University Research Council Grants Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Who is eligible to submit a URC proposal?
    Tenured and tenure-track faculty members, full-time instructor-rank faculty members, and EHRA administrative staff are eligible to submit proposals.
    To be eligible for a URC grant, you may not have a signed contract or agreement with any external entity for the proposed work.
  2. Do URC proposals need to be routed through Cayuse?
    No.
  3.  Are URC awards transferable to another institution?
    No.
  4. Can student projects be funded by the URC?
    No. URC funds are intended to support faculty members' research, scholarship and creative endeavors.
  5. Can URC funds be used to purchase food?
    No. See guidelines for a listing of unallowable expenses.
  6. Can I obtain a copy of a successfully funded proposal?
    Yes, pending approval of the award recipient. Review the award recipient information here and send a message to Grants Resources & Services to request the proposal you want to see. Several samples are also on hand and available upon request from grs@appstate.edu
  7. If an employee is recruited for a research study and receives a cash payment as a result, is the cash payment considered taxable income by the State of North Carolina and the U.S. Federal Government?
    Yes.
  8. Can URC funds be used to pay external collaborators?
    Possibly. Applicants who are requesting funding for an external collaborator must clearly define the collaborator's role on the project and explain why this particular expertise is necessary for successful completion of the project.
  9. If an AppState employee has a side business, are they allowed to be hired under that business as a URC contractor?
    Yes, if their business has a separate tax ID, and the work completed is outside of their AppState job scope. They will need to complete appropriate vendor information packets, and have a clear statement of work on file. They may also require an updated annual
  10. Can I hire a student?
    Yes, as long as the student is enrolled and is conducting work integral to the project.
  11. Can I use URC funds for my summer salary?
    No. URC funds cannot be used to support faculty or staff salaries.
  12. Can I use URC funds to pay back-fill for one course (for redistribution of effort)?
    No. URC funds cannot be used to support faculty or staff salaries.
  13. How many pages are allowed for the project narrative?
    Four double spaced pages (Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, 1 inch margins). The Attachments section cannot be used to circumvent project narrative page limits.
  14. Can a student's thesis project be funded by the URC?
    No. URC funds are intended to support faculty members' research, scholarship and creative endeavors.
  15. Can I be involved with more than one URC grant simultaneously?
    No. An applicant cannot be associated with more than one proposal at a time (either with a status of pending or awarded).
  16. Where should I put bibliographic references for citations mentioned in my project narrative?
    Applicants have the option of including a list of bibliographic references in the Attachments section of the application form. Formatting of references should be consistent and follow the accepted style for the applicant's discipline.
  17. Can previously declined proposals be resubmitted?
    Yes. The applicant must check the appropriate box on the application to indicate that the proposal is a resubmission. The applicant must include a statement in the section marked "Resubmission Statement" explaining how the reviewers' comments have been addressed in the current proposal.
  18. Can I request funds to attend a conference?
    No. URC funds cannot be used for conference support, including travel, registration, and lodging.
  19. When will I find out whether my proposal has been funded?
    Fall applicants will be notified in late November or early December. Spring applicants will be notified in late April or early May.
  20. If I receive an award, how long do I have to spend the awarded funds?
    One calendar year. The exact date by which funds must be spent will be noted in your award letter.
  21. If I create copyrightable material (books, instructructional materials, musical compositions, etc.), using URC funding, do I own the copyright?
    URC funds are considered "Exceptional Use of Institutional Resources" which means they are resources of a degree or nature not routinely made available to faculty or other EHRA employees in a given area. Therefore, according to the UNC System and the Appalachian State policy (Policy 207, Intellectual Property Transfer), the copyright belongs to the University. But, you have the right to request either full ownership or shared ownership with the University. To request joint or full ownership, the work’s creator must complete and send a Disclosure request to the IP Council for review and recommendation to the VPR. Applications and instructions for Disclosures can be found at http://researchprotections.appstate.edu/intellectual-property/ip-forms. For questions please contact Research Protections (https://researchprotections.appstate.edu/ intellectual-property)