FY 2024 Request for Proposals

Deadline: Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, 5:00 p.m. MST        Decision: December 8, 2023           Award Start: January 1, 2024

Introduction

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development (VPRED) is pleased to announce this request for proposals (RFP) to support RED-approved core facilities. The purpose of this RFP is to support core facilities that serve as critical infrastructure for the research and scholarly enterprise. Moreover, these core facilities often compliment the educational and outreach efforts that also underpin our land-grant mission. The overarching goal of this program is to provide RED core facilities with competitive, annual funds that will help to advance the unit’s fiscal sustainability and/or develop new services or processes that align with user needs. The total amount of funding available for the FY 2024 call is $350,000.

Questions about program requirement and expectations may be directed to Alison Harmon ([email protected]), Liz Shanahan ([email protected]), and Emily Elias ([email protected]) Questions concerning electronic submission, budgets, and implementation can be directed to Emily Elias.  

Criteria

A subgroup of Research Council with experience in core facilities will evaluate proposals according to the following criteria:

  • The project’s alignment with Montana State University strategic plan, and particularly interdisciplinary research and grand challenge research goals.
  • The project’s ability to advance core facility sustainability and/or development of new services or processes that align with user needs.
  • The project’s ability to advance core facility faculty competitiveness for external federal agency or other funding sponsor(s).
  • The project’s intellectual significance and its potential impact and contribution to the field.
  • The appropriateness of the project’s methodologies and approach, as well as the feasibility of the work plan.
  • The potential for success, including the likelihood that the project will be completed within the projected timeframe, and the appropriateness of the budget.
  • The sustainability of the project, and the core facility’s plan and ability to sustain the proposed work, services, and/or equipment in future years (if applicable)

Please address each criterion in your proposal and write in a way that is accessible to your Montana State University colleagues who may not be in your discipline. 

Each VPRED core facility director/manager may submit only one application for proposals for their own facility. Cores may also work together to submit proposals funding collaborative projects involving 2 or more VPRED-approved core facilities. Cores may submit a maximum of two applications for collaborative projects, in addition to the one application for projects within their own core (maximum total of 3). Preference will be given to proposals that a) clearly address the criteria listed above, b) have immediate need, and c) will be able to begin ordering/implementing within 1-2 months of funding. Please note that previous award of CFGP funds, or lack thereof, will not impact the amount awarded or likelihood of receiving funding in FY 2024.

The CFGP is limited to VPPRED-approved core facilities. Research facilities that are interested in becoming a VPRED-approved core should contact [email protected].

Budget

Applicants may request funds for equipment, supplies, travel, personnel (including graduate students), and other expenses necessary to complete the proposed project. Award amounts will vary and we will entertain larger requests, but most rewards will be between $25,000 and $75,000.

  • Please use the provided budget template. Additional budget details may be described in the budget narrative, and you may attach quotes, estimates, etc.
  • Receipt of award funds in FY24 is not a guarantee that RED will continue to support the project indefinitely. If your project will have ongoing expenses past FY24, please indicate this clearly in the budget and indicate in your proposal how continuing the project will impact your user fees in the future. If the project will not have any ongoing expenses past FY24, please indicate this in your proposal and budget.
  • For travel expenses, explain projected travel expenses in the budget narrative, being as specific and realistic as possible about the cost of transportation, lodging and other expenses. When budgeting for travel, please follow State approved In-State, Out-of-State and International rates regarding per diem, mileage and lodging.
  • Budgets must include the 6% admin fee that will be assessed to your award by the Vice President for Finance and Administration Office.
  • The following items will not be funded: post-production costs of books, articles or other creative activities; travel to professional conferences regularly attended by the applicant, MOU repayment, and summer salaries.

Submission

Please submit your proposal electronically to the Office of Research Development (ORD) via InfoReady.  Instructions and a link to the forms can be found on the MSU InfoReady website:

https://montana.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1879482

For technical issues with the InfoReady platform, please contact the Office of Research Development (ORD) at [email protected].

Applicants should submit the following as a single PDF document, which will be distributed to the review committee:

  • A narrative of no more than five single-spaced pages addressing the significance and impact of the project, and the other review criteria outlined above
  • A budget, including a brief budget justification – please use the included budget template.
  • A report on the status of your FY23 CFGP award, if you have not already submitted a final report.

Review and Award Timeline

After the application window closes, applications will be forwarded to the Core Facilities review committee.  The review committee will review within 2-3 weeks of submission, and make final recommendations to the VPRED. Following the receipt of funds from the VPRED office in January 2024, successful applicants must submit a brief update (~1-2 paragraphs) on the progress of their project(s) on a monthly basis until the project is complete.

Cores receiving this award must plan to spend the entirety of their awarded funds no later than May 15, 2024 in order to meet Procurement deadlines for the end of FY 2024. Funds not spent by the end of FY 2024 will revert back to the VPRED office. The VPR office is aware that supply chain challenges may causes implementation delays and can work with awardees upon request to utilize their funding in a timely fashion.

Within three months of completion of the project, successful applicants shall also provide a written report of grant activities and outcomes to the VPRED Office.  If the project was to enable an extramural grant proposal, these reports should include brief description of the external grant submitted (or in progress to be submitted).

All progress and completion reports should be emailed to [email protected] and [email protected].