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March RCR Training

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Calling All Human Subjects Research Staff! Please join the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Office TODAY at noon for our March in-person RCR training session with a focus on clinical and social researchers! This 1.5-hour event will count towards the 8-hour in person requirement for NIH, but we highly encourage anyone conducting human subjects research to join us! No registration required. Snacks provided! See you in the library!

 

What: March RCR in-person training, “The Research Clinic”

When: Today, Wednesday, March 13th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Babbidge Library, Class of ’47 Classroom

 

This month, we will be highlighting the importance of appropriately protecting research participants and avoiding research misconduct. We will meet in the library to view the Office of Research Integrity’s (ORI) interactive movie: “The Research Clinic.” The movie is designed as a “choose your own adventure”-type experience to allow participants to work through some common pitfalls and challenges in a low-risk environment. 

 

For questions, please contact Ellen Ciesielski, Research Compliance Monitor, or Karen Moré, Director of Research Compliance. For more details about RCR requirements, please visit our RCR Office website.

 

IRB Virtual Office Hours for March

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Research Integrity & Compliance (RIC) will be hosting virtual office hours via Webex for students and faculty to offer guidance on IRB submissions and human subjects regulations.  Late afternoon/early evening appointments are offered to support availability of students and faculty researchers.

 

RIC staff are available to answer questions for research teams and faculty and student investigators who have questions about submitting to the IRB, human subjects regulations, post approval support, or general guidance on IRB processes.

 

Virtual office hours will be held on the following dates and times:

 

March:

Tuesday March 19, 2024, from 3:00pm-6:30pm

Wednesday March 20, 2024, from 11:30am-2:30pm

 

 

Please use the following Nexus link to sign up for an open meeting slot to schedule an appointment:

 

https://nexus.uconn.edu/secure_per/schedule1.php?stser=4475

 

For questions related to the sessions, please contact Joan Levine at joan.levine@uconn.edu

January Responsible Conduct of Research Training

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Please join us as we kick off our new monthly in-person Responsible Conduct of Research training offerings! 

 

The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Program within Research Integrity & Compliance in the OVPR is developing a series of monthly in-person RCR training sessions. For our January event, we will meet to view the Office of Research Integrity’s (ORI) interactive movie: “The Lab – Avoiding Research Misconduct.” The movie is designed as a “choose your own adventure”-type experience to allow participants to work through some common pitfalls and challenges in a low-risk environment. This 1.5-hour event will count towards the 8-hour in person requirement for NIH. For more details about RCR requirements, please visit our RCR Program website.

 

Space is limited so registration is required. To register, please email Research Compliance Monitor, Ellen Ciesielski. For questions, please contact Karen Moré, Director of Research Compliance.

 

What: January RCR in-person training, The Lab – Avoiding Research Misconduct

When: Monday, January 22nd from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Babbidge Library, Class of ’47 Classroom

Responsible Conduct of Research Training

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Please join us as we kick off our new monthly in-person Responsible Conduct of Research training offerings! 

 

The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Program within Research Integrity & Compliance in the OVPR is developing a series of monthly in-person RCR training sessions. For this first event, we will meet to view the Office of Research Integrity’s (ORI) interactive movie: “The Lab – Avoiding Research Misconduct.” The movie is designed as a “choose your own adventure”-type experience to allow participants to work through some common pitfalls and challenges in a low-risk environment. This 1.5-hour event will count towards the 8-hour in person requirement for NIH. For more details about RCR requirements, please visit our RCR Program website.

 

Space is limited so registration is required. To register, please email Research Compliance Monitor, Ellen Ciesielski. For questions, please contact Karen Moré, Director of Research Compliance.

 

What: December RCR in-person training, The Lab – Avoiding Research Misconduct

When: Tuesday, December 12th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Babbidge Library, Class of ’47 Classroom

Research Communications

What We Do

The UConn Research Communications team is responsible for promoting and disseminating research conducted at the university. Our primary functions include:

  • Public Relations
    • We write and distribute press releases and manage media inquiries related to research conducted at UConn.
  • Science Communication
    • The team works to translate complex research findings into accessible language for the general public, especially by producing content for the university’s house media outlet, UConn Today.
  • Social Media and Web Presence
    • Research Communications manages social media accounts (X, LinkedIn, and Instagram), the university’s research websites (internal and external), and online publications to keep the public informed about ongoing research projects and their outcomes.
  • Event Promotion
    • Research Communications helps organize and promote events related to research, such as lectures, seminars, and conferences. This helps in engaging the public and other stakeholders.
  • Internal Communications
    • In addition to external communication, our team ensures that research findings and news are effectively communicated within the university community.
  • Graphic Design and Multimedia
    • Our talented graphic designers and multimedia specialists help create visually appealing materials to accompany research communications, such as infographics, videos, and other visual content.
  • Media Training
    • We provide media training to researchers and UConn service units to help them effectively communicate their work to the public and the press.

