OFFICE OF RESEARCH & SPONSORED PROGRAMS

SponsoredProgramsFoundation,Marketing& Communications(Marcom),andtheCalPoly HumboldtLibraryinviteyoutoparticipateinthe 10thAnnualideaFest!
Eachyear,morethan400students,staff,and facultyfromHumboldtshowcaseresearch, performances,digitalprojects,andmore.Newor previouslypresentedprofessionalpostersor multimediapresentationsarewelcome.Ifneeded, Marcomwillprintyourposterforfreeafteryou registeronline.
Thisyear'sideaFestwillbeonFriday,May5th. ThedeadlinetoregisterisMonday,April24th. ResourcesforpreparingforideaFestandputting togetherpresentationscanbefoundatthislink.
Forinfoaboutprojectsubmissions,checkoutthe ideaFestwebsiteorcontacttheideaFest Committeeatideafest@humboldt.eduor(707) 826-4189.
Threedistinguishedfacultymembershavebeen selectedasrecipients ofthe2023McCrone PromisingFacultyScholarsAward.Joinusin congratulatingDr.OscarVargas(Biological Sciences), Dr.RouhollahAghasaleh(Education), Dr.PaulMichaelLeonardoAtienza(CriticalRace &GenderStudies)!Inaddition,ReginaKhoury (Geology)isthisyear'sGraduateFellowship recipient.
TheMcCroneawardrecognizesHumboldt’s juniorfaculty,acknowledgestheirpotentialin theirfieldofresearch,andencouragestheir continuedachievement.
Allofthisyear'srecipientswillbehonoredata receptionduringthefallsemester.Staytunedfor moreinformation.
CalPolyHumboldt’sgrant&contractportfoliohascontinued toexperienceexponentialgrowththesepastfewyears.Inthe lastsixmonthsalone,SponsoredProgramshelpedsubmit157 proposalswithourPI’srequesting$72millioninpotential funding.Inthatsametime,wereceived131newawards totaling$37.4million.Bothwererecordhighsforthecampus.
Withthistypeofsuccess,it’seasytoseehowwe’veoutgrown manyofthesupportsystemsthatonceworkedwell.Projects havebecomelarger,morecomplex,andoftenhavemore complicatedfinancialandcompliancerequirementsthanin previousyears.Lookingahead,thesustainabilityofour researchinfrastructureisoneofourmainprioritiestoensure wecancontinuetosupportadditionalgrowth.
Asalways,yourfeedbackcountsandwewanttoknowwhat hasbeenworkingwell,alongwithwhatservicesarenot currentlymeetingyourneeds.Youcanprovideinstant feedbackhereatanytime,orfeelfreetoschedulean appointmentwithmedirectly Wetakeprideinourabilityto resolveissuesquicklyandefficiently,andwilluseevery opportunitywecantocontinuallyimproveourservices. Thankyouinadvanceforyourunderstandingandwillingness togrowwithusintothisnextchapter.
-ExecutiveDirector,KacieFlynnThisyear'sResearchandCreativeProjectsforEquityand Justice(RCPEJ)competitionawardedCalPolyHumboldt Facultyatotalof$65,000tosupportone-timeminigrants.
Thisinitiative,fundedbySponsoredProgramsFoundation andtheCalPolyHumboldtFoundation,supportsresearch andscholarshipthatbenefitshistoricallymarginalized communitiesservedbytheuniversity,withafocusonBlack, Indigenous,andotherpeopleofcolor(BIPOC).
