Request for Proposals for the Creation of a Campus Interdisciplinary Research Center

PURPOSE

UCR has about 30 research centers and institutes, with diverse histories, purposes, and funding mechanisms. They range from very small centers, sometimes just a single PI within a department and without any intramural funding, to much larger organizations spanning more than one college or school and with some amount of either initial or ongoing funding provided by the offices of the Deans, Provost, and/or Research and Economic Development (RED). Some centers were created with one-time funds, initially provided as part of a start-up package to a new faculty hire. Other centers have been created through special external funding opportunities, but their sustainability after the funding expired was never secured. RED is currently reviewing and cataloging all existing centers, in order to provide the Senate with revised guidelines on Operating Principles for Research Centers. This request for proposals, however, is for a new type of research infrastructure, in terms of scope, funding, reporting, oversight, and review.

It has long been an aspiration of our campus to create a larger type of center under a centralized reporting model with specific creation, review, and continuation guidelines, and with some new central budget allocation. The creation of such research infrastructure is also one of the initiatives in our campus strategic plan, UCR 2030, namely, under Strategic Goal III, Expand the visibility and scope of influence of UCR locally, nationally, and globally.

After extensive consultations with several groups of campus stakeholders (including four think-tank lunches with senate faculty at all academic levels), and as announced by the Provost at the December 2023 Divisional Senate Meeting, the Provost and the Vice Chancellor for RED (VCRED) invite applications from existing research centers or combinations of existing research centers and campus initiatives to become UCR’s inaugural Campus Interdisciplinary Research Center (CIRC). Additional CIRCs may be created in the future based on the outcomes of this initial pilot program and resource availability.

The newly created CIRC will excel and lead UCR in interdisciplinary research and scholarly work. It will capitalize on the demonstrated success of existing research teams, further creating and incentivizing synergy among faculty, students, and staff across campus. The goal is to attract new individuals and additional external resources to UCR; aiming to achieve national and international recognition.

CENTRAL FUNDING FOR A CAMPUS INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CENTER

The CIRC will operate under the supervision of RED and the director will report to the VCRED or their designee. Recurring funds will be allocated from central campus for a minimum of five years and will include the following:

• salary and benefits for the director at 50% time for 12 months
• salary and benefits for one senior staff (administrative director/grants facilitator)
• salary and benefits for one support staff (administrative and programming support)
• discretionary funding for programs, events, travel, supplies, and other research related expenses (amount to be determined)

Pending Academic Senate consultation, it is anticipated that the director will hold UCR’s Presidential Chair in Interdisciplinary Research, including a $10,000 annual stipend.

The total of the center’s budget will be a new allocation from central campus to RED’s budget, which in turn will be allocated to it as a unit within RED. The reporting structure between the CIRC and RED will be similar to that between an academic department and the corresponding dean. The VCRED will have authority over budget, personnel, and administrative matters of the CIRC upon recommendations by the director. The CIRC will also have a steering committee of faculty, which will advise the CIRC’s director on research related matters.

In addition, the CIRC will receive a portion of the F&A generated by grants and contracts submitted through the center. A new formula will be used for the CIRC regarding the current portions of the F&A distributed to the deans, departments, and PIs. The 25% currently going to the deans will be distributed 10% deans, 10% RED and 5% CIRC; the 10% currently going to the departments will be distributed 5% departments and 5% the CIRC; the 5% currently going to the PI will remain the same. In total the CIRC will receive 10% F&A. The rationale for this allocation methodology is that the CIRC is intended to function as the equivalent of a department and promote further synergy and collaboration among all its stakeholders. The portion going to RED will, in part, cover the additional administrative workload for overseeing the center, which is normally handled in the academic units. Despite the CIRC being a RED unit, a portion of the F&A is preserved for the deans and academic departments to avoid creating competition between those units and the CIRC. The intention is for the CIRC to generate applications for new, large, multi-PI award opportunities, separate from the regular single-PI grant proposals that faculty can continue to submit through usual channels (their departments and schools/colleges).

LIFE CYCLE AND REVIEW OF THE CENTER

The initial designation as a Campus Interdisciplinary Research Center will be for a period of five years and may be renewed thereafter for additional five-year periods, based on the result of a formal review process.

The center’s director will be appointed for the initial interval of five years; the director may be re-appointed for two more five-year terms, after which a new director shall be named.  

Every 5 years, the CIRC and its director will go through a review conducted by both internal and external committees, to be appointed by the VCRED or their designee, with input from the CIRC faculty. The review will include a detailed center’s self-study report and director’s self-assessment report. Further details about the committees’ composition and the contents of the reports will be provided by RED as the time of the review approaches. The achievement of the goals established at the creation of the CIRC and the return on investment will be the main metrics of the evaluation process and the basis on which continuation of central funding will be determined.

In addition to the five-year reviews, the director will undergo annual evaluations as do other campus faculty administrators.