Get in Touch

Need our services? For internal inquiries (UConn researchers/faculty/staff), submit a ticket with the specifics of your request. This helps us streamline our response and will ensure the quickest turnaround.

For external inquiries and other requests, email us.

Communications Support Request Form

The Research Communications team supports UConn faculty and researchers with the following communications deliverables and services:

  • UConn Today Stories
  • Press Releases
  • Website update (for ovpr.uconn.edu and ovpr.uchc.edu only)
  • Social Media Posts or Graphics
  • Design Project
  • Presentation Decks
  • Photography/Videography
  • Social Media Training
  • Communications Etiquette Training
  • Other Special Projects

To request any of the above, please fill out our support request form, and our team will be happy to assist you.

Internal Funding Budget Guidelines

The proposal budget is the financial plan of action that reflects the costs required to perform the proposed work statement. The following information has been prepared to help you develop your budget plan. It is important to demonstrate that the budget proposed is reasonable. 

A budget justification should be submitted to allow for each budget category to be explained relative to the proposed research. The budget justification explains how the estimated costs for the categories were derived and explains the need for the cost. Budgets should be prepared for the entire proposed project.  

While our budget sheet template has been designed to make it easy for an applicant to complete it on their own, we encourage all applicants to consult with their local grant administrators to ensure that budgets are correctly completed.  Faculty in CLAS are asked to reach out to clasgrants@uconn.edu to work with the Grant Management Services (GMS) team to complete the budgets for internal funding program applications.

Download and save the budget sheet template to your computer: OVPR_Internal-Funding_Budget-Template_FY26-for-FY25-competitions

 The following categories are generally included in the preparation of a proposal budget: 

  • Salary: List all personnel, including the names and roles devoted to the project. 
  • Fringe benefits: Automatically computed on the budget sheet template except for ‘other,’ refer to Storrs/Regional Fringe Benefit Rates and UCH Fringe Benefit Rates. 
  • Equipment: Tangible, non-expendable, individual property having an anticipated life of one year or more with a unit acquisition cost of $5,000 or greater. For information see equipment definitions on the accounting website. 
  • Travel (transportation & Per Diem): Includes any travel necessary to conduct research (in support of specific project aims). For information on travel procedures and processes, see the travel website. 
  • Materials & Supplies: Any consumable not falling into the category of equipment, as defined above. 
  • Participant Support: Indicate incentives, travel, and other subsistence costs necessary for the project. 
  • Animals/Animal Care: Animal costs should reflect the type of animal, the number of animals and the unit cost per animal. Per Diem costs should list the number of days of Per Diem. Please refer to OAC for per diem rates. 
  • Contractual Services: Fees and charges for specialized services, such as library access fees, laboratory analysis fees, consultant fees, subject fees, etc. 

General guidelines regarding allowable/unallowable costs that are consistent with other OVPR internal funding opportunities. If you have a budget need that does not fit within these guidelines, please reach out to the OVPR Research Development Internal Funding team at research@uconn.edu to discuss options.  

    Allowable costs include:  

    • Graduate Research Assistants
      • AY Graduate Research Assistantships (20 hour/week).  Can choose GA level and specify percentage effort on the project.
      • Summer. You may request up to $2000 per student per annum.
    • Postdoc or other research assistant/technician salary 
      • Postdoc stipends should follow the NIH NRSA stipend levels. You may enter the base salary of each postdoc and record the postdoc’s effort percentage on this project.
    • Student Labor. Undergraduate student labor is paid on an hourly basis, plus fringe benefits. Please refer to the student employment website for levels of experience and compensation. Please enter the total amount you are budgeting for all undergraduate student labor costs
    • Summer Fellowships. Storrs/regional campus faculty members on nine-month appointments may receive salary during the summer months. A maximum of $3,000 per award (plus fringe) may be requested for single PI proposals and $5,000 per award (plus fringe) for Multi-PI proposals (limit $3K per PI). The request for summer funds must be carefully justified. For more information, contact the OVPR. 
    • Course buyouts   
      • Course buyout may be requested for Storrs/regional campus faculty, but the PI must explain why release time is vital to the project. Faculty requesting funds for course buy-outs must include a statement of support from the department head.
        • ‘The department supports a course buyout for ‘PI name’s’ application for the ‘award name’ program entitled ‘project title,’ under the OVPR’s terms for the inclusion of course buyouts in internal funding awards.’
      • Amount requested cannot exceed the minimum per-credit adjunct rate for the course being replaced.  For more information, contact the OVPR.
      • Limit of one per PI (Principal Investigators) per project
      • Please refer to the payroll department.
    • Fringe costs 
    • Equipment purchases 
    • Travel to conduct research or meet with collaborators (travel approval may be required) 
    • Materials and supplies 
    • Participant support costs 
    • Animal/animal care costs 
    • Contractual services (including fee-for-service contracts with partner institutions)  