WewouldliketothankeveryonethatparticipatedinRCPEJ thisyear,andwishyouluckinyourfutureresearchand creativeendeavors!Pleasehelpusincongratulatingthe threefacultyawardees
Dr. Jose Marin Jarrin, Fisheries Biology
Project: Baseline characterization of the fish community in the Lower Klamath River estuary
Dr. Cinthya Ammerman Muñoz, Native American Studies
Project: Echando Raíz in Humboldt County: Stories from our Latinx and Indigenous Immigrant Community
Dr. Ronnie Swartz, Social Work
Project: Ethical Research in Northwestern California Tribal Communities
Supports the development and distribution of radio programs, podcasts, documentary films, and documentary film series that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative ways. Projects must be grounded in humanities scholarship and demonstrate an approach that is thoughtful, balanced, and analytical. There are two levels of funding within this program: Development (up to $75,000) and Production (up to $700,000)
Application Deadline: August 9, 2023
Supports opportunities for public engagement with the arts and arts education, for the integration of the arts with strategies promoting the health and well-being of people and communities, and for the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector. They fund arts projects in the following disciplines: Artist Communities, Arts Education, Dance, Design, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, Local Arts Agencies, Media Arts, Museums, Music, Musical Theater, Opera, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Arts, Theater, and Visual Arts.
Application Deadline: July 6, 2023
Supports programs that create, develop, implement, replicate, or take to scale entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students and rigorously evaluate such innovations. EIR Program offers three levels of funding (Earlyphase; Mid-phase; Expansion)
Application Deadline: To Be Determined
Supports projects that bring the ideas of the humanities to life for general audiences through public programming. Projects must engage humanities scholarship to analyze significant themes in disciplines such as history, literature, ethics, and art history and must reach broad and diverse public audiences in non-classroom settings Projects should engage with ideas that are accessible to the general public and employ appealing interpretive formats Categories include Exhibitions, Historic Places, and Humanities Discussions, at two funding levels (Planning: up to $75,000; Implementation: up to $400,000)
Application Deadline: August 9, 2023
Supports projects that improve undergraduate STEM education and increase the rates of recruitment, retention and graduation of undergraduate STEM students at Hispanicserving institutions. The goals of the HSI program are to enhance the quality of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and to increase the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of students pursuing associate's or baccalaureate degrees in STEM. The HSI Program offers three levels of funding (Planning or Pilot: up to $300,000; Implementation and Evaluation: up to $800,000; Institutional Transformation: up to $3,000,000)
Application Deadline: August 30, 2023
Summer schedules may make it more difficult to coordinate and obtain approvals for summer deadlines, so please contact your Pre-Award Specialist early!
We conduct tailored funding searches, help with the early stages of proposal development, and provide final editing services. We also offer Pivot trainings, team review facilitation, and much more!
According to a McKinsey study, 70% of all strategic plans fail to be implemented Born out of frustration with meetings that generate great ideas but don’t always move projects forward, Erika Wright recently completed the training to become a Certified Strategic Doing Practitioner
Strategicplanningisalinearprocess,whereasstrategicdoingisdescribedas anagile,interactive,participatorymethod.StrategicDoingworkshopsallow peopletoformaction-orientedcollaborationsquickly,movethemtoward measurableoutcomes,andcreateaplanforaccountabilityandmaking adjustmentsalongthewaywithregularcheck-ins.Workshopsaccomplish thisbytakingparticipantsthroughatenstepprocessinthreehoursorless.
Ourprimarygoalistousethisprocesstohelpformteamsquicklyandcreate aplanforwritingorlaunchinglargescalegrants,buttheprocesshaswide applicability.Youcanlearnmorethroughthisquickintroductoryvideo. Pleasereachoutifyou’reinterested!
Find contact info for the Research Development team on our website.
The Research Development team maintains curated grant lists that contain funding opportunities organized by theme or college, including CAHSS grants, CPS grants, CNRS grants, social justice/equity grants, interdisciplinary grants, and more.
Our curated lists can be found under the home icon tab in Pivot. In order to access them, you’ll need to sign into Pivot using your institutional login.
Oursecondbi-annualspeednetworkingeventwasa smallbutmightygroupthatmadeexcitingand meaningfulconnections.Wewerethrilledtobejoined byNickBown-CrawfordofHumboldtMade,Thomas StrattonofFoggyBottomsBoys,andAshleyVellisof Ashley’sSeafood.
