2022 Proposal Submissions
On the application page where it says “Has the PI previously received a CUSE Grant?” – does this mean if you were a PI on a previous CUSE Grant, or also a Co-PI? (Added February 23, 2022)
Only indicate “Yes” to this question if you were a PI on a previous CUSE Grant. For the same question for all listed Co-PIs, only indicate “Yes” to this question if the Co-PI served as a PI on a previous CUSE Grant.
For the Results from Prior CUSE Grant section, should I talk about my results on a prior grant on which I was Co-PI? (Added February 23, 2022)
No. Only describe results from prior CUSE Grants for which you were PI. Any named Co-PI in your new proposal should also describe results from prior CUSE Grants for which they were PI. If neither the PI or Co-PI(s) for your current proposal served as a PI for any previously funded CUSE Grant, there should not be a document uploaded in this section.
What time will the application portal close on February 24? (Added February 23, 2022)
The deadline for proposals is 5:00 pm ET on Thursday, February 24, and the portal will close at this time. However, in prior years, applicants who attempted to submit exactly at 5:00 pm were unsuccessful, and the application materials did not upload. For this reason, please make sure you press submit before 5:00 pm. Early submissions are encouraged!
My school/college does not have departments. Who do I list for my department chair on the application page? (Added February 23, 2022)
Applicants from College of Law, School of Architecture, and iSchool should list their associate dean for research (ADR) in the line for department chair.
– I do not have any current or pending proposals to list in the current and pending document, but it is a required item. What should I upload? (Added February 23, 2022)
In the current and pending template, list the name of the PI in the line indicated, list “None” or “N/A” in the title line for the first item, and upload the document.
I have heard there is the possibility of co-funding for CUSE awards if you have SUNY ESF Co-PIs? What does that entail? How does it affect how I write the proposal? What do I need to provide to be considered for co-funding? (Added February 14, 2022)
SUNY ESF Vice President for Research John Stella announced to ESF faculty by email on January 24, 2022 the potential for matching funds for awarded CUSE Grants with ESF faculty collaborators. All questions regarding the ESF process for matching awards should be directed to VPR Stella at stella@ESF.edu.
CUSE Grants proposals must be completely independent proposals, as there is no guarantee of matching funds by ESF. While ESF faculty are allowed to be named Co-PIs on CUSE proposals, proposed activities in the CUSE proposal should stand independent of ESF funding, such that proposed activities and desired outcomes will not be dependent on ESF matching funds. Budget information for ESF matching funds should not be included in the CUSE proposal.
As noted in the CUSE Grant Request for Proposals, subcontracts are not allowed for CUSE Grants, so funding for ESF Co-PI salary or other ESF-based project expenses are not allowed in CUSE Grant budgets. Letters of support or collaboration are also not required for CUSE Grant proposals.
What has been changed since the 2021 round?
The following are significant changes from the 2021 CUSE Grant cycle:
- Introduction of a priority area for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA)-related proposed projects.
- Discontinuation of the separate COVID-Relief mechanism, but inclusion of a request to identify any COVID-related challenges for proposed projects in the rational section of the project narrative.
- Inclusion of a prohibition for postdocs serving as PIs.
- Inclusion of a requirement for a one-year gap between active CUSE Awards held by a PI (with exceptions noted below).
- Change of the formatting of the required Conflict of Interest (COI) form to one form per project.
- Requirement of Current and Pending form for all CUSE Grant applications.
- Change of the evaluation scale from a five point scale to a ten point scale.
- Revision of review criteria to better align with program intent and proposal contents.
- Inclusion of an acknowledgement of Syracuse University intellectual property policies.
- An encouragement that all CUSE grant applicants attend or view a CUSE Grant information session, and that awardees attend other proposal development training hosted by the Office of Research, especially those awardees with little or no prior grant experience.
I’m having trouble with the Syracuse University Application Portal. Who can I contact for assistance?
Please contact Jeff Falchi at jtfalchi@syr.edu.
I was awarded a CUSE Grant as a Co-PI in a previous cycle. Can still apply this year as a PI?
Yes, you are eligible to apply as a PI if you were a Co-PI in a previous cycle.
If I received a CUSE Grant as a PI in 2020 (or 2021), can I be a PI this year?