    Unallowable costs include:  

    • Subawards to partner institutions 
    • Faculty member salaries 
    • Clerical or administrative personnel salaries 
    • Including personnel whose primary purpose is to explore funding sources and/or prepare grant applications 
    • Service/maintenance contracts on equipment 
    • Laboratory renovations, or other infrastructure renovations 
    • Institutional memberships in professional organizations 
    • Computers, laptops, tablets, or other standard office equipment (computers that serve a specialized research function beyond what standard office equipment can provide are allowable) 
    • Travel to professional meetings to present the results of the research 
    • Travel to explore extramural funding opportunities 
    • Costs associated with the publication of results of the research including page charges, purchase of reprints, or journal costs. 

     

    SPS Guidance Regarding Potential Federal Government Shutdown

    UConn Sponsored Program Services is closely monitoring developments in Washington, D.C., and evaluating the likelihood of a federal government shutdown and its potential impact on UConn research activity. The U.S. Government is currently operating under a Continuing Resolution, which extends the deadline for passage of spending bills through March 22, 2024.

    As with previous federal government shutdowns, researchers with active federally sponsored grants and contracts will generally be instructed to continue work unless the project requires significant involvement of federal employees. Investigators may receive instructions from their contracting or program officers; if you receive such information, please notify your SPS contact noted below, immediately. Federal personnel will not be available.

    No sponsor-specific guidance on how a potential federal government shutdown may impact submission of new or competing proposal submissions has yet been provided, though agencies have developed Contingency Plans. We anticipate that some agencies will not be available to process proposals and that others will retain submitted proposals for processing when normal operations resume. If you are preparing an application or progress report for an upcoming submission deadline, please continue to prepare those documents for an on-time submission; however, we encourage you to monitor further updates for specific guidance and the potential for those deadlines to be extended.

    SPS will continue to monitor agency specific communications regarding the potential shutdown and provide detailed updates and specific guidance via this page and email.

    Storrs SPS Contacts

    UCH SPS Contacts

     

    Award Report

    After awards are made and the project has been completed, the OVPR (Office of the Vice President for Research) would like to evaluate project progress and to learn more about the impact of the work that has been done. Please email research@uconn.edu with a 1–2-page narrative that includes the following:  

    • Cover: title, team, funding mechanism, date of award, etc.  
    • Summary (brief): of the project aims/goals and the results to date.  
    • Project Outcomes (if relevant): publications, grant applications, grant awards, invention disclosures, patents, other “products.”  
    • Project Impacts (if relevant): discipline impacts, institutional impacts (students, teaching, infrastructure etc.), economic impacts, community impacts  
    • Anticipated next steps (if relevant): follow-on projects, dissemination plans, external funding strategy, commercialization, etc.  

       After the award period ends, we are interested in receiving updates on outcomes from the award. We understand that the full realization of many projects may appear sometime after the funded work is complete. After this initial report is submitted, we will contact you in the future for updates on the project’s longitudinal impacts.   

       

      SCRO Policies, Regulations & Guidance

      For a detailed description of UConn/UConn Health SCRO Committee policies, please consult the SCRO Policy Manual document.

      For additional resources, please check out the following links:

      Training for Users of Stem Cells

      University policy requires all researchers and research staff, including students, post-docs, visitors, and faculty, to pass the Human Stem Cell Compliance tutorial quiz with 100% accuracy prior to engaging in research. The tutorial is intended to educate researchers on ethical issues associated with hESC and hiPSC research and inform them of relevant institutional, state, and federal policies and procedures.

