from Inquiry, Volume 1, Number 2, Fall 1997, 81-85
© Copyright 1997 Virginia Community College System
“There is nothing as sterile as a college where the process of
growth and change is confined to the students.”
R.C. Richardson (1975, p. 306)
Journal of College Student Personnel
The VCCS Research Grants provide what our faculty want most: time and money. There is time to breathe the necessary human ingenuity into a project and money to buy whatever is necessary to support project objectives. It appears that time is more highly prized over money and is competitively sought. To date from summer 1994 through fall 1997, $547,050 has been spent to reimburse colleges for 325 classes or 1094 credit hours fo r adjunct replacement or summer stipends. Faculty may obtain reassigned time from teaching or administrative duties for up to six credit hours in the fall and spring semesters and for a stipend in the summer session. (The purposeful wording of reassigned time rather than released time connotes that the faculty member is not released from anything, just reassigned to a noteworthy project of his/her choosing.) Time offers faculty the opportunity to invest themselves in projects and provides the impetus to pursue ideas worthy of their fullest commitment. Money is allocated to various activities or purchases related to achieving stated grant objectives. To date, $270,098 has been spent in support of faculty projects or research in the form of grant funding which is allocated to college business offices for reimbursement following customary state guidelines. While the compensation of time and money is noteworthy, in no way does it fully compensate faculty for their entire effort but serves as an incentive, an acknowledgment, and a reward for their investment in learning. Their learning reflects individual time, ego, energy, and care.
The Proposal Process
The proposal form to apply for the research is straight-forward and designed with the busy community college professoriate in mind. No heavy documentation, no lengthy essays, no supporting/recommendation letters (just signatures) are necessary to engage in the review process. Proposals that demonstrate clear thinking, well-stated objectives, thoughtful methodologies, broad benefits, investment of talents and appropriate budgets are highly recommended by the reviewers. While full time faculty, inclusive of administrators, counselors, librarians, and teaching faculty (anyone holding faculty rank), are to be designated as the primary authors of research grants, adjunct faculty and classified staff are encouraged to collaborate and become co-applicants.
The review process is considered one of the strengths of the entire VCCS Professional Development Initiative. Three annual proposal deadline dates allow for maximum participation throughout the year. For simplicity, the three deadline dates remain constant:
Application |
Notification |
Effective |
Final |
September 15 February 15 April 15 |
October 30 March 30 May 30 |
Spring Summer Fall |
August 15 November 15 March 15 |
Should any date fall on the weekend, then the following Monday serves as the due date. The rotational nature of the research grants, along with the established deadlines, encourage advance planning and thinking about projects of merit.
The Review Process
Proposals received by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date are logged in and are prepared for mailing. Authors and colleges remain anonymous to ensure the integrity of the review process. The proposals are sent to two teams of reviewers who volunteer from the ranks of the VCCS Professional Development Committee membership (a 31 member committee representing their community college, their disciplines, and their colleagues). They read and evaluate proposals from other community colleges but not their own to avoid potential conflict of interest. The peer reviewers individually read and score each proposal and then conduct a review session whereby each proposal is discussed and decided upon by the group. Proposals are either fully funded as written, partially funded with some budget modifications (with budgets either decreased or increased), or not funded due to specific reasons which are provided to each author. Notification letters are prepared and mailed by the established date allowing six weeks for the review process.
A review of 614 proposals from 23 community colleges since the summer of 1994 yields some interesting observations:
* The research grant awards are a priceless investment in learning, experimentation, and revitalization within the ranks of the VCCS community college professoriate based on final grant reports and commentary.
* Faculty invest in their professional development by spending their own dollars along with receiving the acknowledgment that comes with a research grant award.
* Colleges invest in individual faculty to help them achieve individual and institutional objectives.
* Reassigned time is more highly prized than a reimbursable budget, funding adjunct faculty replacement directly to colleges or summer stipends.
* Instructional development is the overwhelming emphasis with one-half of the proposals funded focusing on that category.
* Humanities is the discipline area that contains the most funded grants; however, the interdisciplinary category is a close second.
* Technology, curriculum enhancement, and learning enrichment are the focus for most of the funded grants to date.
The Directory
The recently released Directory of Research Grants 1994 - 1997 provides a valuable resource for faculty seeking more information about funded projects within the VCCS. Abstracts describing funded projects are listed by discipline and categorized for easy access, along with primary authors and community colleges. The Directory was compiled to promote a sharing of ideas and to maximize the benefit of faculty work. Copies of the Directory are availableat each college.
Necessary Wisdom for Proposal Writers
I am often asked for advice on preparing VCCS research grants. Here are some of my observations based on the eleven review cycles that have occurred since 1994.
1. Think grand. Expand thoughts of typical expenditures which include conferences, travel, hardware/equipment (in most cases not allowable as per guidelines), software, speakers, refreshments, etc. What project, research or idea poses a dilemma or challenge to you as a faculty member and is worthy of your time and energy? What would you like to learn? How would you enhance student learning?
