2000-3-7 Faculty Release Time for Proposal Preparation

Policy

Eligibility

1. The applicant must be a full-time faculty member at the time of submitting the request for release time and during the term of the proposal preparation.
2. A faculty member is allowed only one submission per academic year.
3. Preference for SWF release time will be given to:
   1. new (hired in the last three years) faculty,
   2. applicants who describe incisive, innovative research with a strong likelihood of funding.
4. All faculty members are eligible for release time for proposal preparation, with preference given to the development of proposals that represent a change in direction for the faculty member's research or scholarship.
5. Applicants are encouraged to consult with the program coordinator and dean. The application for release time must be approved by the applicant’s Dean prior to submission.
6. The Research Innovation Fund Committee will evaluate each application and make a recommendation to the Vice-President, Research & Innovation.
7. In the case of an approved application, the financial commitment and the SWF hours will be determined by the Vice-President, Research & Innovation, in consultation with the dean of applicant’s school. See Procedures.
8. For all applications, whether approved or denied, the applicant will be notified via e-mail of the award decision.

Submission Deadline

1. The complete PDF document (including supporting documentation and all signatures), must be submitted electronically four months prior to the beginning of the term for which the release time is desired.

Use of Funds

1. For approved applications, the Applied Research and Innovation Office will provide funds for the cost of a replacement instructor to cover the SWF release time and associated responsibilities.

Research Compliance Requirements

1. If the research or proposal preparation involve activities that require compliance oversight or approval, it will be the responsibility of the applicant to obtain approval from the appropriate compliance committee(s) (e.g. Research Ethics Board) prior to the initiation of the research project.

Criteria

1. Applications for SWF release time will be reviewed and considered for funding based on
   1. the quality of the proposed research,
   2. the merit of the proposed research,
   3. the impact and relevance of the proposed research,
   4. the potential impact and relevance of the proposed research,
   5. alignment with:
      1. the College strategic plan,
      2. College research areas, and
      3. community relations.

Final Proposal Requirements

1. Recipients of funding for proposal preparation must submit to the Research & Innovation Department a final, developed, complete proposal at the end of the term in which the release time was provided.
2. Recipients of SWF release time who fail to submit the required final proposal, as described above, will be ineligible to apply for future release time through this program.

Procedure

1. The Research Innovation Fund Committee reviews all applications and materials, and prepares summary data.
2. The Committee recommends to the Dean of Applied Research and Innovation the approval or not of the application.
3. The Vice-President, Research & Innovation, in consultation with the dean of the applicant’s school, will determine the funding of SWF release time and also the number of SWF release hours based on the framework below. It is important to note that the framework is intended to guide the discussion and decision. There may be other factors that impact the proposal workload and resulting decision of the dean.

4. Table 1: Faculty Release Hours Determination Framework

   Table 1: Faculty Release Hours Determination Framework

   Steps	1-2 SWF hrs/wk	3-4 SWF hrs/wk	5-6 SWF hrs/wk
   Application Documents	less than 30 pages	30 - 50 pages	more than 50 pages
   Proposal Funding Amount	Less than $50,000	Less than $100,000 but more than $50,000	More than $100,000
   Proposal Deadline	No deadline	Not a close deadline	Close deadline
   Partnership	No partner	1 - 2 partners	More than 2 partners
   Research Team	1 researcher	2 - 3 researchers	More than 3 researchers

5. The application form is called Expression of Intent Template - Faculty Release for Proposal Preparation and is available on the Research & Innovation forms page.
6. The Applicant should complete all sections of the application form, obtain the approval of the Dean of their school and then submit the signed and complete document electronically (PDF version) with any supporting documentation (i.e. letters from partners, previous works) to the Vice-President, Research & Innovation via research@lambtoncollege.ca.
7. Incomplete proposals or proposals NOT following the guidelines and format instructions will NOT be considered for review.
8. If an applicant is unable to access any form, he/she should contact the Applied Research and Innovation Office via research@lambtoncollege.ca
9. Prior to preparing the application, the Research & Innovation Office is pleased to help the applicants by clarifying the process and also connecting the applicant with faculty members who have been or are involved in applied research proposal work.