Themaintakeawaywasthatourlocalfoodproducers areexcitedattheprospectofworkingwithHumboldt facultyonprojectsthatcanbenefitstudents,faculty, localfoodproducers,andthewidercommunity
Research Development Lead, Erika Wright, has also been working with North Coast Grower’s Association on next steps with their Food Hub, and one of their primary goals is also to develop stronger ties with Cal Poly Humboldt. If you are a faculty member (in any discipline) interested in developing projects with our local food producers, reach out!
Lastsummer,wehosteda6-partgrantwritingworkshopwithCAHSSand we’repleasedtoreportthatmanyofthosefacultyhavesuccessfully submittedagrantwithinthelastyear!Thissemester,we’reworkingwitha CPScohortandwelookforwardtoseeingwhattheydonext!
Ifyou’reinterestedinparticipating,pleasewatchforfutureopportunities. It'sbeenapleasurehelpingthesegroupsoffacultydeveloptheirgrant writingconfidenceandskills,andwelookforwardtoassistingwiththeir futureresearchprojects!
Therearetwomainmechanismsfor payingstudentsthroughgrantsor contracts:payrollorstipends When decidinghowtobudgetforstudent participation,themostimportant considerationisthestudent’srole ontheproject:
Employment(Payroll):Ifthe studentiscontributingservices anddeliverablestoaproject underthedirectionofaprincipal investigator,theyshouldbepaid asanemployee.
Traineeship/ParticipantSupport (Stipend):Ifthestudent performsnoworkorservicesfor theprojectotherthanfortheir ownbenefitandarenotinvolved inprovidinganydeliverablesto theproject,theyshouldbepaid throughastipend.
Stipendsareconsidereda participantsupportcostandare excludedfromthedirectcostbase, whichresultsinlowerindirectcost. However,thisshouldneverbethe mainreasontoconsiderpaying studentsstipends.Theimportant questiontoaskyourselfis,“Does thispaymentprimarilybenefitthe studentandtheirtraining,orisit
paymentforworkthatdirectly benefitstheproject?”
Payrolldoesnotaffectastudent’s FinancialAidpacket.Incontrast, participantsupportcosts(ie stipends)arefinancialassistance; therefore,thebudgetedpaymentis senttotheFinancialAidoffice Paymentmayneedtobeapplied againstdebt,offsetexistingloans, orreducetheFederalPellgrant payment.Ifthecostisspecific(e.g. tuitionremission),thepaymentmay notbeapplicableinfull,asmany studentsalreadyhavetuition waiversorgrants.Inthese situations,thestudentwillstill benefitbutmayneverseeacheck.
Ingeneral,astudentmustbelegally employableintheUnitedStatesto receivepayrollthroughSPF.Stipend paymentsmaybeapossible alternativeincaseswherethe studentcan’tbelegallyemployed. However,somegrantopportunities limitthesepossibilities,soreading thefineprintinafunding announcementisparamount.For moredetailsonthistopic,checkout thisvideo.
Are you thinking about submitting a grant?
SPF is available to assist you at each step of the way. We will help develop a budget, create a strong proposal, navigate funder requirements, and submit to the funding agency.
Find the contact information for your Pre-Award Specialists on our website.
304 Number of proposals submitted FY 21/22
Number of awards received in FY 21/22
205 Dollaramount ofawards received in FY 21/22
61m
CalPolyHumboldtInformationTechnologyServices (ITS)iscommittedtosupportingfacultyandstaffas theyexploregrantopportunitiesforresearch, creativeactivities,andprogramdevelopment
Manytimestheseprojectsmayrequirecomputingor softwarepurchases.Othertimes,facultyandstaff maybeuncertainabouttheinformationtechnology needsoftheirprojects.In2022,facultyfellows completed33listeningandinformationsharing sessionswithfacultyfromalmosteverymajoron campus.Thesemeetingsalongwithsurveydata generated120communications,helptickets,and actions.Afewresultsincludethefollowing:
ExpandedcampusWi-fi
SPFITPre-Awardguidance
NewResearchFAQsonITSwebsite
Mitigationofautomaticrebootchallenges
Accesstoexpandedstorageandprocessing
ITsubmittedNSFCyberInfrastructureGrant Administratoraccessonfielddevices
TheFacultyResearchIncentivesProgramawarded CalPolyHumboldtFacultyatotalof$38,952in assignedtimeand$8,000insummersalaryfora totalIncentivesAwardof$46,952thisacademicyear.
