EMERGE program requests must meet several conditions:

1. The program is intended for cases where current, active grants or contracts have been terminated or interrupted (i.e., paused) for reasons beyond the investigator’s control. Other situations may be considered on a case-by-case basis, provided that recent changes in federal funding policies and practices cause the funding gap to be addressed.

2. Phase 1 funds Funding priority is for the base salaries and fringe of graduate students, postdocs, and other externally funded personnel costs up to the amount currently funded on the impacted grants or contracts. Other critical research expenses outside of salaries may be considered with justification. Summer salary is excluded from EMERGE requests.

Phase 2 funds: Can include any costs in Phase 1, plus other expenses needed to support an investigator in the pursuit of new external funding through pilot projects and/or completing critical aims/tasks from terminated projects and/or helping a graduate student complete their degree.

3. Contributions from PI, Co-PI, department, school/college, and/or Center/Institute funds are expected based on available unrestricted fund balances (startup, IDC, salary savings, or any other accounts that may be used for research costs). Faculty, department heads/chairs, deans, and directors are empowered to work collaboratively on plans to make funds available for contribution. Contributions for emergency needs will vary based on the local funds available. Where available balances allow, local and school/college contributions will likely need to exceed the third/third/third model previously used for OVPR matches. This will allow the OVPR to reserve limited central funds for units with low discretionary balances. This allocation of university resources is also imperative given the state’s attention to the university’s unrestricted account balances. The OVPR has cut programs/resources (e.g., internal seed grants, research development and communication resources) to pay costs associated with the EMERGE program.

4. PIs applying for EMERGE funds must work with their department, center/institute, and school/college leadership while preparing their financial and action plans.
   • All financial resources available to the applicant should be examined. For example, if the investigator has over $10,000 in start-up or other discretionary funds, the OVPR expects the investigator to deplete those funds below $10,000 collectively as part of the financial plans.
   • The role of the department head / dean / director is to render their best judgment regarding the applicant’s need for emergency funds in the context of the applicant’s other support and department / school / college / center / institute resources, and the applicant’s plans for restoring funding.
   • Applications must have Department and School/College approval prior to submission
   • All applications for EMERGE funds will be routed to the department head, dean and/or director for confirmation (the same approvals as IPRs).

5. If extramural grant funds (for the project in question) become available to the investigator during the period of the EMERGE award, any future unused funds must be returned. For example, it is expected that graduate student/staff supported by EMERGE funds would be transitioned back to external funding on reinstated or new related award

6. To receive funds under the EMERGE program, PIs must be up-to-date/compliant with all training requirements, including new trainings related Research Security.

7. Requests to the OVPR must be initiated through the EMERGE intake application (available through the UConn Quest Portal). Applications may be submitted by the PI, the Department/Center, or the Dean’s office.

Applications may be submitted through the UConn Quest Portal, (you may be prompted to first log in and then to click the link again to access the application) and must include the following components:

Note: Phase 1 and Phase 2 applications may be submitted together, if desired; however, we recommend taking time to fully consider phase 2 plans before submitting a phase 2 application.

• Application Form – available on Quest Portal
  • Applicant Information
  • Background information regarding request
  • Financial contribution overview

• Request Details (*uploaded as PDF – no more than 3 pages). Please include the following sections:

• • EMERGE Rationale:
    • Please describe the circumstances motivating the request for emergency funding. 
    • If applicable, please include an overview of grants that have been cancelled (date of notification, expected end date, reason for cancellation, etc.) 
    • For requests not including cancellations, please describe the federal action that is causing the emergency, any communications you’ve received from the sponsor, and any backup plans you have prepared. 

• • Immediate university-obligated / non-cancellable costs: EMERGE Phase 1 awards can support University obligated/critical costs that would have been covered by a grant if not for the action described in the previous section.  Please include: 
    • An overview of personnel (students, postdocs, staff) costs that can no longer be charged to the grant, as expected. 
      • Include details about their current contract timeline, other sources of funding for their position (if any), and notice requirements for their positions if they cannot be continued.
      • If a contract end date extends beyond the expected end date of any terminated grants, please describe your original plans for supporting the position after the grant’s end.
    • A description of any other critical research expenses necessary to safely close out the project.
    • Any steps taken or commitments received that mitigate the impact of the federal action.  This can include shifting impacted personnel to other projects/duties, offers of TAships/fellowships, or commitments of cash support.
    • Please work with your local financial / grant administrators and SPS Post Award to ensure all information is accurate.   

• • Action Plans, with timelines What activities do you propose to undertake during the EMERGE Phase 1 award period? Please outline: 
    • Steps you are taking to minimize project-related costs.
    • Steps needed to scale down, reconfigure, or potentially close out the impacted project in an orderly fashion.  Please complete this even if you also plan to apply for phase 2 funds.  
    • The activities that personnel funded by EMERGE phase 1 would do during the award period.
    • Any project activities/deliverables that can be completed using EMERGE phase 1 support.  This can include completing in-progress activities previously funded by terminated awards or activities that can help you pivot to new funding. 