2. Think creatively. Pool moneys from other grants, like college foundation sources ,to achieve objectives. The writing of the VCCS research grant proposal may be step one in grant writing. What alternative sources of funding exist now and in the future? How can you develop grant writing skills that will lead to larger sources of funding?
3. Think resources. Time and money are available and ready to be allocated to individual and group research grants. What project, research, or idea would merit time and money? How will the proposal benefit students, you, the college and the System?
4. Think collaboratively. Coordinate objectives within the college and among colleagues, including adjunct faculty and classified staff. Demonstrate college investment in your proposal and consider your personal commitment. Who possesses the commitment and will provide necessary expertise for the achievement of proposal goals?
5. Think short-and long -range. Consider what you need now, later, and in the distant future in order to enhance your job or improve services to students. What challenges in higher education require immediate and future attention? How can we work together to effect meaningful change that will impact what we do and how we serve students?
6. Think community of learners. Expand the benefit of research grant work by presenting within colleges at in-service days, at discipline/specialty peer group meetings, New Horizons Conference, VCCA Conference, and at national and international forums. Consider writing up your project results for publication in Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges, which is published twice each year and distributed to all full-time VCCS employees.
7. Think smart. Have your proposal reviewed by the college grant/development officer, a supervisor, and/or the college representative to the VCCS Professional Development Committee. Their review may lead to collaboration and will provide necessary proofing of your proposal. Have you eliminated references to names, colleges, and areas to ensure anonymous review?
8. Think straight. Read and follow the established guidelines. Common concerns are these: no college or names listed in the body of the proposal, include status report for continuation proposals, and one proposal per author per review cycle (as of 5/97). Have you checked and double checked the proposal for accuracy according to the established guidelines?
9. Think clearly. Write succinctly with conviction. The quality of thought and research is evident in each proposal. Time lines for the achievement of objectives are most appreciated, along with a strong methodology that reflects the approach. Demonstrate the need or explain the reason for the proposal. How can you best describe your proposal without requiring guess work from the reviewers?
10. Think action/ think positive. Write a research grant for the next review cycle. Do not procrastinate. The time is right; the time is now. The achievements of our community college faculty become the solutions to our community college challenges.
The research grant awards represent a visible outcome for professional development. The awards are quantifiable, result oriented, substantive and meaningful. Faculty accept the challenge of writing and submitting their proposals in hopes that they will achieve, explore, and revitalize themselves and their work by drawing on their unique talents and expertise. The VCCS Professional Development Initiative has integrated the Research Grant Award Program into the fabric of faculty and staff life and capitalizes on our most precious resources . . . human ingenuity and willingness to learn. This program serves as another example of the thriving nature of professional development in our System. Educational transformation requires this investment in our faculty and staff.
Summary of VCCS Research Grant
Proposals and Awards for Full-Time Faculty by College
Summer 1994 - Fall 1997
Number
of Full-Time |
Number of |
Percentage of
Full-Time |
Number of Awards by |
Percentage of
Full-Time |
|
BRCC |
39 |
17 |
44% |
13 |
33% |
CVCC |
59.5 |
17 |
29% |
13 |
22% |
DSLCC |
26.5 |
5 |
19% |
2 |
8% |
DCC |
51 |
8 |
16% |
3 |
6% |
ESCC |
15 |
5 |
33% |
4 |
27% |
GCC |
44 |
34 |
77% |
23 |
52% |
JSRCC |
141.2 |
92 |
65% |
54 |
38% |
JTCC |
63.25 |
18 |
28% |
8 |
13% |
LFCC |
39 |
15 |
38% |
8 |
21% |
MECC |
47 |
14 |
30% |
8 |
17% |
NRCC |
56.5 |
8 |
14% |
4 |
7% |
NVCC |
491.73 |
181 |
37% |
105 |
21% |
PHCC |
37 |
16 |
43% |
3 |
8% |
PDCCC |
24 |
6 |
25% |
4 |
17% |
PVCC |
50.5 |
22 |
44% |
14 |
28% |
RCC |
30.5 |
18 |
59% |
8 |
26% |
SSVCC |
51.5 |
6 |
12% |
5 |
10% |
SWVCC |
78 |
17 |
22% |
10 |
13% |
TNCC |
104.2 |
19 |
18% |
12 |
12% |
TCC |
260.5 |
42 |
16% |
20 |
8% |
VHCC |
52 |
7 |
13% |
4 |
8% |
VWCC |
89 |
33 |
37% |
18 |
20% |
WCC |
49 |
14 |
29% |
6 |
12% |
Summary Explanation: This summary reflects one principal faculty member for each proposal and each grant, although the work may be the product of a college group which may include administrators, classified, and part-time faculty members. Because of multiple submissions by the same faculty member, some of the faculty totals are duplicated.
*As supplied by the VCCS Human Resource Services Office