Recipientsofawardsaretousetheirassigned time/summersalarytodevelopfullproposalsto externalfundingagenciesororganizationsthatwill furtherCalPolyHumboldt’sstrategicgoalsand objectives
Welookforwardtoworkingwiththeminthecoming year!Pleasehelpusincongratulatingtheeight facultyawardees.
For these reasons, ITS has built resources for early consultation and planning Please check out the new Research Support FAQs to learn more about the steps ITS is taking to support faculty and staff conducting research and creative activities Faculty can continue to submit an ITS help ticket and receive direct ITS support on ITS related research and creative activities needs and questions.
Dr. Karen Kiemnec-Tyburczy, Biological Sciences
Dr. Laura Levy, Geology
Dr. Amanda Hahn, Psychology
Dr. Sara Hart, Religious Studies
Dr. Andrea Delgado, English
Dr. Michelle Cartier, Art & Film
Dr. Jacky Baughman, Geology
Dr. Silvia Pavan, Biological Sciences
Youarenotaloneifyou're wonderinghowtonavigatethe worldofpaymentrequests,SPF ProCards,andreimbursements You mayfindinformationandresources locatedonourSPFWebpage,but sometimesyouwanttotalkto someone.Wehearyou!Inresponse, SPFoffersopenzoomhoursfrom M-F2:00-3:00toansweryour questions.YourGrantAnalystisalso availabletoansweryourquestions.
Herearesomecommonquestions wehear:
Ineedtopayforaclassata trainingcenteratanother universityforoneofmygrad students,howdoIpay?
Iftheorganizationofferingthe coursedoesnotacceptaProCard payment,askforaninvoice,and submitapaymentrequestform.You mayfinddirectionsdetailing paymentrequestsubmissionshere, oryoumaydropinthedailyzoom hoursforhelphere
IthinkIhaveanSPFProCardbutI amnotsure.
Funfact,theSPFProCardlooksjust likeyourstatesidecard!Ithelpsto markyourSPFProCardwitha stickerorotheridentifyingsymbol sothatyoucandifferentiateyour cards.Ifyouarenotsureifyouhave anSPFcardyoucanaskyourgrant analyst.Youmayonlypurchaseyour awardfundeditemswithyourSPF ProCard,notyourstatesidecard Iwanttotravelandit’stoolateto requestatraveladvance.HowdoI getreimbursedformyhoteland airfarewithinareasonable amountoftime?
Anytimeyouaresubmittinga paymentrequestformandtravel claimyoumustsubmitthecorrect documentsforatimely reimbursement.Ifyouarenot certainthatyouhaveeverythingyou needforreimbursement,pleasetake advantageofourhelphoursfor assistance
Our focus for Post-Award grants management encompasses three areas: training, monitoring, and reporting.
Post-Award services provide support to your project throughout the life span of your grant
Find contact info for your Grant Analyst on our website
140m Current total value of all active projects
632
Number of active projects currently managed
540k
Faculty and student travel funds received in FY 21/22
LizziMeismanisaWildlifegradstudentinDr Matt Johnson’sHabitatEcologyLab,acurrentNational ScienceFoundationGraduateResearchFellow,anda localbiologist Aspartofhergraduatestudies,Lizzi planstocontinueoneofthelongestrunningraptor studiesinNorthAmerica,whichhasmonitored breedinginapopulationofSwainson’sHawksin ButteValley,CAsince1979.