• • Staffing plans  EMERGE Phase 1 funds can only support personnel for the duration of the University’s current obligation (end of contract or end of layoff period, if applicable).  Please share a brief overview of: 
    • Plans for impacted staff beyond the phase 1 award period (may include new assignments for impacted personnel). 
    • Plans to support impacted students through the end of their degree programs. 
    • Any special circumstances (e.g., international considerations, etc.) 

• Budget Spreadsheet (uploaded as PDF) - Note: we have not yet established a particular format for the budget spreadsheet.
  • Budgets should reflect the full non-cancellable costs related to the project for the emergency period, after cost minimizing steps are taken. 
  • Contributions from the PI, department, center/institute, and school/college should be accounted for in the budget.  All project-related costs should be included.
  • Budget should include:
    • Eligible Personnel costs, including benefit fringe rates at this link; university fringe benefit rates, (Storrs and regional campuses) and university fringe benefit rates (UConn Health Center) broken down by individual categories 
    • Other critical costs that are required and/or cannot be deferred, in detail (e.g., animal care, equipment maintenance)  
    • Itemize contributions from PI, department, school/college, affiliated centers/institutes 
  • Please also provide a separate sheet listing all active PI accounts, including foundation accounts, indicating 
    • Current balances
    • Amounts being committed for the current request
    • Other existing short/near term commitments for available funds, if any.
• Optional Appendices (uploaded as PDF) may be uploaded.
  • • such as but not limited to; letters of support, termination notices, hiring contracts, references/sources or any other information in support of the application

Phase 1 Review Process

1. After submission, the request will be routed to Department, Center/Institute, and School/College leadership for review and approval. Unit leaders will need to sign off on action plans and financial commitments.
2. Requests will then be reviewed by the OVPR, along with a representative of the EMERGE committee in the case of Storrs and Regional Campus submission and HCRAC for UConn Health submissions.
   • All available accounts related to the request will be reviewed. For PIs, uncommitted fund balances above $10K (cumulative across all unrestricted accounts) must be put toward funding needs related to the terminated project.
   • Action and staffing plans will be reviewed to ensure that they are complete and well-justified.
3. Reviews will be performed every 2 weeks with a goal for decisions within 3 weeks of submission. The three weeks begins once the application has been approved by unit leaders, as described above in #1.
4. Awards will be dependent on availability of EMERGE funding.

EMERGE Committee will be comprised of at least 5 members with representation from the following groups: OVPR Research Development, Center/Institute directors, Associate Deans for Research.

Applications may be submitted through the UConn Quest Portal, (you may be prompted to first log in and then to click the link again to access the application) and must include the following components:

Note: Phase 1 and Phase 2 applications may be submitted together, if desired; however, we recommend taking time to fully consider phase 2 plans before submitting a phase 2 application.

• Application Form – available on Quest Portal
  • Applicant Information
  • Background information regarding request
  • Financial contribution overview

• Request Details (*uploaded as PDF – no more than 3 pages). Please include the following sections:

• • Reason for request

• • Action Plans, with timelines
    • Proposed short-term research plan and milestones
    • Future funding plans to pursue new external funding
    • How this funding will help investigator(s) win future funding

• Budget Spreadsheet (uploaded as PDF) Note: we have not yet established a particular format for the budget spreadsheet.
  • Eligible Personnel costs, including university fringe benefit rates, broken down by individual
  • Other research-related costs (materials and supplies, equipment, animal costs, participant costs, facility use fees, etc).
  • Itemize contributions from PI, department, school/college, affiliated centers/institutes
  • Separate sheet listing all active PI accounts, including foundation accounts, indicating:
    • Current balance
    • Overlap with current request
    • Existing short/near term commitments for available funds, if any

• Optional Appendices (uploaded as PDF) may be uploaded.
  • such as but not limited to; letters of support, termination notices, hiring contracts, references/sources or any other information in support of the application

Phase 2 Review Process

1. After submission, the request will be routed to Department, Center/Institute, and School/College leadership for review and approval. Unit leaders will need to sign off on the merit of proposed research, the likelihood of future external funding, and all financial commitments.
2. Requests will then be reviewed by the OVPR, along with a representative of the EMERGE committee in the case of Storrs and Regional Campus submission and HCRAC for UConn Health submissions.
   • All available accounts related to the request will be reviewed. For PIs, uncommitted fund balances above $10K (cumulative across all unrestricted accounts) must be put toward funding needs related to the terminated project.
   • Research and future funding plans will be reviewed to ensure that they are complete and well-justified. OVPR will rely upon the judgements of unit leaders regarding the intellectual merit of the proposed research.
3. Reviews will be performed every 2 weeks with a goal for decisions within 3 weeks of submission. The three weeks begins once the application has been approved by unit leaders, as described above in #1.
4. Awards will be dependent on availability of EMERGE funding.
5. EMERGE awards will be made for 6 month increments. Demonstration of progress is required to receive a subsequent allocation, if needed, and if funds are available.

EMERGE Committee will be comprised of at least 5 members with representation from the following groups: OVPR Research Development, Center/Institute directors, Associate Deans for Research.