REQUIRED ELIGIBILITY QUALIFICATIONS

In order to qualify for a Campus Interdisciplinary Research Center designation, the team of researchers applying for it and their project should meet the following required characteristics:

• An already established record of excellence in interdisciplinary collaborations. 
• A demonstrated external funding record commensurate with the topics of the CIRC and considered to be very successful within the expectations of the disciplines involved.
• The potential to apply for very large federal grants. 
• A well-thought-out plan for a sustainable path forward.
• Involve multiple faculty members from at least three different colleges or schools (multiple department representation within one college or school will not suffice).
• A proposed initial director, who will be an accomplished faculty member with national recognition, highly regarded by colleagues and peers, and with experience directing big projects involving a large group of people. 

Note that brand-new research initiatives in areas not already established on campus will not be considered for this opportunity.

APPLICATION COMPONENTS

A full application will consist of the following components:

1. Cover page: Including the name of the proposed CIRC, the name(s) of existing research center(s) and/or initiatives from which the CIRC will be created, and a list of names of the faculty director and core faculty participants and their academic affiliation. Download the cover page here.
2. Abstract: One-paragraph description of the CIRC’s proposed mission.
3. Research proposal: Narrative description of the research and scholarly activities to be undertaken by the CIRC, including specific objectives and explicit reference to interdisciplinarity. This refers to the contributions from faculty of different disciplines (no more than five pages).
4. Mission alignment: Narrative description of how the CIRC will align with UCR’s mission, exemplify UCR’s distinctive character in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and expand UCR’s visibility and impact (no more than two pages).
5. History of past and current extramural grant activity: Including proposal title, PIs involved, amount of the awards, extramural sponsors, and dates.
6. CVs:  A two-page current biographical sketch for each PI listed in the cover page with an additional one-paragraph statement of how each PI’s research will contribute to the work of the CIRC. For the director, the CV should describe their leadership experience (an additional page may be added to director’s CV for this purpose).
7. Potential for future funding: List of federal agencies and specific funding opportunities to which the CIRC will submit applications, along with timeline for grant submissions and a projected path of financial sustainability.
8. Budget: Itemized salary budget only for the items stated in section B above, and the amount and justification for the use of the discretionary component to be provided by central funding. Please note that the amount of the central campus allocation has yet to be finalized, but the total will most likely be in the $700,000-$800,000 range annually.
9. Space: No new space will be allocated to the CIRC, but a brief description of the facilities currently operated by the existing center(s)/initiative(s) involved in the proposal should be provided.
10. Steering committee: The names and departments of the proposed members for the steering committee, which should consist of at least three and at most five members (in addition to the director).

There are no limitations on the number of CIRC proposals in which a faculty member can participate. Letters of support are not required and will not be considered.

SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process will be conducted by a committee consisting of all seven school/college deans and co-chaired by the Provost and the VCRED.

• The selection criteria will include the following:
• Clarity and specificity of the proposal's objectives.
• Demonstrated need for interdisciplinary collaboration in the proposed activities and the substantial involvement of faculty from at least three colleges/schools.
• Feasibility of the project and budget commensurability with proposed activities.
• Project's alignment with UCR’s mission and strategic plan.
• Strength and background of the director and multidisciplinary team.
• Funding record and potential for the successfully applying for large externally sponsored awards.

Only complete applications will be considered. 

The committee may choose to invite finalists for an in-person interview or to submit additional materials, as they deem necessary.

Only the selected center will be publicly announced. The proposals not selected will receive a brief summary of the committee’s considerations but no rankings or further evaluation will be provided. If no candidate emerges as a clear winner, the committee may choose not to name a CIRC in this round and to run the competition again in the fall.

DEADLINE

Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Standard Time), Wednesday, May 1, 2024.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Applications should be submitted through the "EasyChair" system. The application must be submitted by the proposed CIRC director, who will become the point of contact for future communications with the review committee.

All materials should be uploaded in PDF format. All documents should be prepared in 11pt or larger font, and should be single-spaced, and with at least one-inch margin on all sides. 

Strict formatting and page limitations will be enforced; proposals not meeting the requirements may be returned without review.

Questions about the EasyChair application system should be directed to Marisela Martinez at VCREDadmin@ucr.edu.

OASIS Internal Funding Awards (OASIS-IFA) 

UCR's Office of Research and Economic Development (RED) has held two calls for the Opportunities to Advance Sustainability, Innovation, and Social Inclusion Internal Funding Awards, or OASIS IFA. The purpose of the program is to enable UCR faculty to initiate, continue, or expand research, scholarly, and creative activities in areas under the OASIS umbrella and increase their competitiveness for extramural funding in those areas. Faculty from all disciplines and methodological approaches from all schools, colleges, departments, and programs were encouraged to participate. We intend to continue this internal competition on an annual or biannual cycle based on its initial outcomes, applicants' and awardees' feedback, and funds availability.

Total awards total more than $3M in internal seed funding.

Award Recipients for the 2nd Call
Read more about the research that received awards of ~ $200,000 and those that received awards of ~$25,000.

Award Recipients for the 1st Call
Read more about the research that received awards of ~ $200,000 and those that received awards of ~$25,000.