targeted Excellence
documents, especially Guiding Principles for University Excellence and Targeted Excellence Phase II:
Criteria, Standards, and Procedures for Funding Programs for University Excellence . These are found at the
Office of the Provost's website:
http://www.k-state.edu/provost/planning/targetexc/index.htm .
- Proposals
- General information
Requests for funding through the Targeted Excellence program will be judged according to guidelines
contained in the Targeted Excellence Phase II document referenced above. In addition, two broad,
overarching concepts will underlie the process of evaluation for each proposal, along with three subsidiary
considerations - (1) intellectual merit and the (2) potential for broader impact are of primary importance
and will be weighted equally; other factors, such as (3) benchmarks to measure success, (4) sustainability,
and (5) feasibility will also be considered. Review panels for pre-proposals and full proposals will be drawn
from within and outside the university, representing various disciplines, to include individuals conversant with
applied fields, the fine arts, humanities, and sciences (biological, physical, social). Committees evaluating full
proposals may include members from the pre-proposal review groups.
- Pre-proposals
Pre-proposals should be 3-5 pages in length, excluding references and curriculum vitae, and should
address the two overarching concepts and three subsidiary considerations listed above. Curriculum
vitae should not exceed 2 pages per person. Applicants should utilize the standard cover page that
includes (a) project title, (b) brief project description, (c) potential impact/intellectual merit,
(d) dollar amount requested, and (e) team members. The text of the pre-proposal should be in a
standard 12-point font, single-spaced, with one-inch margins all around. Pre-proposals should
include an estimated time frame and rough budget for the project, explaining whether items are
one-time or recurring. At this stage of the review process, sources of matching funds should be
listed but firm commitments are not yet required. The standard cover page should include (a) project title,
(b) brief project description, (c) potential impact/intellectual merit, (d) dollar amount requested, and (e) team members.
Applicants should list as many as three potential on-campus and three potential outside reviewers, along with complete
contact information (name, address, telephone number, email address), and describe the role of each member of the project
team, using normal university guidelines for participation eligibility. Completed pre-proposals should be submitted on
disk, along with the cover page and appropriate signatures, to the Office of the Provost for initial review on or before
the due date of Monday, October 3, 2005.
- Proposals
Upon completion of the initial review, the Project Director(s) for those pre-proposals selected for the
full proposal competition will be contacted and asked to submit full proposals. Manuscript preparation
guidelines described above should be used for the proposals, but these may include up to 15 pages of
text, excluding references and curriculum vitae. Completed proposals should be sent to the Office of
Pre-Award Services using the K-State Sponsored Projects Transmittal Sheet, available from the K-State website
at http://www.k-state.edu/research/forms/preaward/index.htm .
- Timeline
- Monday, June 13--Request for Proposals (RFP) announcement
- Monday, August 15-reminder for RFP
- Monday, October 3--deadline for pre-proposals
- Monday, December 5--review panel recommendations due to Provost
- Monday, December 12--notify applicants regarding the status of their pre-proposals
- Monday, February 6--full proposals due
- Wednesday, March 15--outside reviewers' comments due
- Monday, April 17--review panel forwards recommendations to the Provost
- Monday, May 15--announce projects to be funded for the next academic year
- Monday, July 3--funding available for projects