Internal Grants

Internal Grant Programs

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs offers many funding opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty/staff. 

Proposals

Proposals must be written in terms that educated non-experts can readily understand. It is important that committee reviewers outside of the discipline can understand the abstract, budget, and narrative of the proposal. The abstract should describe the key points of the entire proposal, as opposed to being a repetition of the project’s objectives. Specific elements of internal grant proposals can be found on the individual grant pages. 

Eligibility

Typically, faculty and staff with .5FTE or greater appointments and students who are at least half-time. Specific eligibility requirements are provided on each grant program page.

Expenditures

All expenditures must be made in accordance with University policies and should be based on principles of economy. Consult the following units/websites for information and assistance:

  • Accounts Payable: Includes policies and reimbursement forms for travel, services, etc.
  • Human Resources: Includes forms for faculty/academic staff and students/payroll.
  • Purchasing: Includes information on procurement credit cards and purchase orders.

Frequently Asked Questions about Expenditures

How do students get their stipends?
The faculty/academic staff mentor should consult with their Academic Department about completing the Student Payroll Eligibility Form and approving bi-weekly time-sheets through the online payroll system.

How do I pay consultants (non-UW-Eau Claire people)?
Collect an invoice and W9 from the consultant that includes the consultant's tax ID or Social Security Number and submit a Direct Pay eForm.

What information/documentation do I need to provide for travel/supplies reimbursement?
Contact the Ask Center. Generally, keep all receipts for purchases and documentation regarding events/conferences.

Can I buy a computer?
ORSP funds are not available for standard computer purchases.

Can I use ORSP grant funds for something I didn't include in the approved proposal?
Funds should be spent as indicated in the original approved proposal. If you are considering a change in this plan, contact the Director of Research.

Who owns things that are purchased with grant funds?
Equipment, books, and materials purchased with grant funds remain the property of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. 

What kinds of research funding are graduate students eligible for?

  • Graduate students may apply for funding for services and supplies and/or travel funds in support of their research through the GradRSCA program.
  • Graduate students may also apply for funding to present their research at scholarly conferences through the Student Travel for the Presentation of Research Results program.
  • On a limited basis, graduate students may be included for stipend funding in student-faculty research projects (summer or academic year), where, along with the faculty mentor, they act as secondary research mentors to undergraduate students.   

Prizes, Awards, and Gifts (Participant Incentives)

Prizes, awards, and gifts to research participants are not allowable costs for state funding, per UW System policy. A limited amount of funding is available through the UW-Eau Claire Foundation to support rewards to research participants. The limit per project is $100, and these Foundation funds must be transferred to a department or unit's account that handles Foundation funds (a 133 account).

Please review the University's Policy on Research Participant Incentives as well as Sample Forms. Recipients of these funds must consult with Accounts Payable prior to expending funds to ensure that the many restrictions and requirements related to participant payments are correctly followed.

Scientific Misconduct Policy and Procedures

Misconduct in science is defined as fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or other practices that seriously deviate from those that are commonly accepted within the scientific community for proposing, conducting, or reporting research. Misconduct in science is prohibited and could result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.  UW-Eau Claire’s Policies and Procedures on Scientific Misconduct document indicates how the University will respond to allegations of research misconduct.

Property Rights

UW System policies relating to royalties, patents, or income apply to these grant programs and can be found in the Faculty and Academic Staff Handbook. Questions regarding patents should be directed to the Executive Director at 715-836-3405, or directly to WiSys at 608-316-4037.

Questions regarding copyrights for the publication of books, laboratory manuals, etc. resulting from projects funded with UW-Eau Claire funds should be addressed before the proposal is submitted for review. Contact the copyright officer, director of the McIntyre Library, in L3005, 715-836-4827.

Human Subjects

Funded projects involving human subjects in research must be approved by the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects (IRB) before they are implemented. The UW-Eau Claire policies and procedures for the protection of human subjects have been established in accordance with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulations (45 CFR Part 46, "Protection of Human Subjects," as amended) as well as state and university regulations to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects utilized in research projects. Any research project, either funded or unfunded, originated at or supported by the university, that involves human subjects, must be reviewed and approved by the IRB. The Guide to the Preparation of Proposals for Submission to the IRB, including the required protocol forms, is available online. Questions may be directed to the IRB Committee Chair, Michael Axelrod, axelromi@uwec.edu, 715-836-5020.

Animal Care and Use

Funded projects involving vertebrate animals used in research must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) before they are implemented. The required application forms are available from Dr. Dan Janik, Chair, IACUC, telephone 715-836-5023. 

Proposal Review

Grant programs have different review processes and criteria. The majority of the proposals submitted for review have a significant amount of paperwork that requires time to process. Processing a proposal typically takes 3 to 6 weeks, depending on the program, the number of submissions, the availability of reviewers, and the availability of the clerical staff. Please refer to the specific program's guidelines or contact ORSP at orsp@uwec.edu or 715-836-3405 with questions.

Publications

Publications or presentations resulting from work funded by UW-Eau Claire grant programs should acknowledge that funds came from the program under which funds were awarded. Please refer to the wording provided in the award document. It is particularly important to identify projects supported by students through the Blugold Commitment Differential Tuition Program.

Final Reports

A final report, if required, must be submitted to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs within 60 days of project completion. No awards will be made to investigators who have not complied with all requirements of previous UW-Eau Claire internal or external grant awards or who have outstanding reports due to ORSP or external funding agencies. The following ORSP programs require a formal final report:

The final report for funded student research projects is a presentation of results at UW-Eau Claire's Celebration of Excellence in Research and Creative Activity (CERCA) or the UW System Symposium. Student scholarship recipients (Kell, Larson) must submit a progress report in January and a final report at the completion of the scholarship award year.

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