Swainson’sHawksareastate-threatenedspecies facingincreasinghabitatlossaslandisbeing convertedbyurbandevelopmentandforagricultural usetomeetrisingfooddemands.Thesechangesin habitatqualitymayposeseriousrisktopopulation viability,sinceSwainson’sHawksarealong-lived speciesthatexhibitstrongsitefidelity.
Lizzi’sresearchwillinvestigatehowshifting agriculturalpracticesinButteValleyinfluence Swainson'sHawkterritoryselectionand reproductivesuccess.Researchfindingswillhelp informlandmanagersonagriculturalsystemsand practicesthatcanbenefitSwainson’sHawks,andare lessenvironmentallydegrading.
Outsideofherstudies,Lizziisextremelyactiveinthe localcommunity.Shecurrentlyservesonfivenonprofitboards,andcontributestolong-term monitoringintheareainavarietyofways,including volunteeringattheHumboldtBayBirdObservatory, theCaliforniaBumbleBeeAtlas,andleadingbirding tripswiththeRedwoodRegionAudubonSociety. She’salsoverypassionateaboutmentoringearlycareerprofessionalsandstudents,andisthecofounderofaworkshopseriesforstudentsandearly careerprofessionalsinthewildlifeprofession.These workshopsarefree,andopentoanyoneregardlessof membership.Findoutmorehere!
TheGraduateResearchFellowshipProgram(GRFP) isaNationalScienceFoundationprogramthat supportsgraduatestudentspursuingresearch-based mastersanddoctoraldegreesintraditionalSTEM, socialsciences,andSTEMeducation
SPFisprovidinganopportunityforuptoten studentstoenrollinapaidcourse,whichincludes videos,feedbackondrafts,aflippedclassroom,and one-on-oneadvising,tosupportcompletionofGRFP applications Ifyouareinterestedyoucan findtheapplicationforthecourseonour EngagementHub.
OnFebruary17th,wehostedapanelwithcurrentand previousGRFPfellows(includingLizzifeatured above)fromCalPolyHumboldt.Theydiscussedthe applicationprocessandtheircurrentexperiences To viewarecordingofthepanelonourYouTube
channel, click here. We’ve also recorded a discussion with NSF program officers who zoomed in on April 6th to provide a program overview and tips on how to write a competitive proposal. This recording is also available on our YouTube page.
Dr.SilviaPavan,AssistantProfessorofBiological Sciences,receivedagrantfromtheNationalScience Foundation(NSF)todigitizeandgeoreferenceCal PolyHumboldt’smammalcollection.
Theprojectispartofacollaborativeeffortunderthe RangesThematicCollectionsNetwork,aninitiative leadbytheUniversityofNorthCarolina,todigitize andmobilizetraitdatafrommammalianmuseum specimensfromacrosstheAmericanWest,including standardexternalmorphologicalmeasurements, reproductiveandlifehistoryobservations,and informationonecologicalassociations.
Resultingtraitdatasetswillsupportnext-generation anatomicalandevolutionaryresearch,andprovide baselinesforfuturepopulationmonitoringefforts.
Dr.LisaTremain,AssociateProfessorofEnglish,and Dr.ElizabethEschenbach,ProfessorofEngineering, wereawarded$98,000fromtheNationalScience Foundation(NSF)tosupportaprogramthatwill develop,support,andmeasureSTEMinstructor understandingandapplicationofantiracist approachestowritingpedagogyandassessmentin STEMdisciplines.Approximately100STEMfaculty willbeinvolvedintheprogram.
Theprojectintegratesculturalfoundationsto learning,antiracistwritingassessment,and culturallysustainingpedagogies.Activitiesincludea year-longFacultyLearningCommunity(FLC)of Engineeringfacultyandaspringsemesterseriesof workshops.
Findingswillresultinfoundationaldatathatwill benchmarktheimpactsofthemodelonteacher learningandcurriculardesigns.
Front Office staff act as the first point of contact to assist faculty, staff, and students.
We strive to offer excellent customer support to direct you in whichever services you may be seeking from our office.
