Creative Activities and Research Expenses Support (CARES) (Formerly SFSA)

The name of the program is the Creative Activities and Research Expenses Support (CARES). The purpose of the CARES is to advance the research mission of the University. The fund supports research and creative activities that may not lead to external funding but that enhance the scholarly reputation of WMU and the faculty principal investigator. In addition, these funds are given to support:

• Faculty in the organizational phases of establishing their research and creative activity project.
• Faculty entering new areas of research or creative activity.
• Dissemination of original scholarship or work and/or engagement in professional collaborations associated with such work.

The Research Policies Council oversees administration of the program and establishes operational procedures regarding application, review, scoring, determination of eligibility, and award processes. The RPC also evaluates all final reports from awardees and assesses the outcomes of the program.

Application procedures

Apply online at https://wmich.infoready4.com. Log in with a Bronco NetID and password.

All proposals shall be written for a non-specialist audience.

Award conditions

1. Awards are for one year; March 1st through February 28/29th.
2. The maximum amount of an CARES is $2,000. Award funds must be used within the one-year project period; they cannot be carried forward beyond the award termination date.
3. Within 60 days of the end of the award year, the PI must submit a report describing the outcomes of the project, including a listing of any papers, presentations and creative works. The Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) will provide the RPC with an annual report on scholarly activity resulting from the CARES program.
4. Awardees cannot draw on Faculty Research and Creative Activity Award and CARES funds simultaneously. Proposals for consecutive awards (i.e., ASPIRE then CARES or CARES then ASPIRE) must disclose the existing award and include a rationale for the connection if one exists.

Eligibility

Individuals or groups of individuals eligible for awards are restricted to all those holding board‐appointed faculty rank who are members of the bargaining unit at the time the CARES proposals are due and who submitted a satisfactory final report for any previous CARES or ASPIRE award.

• An applicant whose appointment at WMU terminates prior to or during the year of award implementation may submit an application, but shall not receive an award until he/she has an appointment at WMU covering the year of implementation.
• Previous CARES awardees are eligible every second year following the latest award.
• No CARES Screening Committee member is eligible to submit a proposal while serving as a member of the committee.

Restrictions

• CARES funds may not be used for salary purposes.
• The CARES program does not fund projects solely for student research and creative activities.
• CARES funds may not be used for student tuition, fees or travel.
• CARES funds may not be used to support conference travel. Travel for the presentation of faculty research results is funded through the Faculty Research Travel Fund.
• Faculty may not use CARES funds for the purpose of completing graduate study or professional training.

Budget

The proposed budget may not exceed $2,000 regardless of the number of collaborators. A proposed budget greater than the allowed maximum amount of $2,000 will disqualify the proposal. Such a proposal will not be reviewed.

A detailed budget must be included within the application. Proposed budget items must include a justification for the expense. The CARES Screening Committee shall have the option of line‐item veto regarding the proposed budget.

Organizational structure

The structure for the process of announcing and reviewing proposals includes the following:

1. CARES program coordinator (ORI staff member)—The Vice President for Research and Innovation shall designate one professional staff person from ORI to serve as CARES program coordinator. The program coordinator shall assist in the determination of eligibility and administer all award activity (including program announcements, correspondence, record keeping, and preparation of the final report) regarding the program. The program coordinator shall attend screening committee meetings in a staff support capacity.
2. CARES Screening Committee—The CARES Screening Committee will consist of a subcommittee of the Research Policies Council and will have representation from each of the following colleges: Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Haworth College of Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering and Applied Sciences, Health and Human Services and Fine Arts. The subcommittee reports to the chair of the RPC. The responsibilities of the CARES Screening Committee include:
   • Electing a subcommittee chair to coordinate the subcommittee’s activities and communication.
   • Reviewing proposals to determine merit and contribution to scholarship of WMU and the principal investigator.
   • Ranking proposals for funding.
   • Based upon the pool of funds available, recommending proposals for funding.
   • Orientation for the CARES Screening Committee, as well as for interested faculty at large, shall be provided by the program coordinator, the chair of the RPC and by ORI.

The CARES Screening Committee chair will function as coordinator of the committee’s work, assuring that the committee is working according to the guidelines and timelines. Additionally, the committee chair is responsible for other routine administrative duties, such as communication with faculty applicants on behalf of the committee and convening the CARES Screening Committee for orientation by the Vice President for Research and Innovation.

Procedure for proposal review

1. The program coordinator and CARES Screening Committee chair shall review proposals to determine that the applicants meet all eligibility criteria.
2. Members of the CARES Screening Committee will collectively review all proposals and act as a committee of the whole in recommending proposals for funding.
3. Applications not funded will receive a letter of declination and a copy of the scoring form prepared by the screening committee.

Criteria for evaluating proposals

CARES funds are awarded solely on the basis of proposal merit. The following criteria will be used:

• The proposal provides an adequate description of the project from which to judge its merit;
• The proposal adequately describes how this work will make a significant contribution to the discipline;
• The proposal adequately describes how this work will make an original contribution to the discipline;
• The proposal adequately describes how the dissemination of the project findings, results or products will occur in a timely manner, individually or as part of a larger project;
• The proposal adequately describes how this work will enhance the reputation of the faculty member(s) and WMU;
• The proposed budget is clearly itemized and justified, demonstrating that it is reasonable and adequate in relation to the proposed work.

Scoring of proposals

Each member of the CARES Screening Committee will receive a copy of all of the proposals and be randomly assigned proposals to review. Committee members will submit descriptive comments and scores for each reviewed proposal.

Based upon scores and the recommendation for funding from the Screening Committee, the proposals will be rank ordered. Screening Committee members will have the opportunity to discuss their reviewed proposals for funding. Along with notification of award or declination, each applicant will receive comments and scores from each reviewer.

The CARES Screening Committee will use the following scale in the review of each proposal:

• 1 = Poor
• 2 = Fair
• 3 = Good
• 4 = Very Good
• 5 = Excellent

Appeals procedure on eligibility criteria and restrictions

•  Applicants may not appeal a decision based on the substance of a proposal. All applicants will receive comments and scores from each reviewer and are encouraged to utilize this information to revise and resubmit the proposal in a subsequent competition.
• Applicants may appeal determinations based on the eligibility criteria or restrictions.
  • Appeals on eligibility criteria—If the applicant receives notice stating that he/she has been found ineligible for funding and believes that the basis for the determination of the ineligibility as described in the letter is incorrect, he/she may contact the Office of Research and Innovation to arrange a meeting to discuss the matter. The program coordinator and screening committee chairperson shall attend the meeting. If the applicant is found to be eligible, the proposal will be sent to the CARES Screening Committee and considered for funding. Appeals should be made promptly so that the committee can receive the now‐eligible proposal when it receives all other proposals.
  • Appeals on the restrictions—If the applicant receives notice stating that his/her proposal has been found to violate a restriction and believes that the basis for this determination as described in the letter is incorrect, he/she may contact the Office of Research and Innovation to arrange a meeting to discuss the matter. If the proposal is found to have not violated a restriction, the proposal will be returned to the CARES Screening Committee and considered for funding.

CARES awardees are required to submit a Final Report Form within 60 days of the end of their award year.

The evaluation phase of the CARES program shall receive priority attention. The program coordinator shall carefully review each final project report. Materials related to proposals shall be kept in the research office for a suitable period of time, no longer than three years.

Office of Research and Innovation