If your award was for a seminar grant in 2020 or a seminar or COVID-Relief grant in 2021, you can apply as a PI for a Seed, I&I, or G2G grant in 2022. Similarly, if you were awarded a Seed, I&I, or G2G grant in 2020, you can apply for a seminar grant in 2022. However, all other possibilities are unallowable, as there must be a one-year gap between active CUSE Awards held by a PI. See the table below for a breakdown of eligibility for PIs of 2020 and 2021 awards to submit new applications:
Year of Prior Award as PI | Award Type | PI Eligibility as New Applicant |
2020 | Seminar | Seed, I&I, G2G |
2020 | Seed, I&I, G2G | Seminar |
2021 | Seminar | Seed, I&I, G2G |
2021 | COVID-Relief | Seed, I&I, G2G, Seminar |
2021 | Seed, I&I, G2G | Seminar |
While PIs with 2020 and 2021 awards are eligible to apply for new CUSE awards on a limited basis as noted in the table above, such applicants must thoroughly address the “results from prior CUSE Grant” section.
Can I apply as the lead PI for two CUSE grants simultaneously?
Generally, applicants may not submit multiple proposals as PI for CUSE Grants. However, a PI may apply for a Seminar Grant in conjunction with any other type of grant. While PIs are technically allowed to apply for a Seminar Grant in conjunction with another grant type, considering the spirit of the CUSE Grant Program to provide broad support across the University research community, it is unlikely that a single PI will receive more than one award this year.
Is a Visiting Assistant Professor eligible to apply for a CUSE grant?
For all grant categories, Principal Investigator (PI) eligibility follows the institutional requirements set forth in the University’s Statement of Principal Investigator Eligibility. Visiting Assistant Professors are not eligible to serve as PI or Co-PI, as these are not permanent appointments. Waivers for PI eligibility may be requested by submitting a completed Request to Waive PI Eligibility form to Stuart Taub, Director of Sponsored Programs at staub@syr.edu. Waiver requests must be received by Monday, February 22, 2021.
Can postdocs or PhD students serve as a Co-PI on a CUSE grant?
As noted in the CUSE Grant RFP, postdocs and PhD students may not serve as PI on a CUSE grant. Additionally, postdocs and PhD students are not eligible for Co-PI status.
However, faculty are strongly encouraged to involve postdocs, undergraduate, and graduate students in their CUSE projects, including allowing for partial salary support as part of the budget. Postdoc and student CVs are not included as part of the required proposal documents, but postdoc and student information may be included in the project description as member of the potential team.
Can I subcontract my CUSE Grant funds to another university to assist in the conduct of my research?
No, CUSE funds may not be subcontracted out to other institutions, as they are intended to further the research that is conducted by SU personnel. While CUSE Grants do allow external Co-PIs, they should be unfunded Co-PIs.
How can I collaborate with external colleagues on my CUSE Grant?
Collaboration with external colleagues is permitted, either as individual consultants, or as unpaid collaborators. A distinction is made between hiring an individual consultant (allowable) vs. proposing a formal subcontract to a colleague’s institution (not allowable). Total funding for consultants cannot exceed 25% of the budget costs.
I am writing a research proposal for a CUSE Grant, but not sure I should apply for a Seed Grant or for an Innovative and Interdisciplinary Research Grant. Can you advise?
Seed grants are intended to initiate new projects, produce preliminary data, or to conduct small projects. I&I grants are intended for projects that are innovative and/or interdisciplinary in nature, and competitively positioned for success, especially for follow-on external funding. Additionally, the funding limit is different and the competition may be different within each pool of applicants. We suggest reviewing the lists of prior awardees on the Office of Research Answer page for examples of successful I&I and Seed projects.
It sounds like CUSE Grants are expected to be interdisciplinary. My project is strongly disciplinary and does not lend itself to an interdisciplinary approach. May I still apply for a CUSE Grant?
Yes, you can apply for a research CUSE grant as an individual PI. While the CUSE Grant program promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, applications from disciplinary research areas with great potential to further scholarship, or that may lead to extramural funding opportunities are also encouraged. Individual applicants must demonstrate the potential for success without the need for collaboration.
For I&I grants, does the interdisciplinary relationship need to be within Syracuse University or can the collaboration be with a partner outside of the University?