Friendlyreminderthatbeforegiving youremployeesthe‘OK’tostart working,youshouldsubmitan HRActionforhireinKronosand allowtimefortheemployee’s portionofthehiretobecompleted.
Find contact info for the Front Office staff on our website.
Announcements!
If you'd like to receive emails regarding upcoming internal and external funding opportunities, webinars, workshops, and other grant related events, please sign up for our portal announcements by clicking this link and selecting "research" in the list of portals.
Onceyousubmittheaction,your prospectiveemployeeshould immediatelybegintheonboarding processaka“NewHireChecklist”in ordertoavoidadelayoftheirstart date.Inthischecklist,they’llupdate personalinformationaswellas completelegaldocumentssuchas theirincometaxwithholdingforms andfederalformI-9.
OncetheirI-9iscomplete,theycan comeintoourmainofficetoverify theiridentityandauthorizationto workintheUnitedStates.
We will accept appointments for groups to verify their I-9s at the same time as well as for orientation regarding timesheet submission and payroll deadlines. If you have any questions concerning hiring, please contact Lizzy Peterson at lp216@humboldt.edu.
Ifyou’reintheKRONOSsystem, whetherasanemployeeofSPForas asupervisor/approveroftime, you’veverylikelygottenusedtothe appearanceofyourKRONOS dashboard However,SPFrecently gotwordofanupcomingnew releasewhichissettopotentially changethisview.Theprevious “classicdashboardexperience”will begonebyJune2023.
It’simportanttonotethatthenew setuplikelywon’tbedrastically differentfromwhatyouseetoday butrather,youmaynoticesubtle changessuchasadditionaltabsand customizationoptions.
If you notice new buttons, don’t be alarmed and if you have any questions about settings that contrast from what you’re used to, please feel free to reach out to Lizzy Peterson at lp216@humboldt.edu.
DidyouknowthattheSponsoredProgramsFoundationisauditedmultiple timesayear?Wearerequiredbylawtohireanexternalauditortoreview ourfinancialstatementsandprogramcomplianceannually.Thisisoneof themanythingsthatindirectcostsareusedtopayfor.Auditsareboth expensiveandtimeconsumingforourstaff,oftentakingbetween6-8 weekstocomplete.
Inadditiontoourexternalauditor,wearealsoregularlyauditedbytheCSU Chancellor’sOfficetoensurewearefollowingCSUpoliciesandprocedures And,asifthat’snotenough,funderssuchastheUSDAortheNSFalso occasionallyperformaudits(a k a “DeskReviews”)randomly So,ifyou everwonderedwhywechasedowneverysignatureandreceipt,andwhywe aresoconcernedaboutfollowingallthoserulestothetee–it’sbecausewe mustaccountforeveryoneofthose$140milliondollarsinouraward portfolio.Oneauditfindingcanhavenegativerepercussionsnotonlyfor ourinstitution,butalsoforeverycurrentandfutureawardeewhosubmits grantsthroughus.
Beginningin2023,allCalPolyHumboldtSponsoredProgramsFoundation (SPF)staff,includingPIsandseniorpersonnel,workingoneitherNSFor USDA-NIFAfundedawardswillberequiredtotakeamandatedResponsible andEthicalConductofResearch(RECR)training.ThisRECRtrainingcourse lasts2 5–3hoursandisofferedfreethroughtheCITIProgramonSPF’s website.
TheRECRtrainingshouldtakeplacewithinthefirstthreemonthsof beginningworkontheaward.Thistrainingdoesnotexpireandisonly requiredonceforSPFemployeesworkingonNSFandUSDA-NIFAawards. (Pleasenote:thisrequirementcouldchangeinthefuturebasedonthe funders’requirements )
Ifyouhaveanyquestionsorconcerns,pleasecontactSPFComplianceOfficer WilliamCook,william cook@humboldt eduor(707)826-5162
The primary objective of the SPF Compliance Office is to provide information, training, and internal controls that are needed to meet the laws, rules, and policies governing sponsored research at Cal Poly Humboldt. Find the contact information for the Compliance staff on our website.