CUSE Grants are intended to support Syracuse University faculty and their projects. As such, internal interdisciplinary collaborations are strongly supported. CUSE Grants do allow external collaborators, as Co-PIs. However, subcontracts (funding to external collaborator institutions/organizations) are not allowed. External collaborators may receive funding as individual consultants, as long as consulting costs do not exceed 25% of the proposal budget.
My proposed project duration is shorter than two years long. Is it allowable to submit a one-year project instead of for two years?
You may submit a project with activities designed to be completed in one year. However, all CUSE Grant awards are made as two-year awards. If you plan activities to occur in one year, but experience changes during the project period, you will be able to use your grant in the second year. Whether or not your project activities are completed in a single year, you will be required as PI to submit an annual report at the end of the first project year, and a final report at the end of the second year.
I am proposing activities to start in June 2022. However, if funding decisions are not received until May, I will have trouble having enough time to plan the activities. I believe this will hurt my application as it will be obvious that time will be tight. How should I address this?
Awards will not be announced earlier than May, so project planning should be in accordance with the award timeframe.
Does my department need to approve my budget?
While PIs are not required to receive department approval for their CUSE budget, you should work with your departmental or college budget administrator when planning your budget to ensure it is correct and appropriate for the project and for any department, school, or college-based budgeting considerations, such as hourly rates for students.
How should I structure my budget between student support, consultant, materials, etc?
There is no prescribed balance for funding distribution between categories. All budget items should have a good explanation of the role of item in the overall project. Funding for consultants should note the necessity of the work for the project and the special expertise a consultant brings to the project.
Should I include summer salary or course buyout funding for the PI in my budget?
In prior years, reviewers have not looked kindly at a proposal budget made up exclusively or predominantly of PI salary funding. The predominance of the budget should be for other research expenses or support for students. Faculty salary is allowed and is limited to one month per year but needs to be well-justified as appropriate and necessary for the scope of the project.
Do you allow costs in the budget for open access publication?
Yes, open access publication costs are an allowable budget item.
For the budget, do we need to provide salary information for the PI and Co-PIs if we are not requesting any funding for salaries?
Only project personnel who are requesting salary as part of their CUSE Budget need to enter their base salary. It is not required for project personnel to be listed on the budget if no salary is being requested.
My project will continue work that has already been approved by the IRB. I would request modifications to the protocol because we are making some changes based on this CUSE grant. Do I still check Human Subjects Research?
Yes, any project that includes Human Subjects Research should select that requirement. This is used for internal tracking and information, not as the start to any IRB approvals.
For the Conflict of Interest form, all of my Syracuse University-based co-authors/collaborators over the past 3 years have been on project unrelated to the project I am proposing. Should I still list those collaborators?
Yes, you should still complete the form with those collaborators. If you have no co-authors or collaborators in Syracuse University in last 3 years, you can list “none”. However, if you have had SU co-authors and/or collaborators on different projects unrelated to the proposed project, these should be listed. It is not the nature of the project that determines inclusion, it is the nature of the relationship (co-author, collaborator, former students/mentor).
How can I include letters of support in my application?
Letters of support are not allowed as an additional attachment, but you are welcome to include it as the last page of your narrative, as long as you stay within the required narrative length for the applicable grant type.
Can someone other than the PI edit and/or submit an application in the Application Portal?
Yes, the PI can designate a Proxy to start, submit, edit, and/or submit a proposal. The PI must designate that person as a Proxy in the system. Please see detailed instructions here.
Project FAQs
My current CUSE project is impacted by the changes due to COVID-19. What accommodations are being made for CUSE projects?
CUSE grantees have the ability to request a one-year no cost extension due COVID-19 complications, by emailing Christina Leigh Docteur with a description of the reason for their request. Grantees will still be required to submit an annual report if granted an extension. This is only applicable for 2020 CUSE Grant awards; 2021 CUSE Grant awardees do not need to apply for an extension at this time.
CUSE grantees also have the ability to rebudget their grant. Changes in excess of 25% of project costs require submitting an email request to Christina Leigh Docteur with a detailed description of the change.
CUSE Grants can cover unanticipated costs incurred from changes due to COVID-19 restrictions, such as (if documented): Facility rental deposits, catering deposit, travel change fees. However, CUSE grantees will not be provided with supplemental funds. Therefore, any budgetary changes to the grant must be absorbed within the existing budget.