      The tutorial is not required for those conducting in vitro human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) research involving the generation of gametes, embryos, or other totipotent cells. The tutorial is also not required for research that requires SCRO review to secure State of Connecticut funding but otherwise would not fall under SCRO’s jurisdiction (i.e., non-human stem cells, etc.). All other research requires that research staff complete the tutorial prior to beginning work on approved SCRO projects.

      To access the tutorial, quiz, and the sheet to record your answers, click on the links below. Return your answer sheet to SCRO Coordinator, Ellen Ciesielski, eciesielski@uchc.edu. You will be notified of your quiz results and receive a certificate upon successful completion.

      Coordination with Other Oversight Committees

      The SCRO Committee does not replace the oversight of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or Institutional Review Board (IRB), or alter the scope of review of these committees. Protocols that normally require IBC, IACUC and/or IRB approval continue to require these approvals. Investigators have the responsibility of submitting the required documents to the relevant oversight committees. If any component of the research project is conducted at an institution other than UConn, the SCRO Committee must receive documentation that the relevant approvals (IBC, IACUC, or IRB) have been obtained at the institution where the research is conducted.

      The SCRO Committee has the final sign-off on stem cell protocol approvals. Final SCRO Committee approval will not be given until the SCRO Committee receives documentation of all required IBC, IACUC and IRB approvals. Continued SCRO approval is contingent upon all other relevant approvals being current. Parallel review with the SCRO Committee and the IRB, IBC or IACUC is permitted. Investigators may submit their protocol applications to the SCRO Committee while IRB, IBC or IACUC approval is pending or after it is granted.

      • IBC: All use of recombinant DNA or hazardous biological materials (human cells) must be approved by the Institutional Biosafety Committee(s) at the campus(es) where the research will be conducted.
      • IACUC: All use of animals must be approved by the IACUC(s) at the campus(es) where the research will be conducted.
      • IRB: Because oversight issues of the IRB and the SCRO Committee are intertwined, it is recommended that the IRB and SCRO Committee reviews occur in parallel. Approval must be obtained from the IRB(s) at the campus(es) where the research will occur. Investigators should submit a copy of their IRB application to the SCRO Committee along with their SCRO Committee application. A UConn IRB must review and approve stem cell research protocols for:
        • Informed consent for the donation of human embryos, gametes, or somatic cells from human subjects to UConn researchers;
        • Receiving and coding for human biological materials with personal donor identifiers;
        • Implanting stem cells into human subjects.

        Documentation for acquired cells

        All stem cell projects are required to have proper documentation for the hESC and hiPSC lines that faculty plan to use before the SCRO Committee can provide final approval.

        • Cells derived at another institution or outside UConn require an executed Material Transfer Agreement (MTA).
        • Cells coming from the UConn Stem Cell Core facility but developed and owned elsewhere such as the WiCell Stem Cell Bank lines that are banked at the Core require a shortened Materials Transfer Agreement (MTA) known as a Short Letter Agreement (SLA). The procedures for obtaining these cells and the required documentation are detailed on the Core website: https://health.uconn.edu/stem-cell-core/services/distribution-of-human-pluripotent-stem-cell-lines/.
        • Investigators who plan to use hESC/iPSC lines that have not been previously approved by the UConn SCRO Committee must provide documentation of their provenance and their ethical derivation. This documentation includes:
          • A copy of the fully executed Material Transfer Agreement (MTA)
          • Evidence of IRB approval at the relevant institution
          • Documentation of the informed consent process in sufficient detail to allow for evaluation of conformity with State of Connecticut Regulations, National Academy of Science Guidelines, and standards of the UConn SCRO Committee and IRB.

        UConn Quantum Innovation Seed Grants

        Advances in quantum science have the potential to have transformative social and economic impact.  New technologies are poised to revolutionize major industries, creating opportunities for new applications that will fuel economic growth.

        The UConn Quantum Innovation Seed Grant program is designed to encourage and catalyze collaboration among researchers from UConn, Yale University and other regional academic partners, corporate/industry partners, and other stakeholders to explore, develop, and translate innovations and applications related to quantum technologies.  Building on existing strengths at UConn and within partner organizations across the region, this program seeks to support the development of use-inspired applications of quantum technologies relevant to the following research areas and industries:

        • New materials and manufacturing methods for fabricating quantum devices
        • Quantum computing and algorithms; quantum assisted optimization, quantum simulation
        • Advancements in data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning
        • Quantum information technologies, quantum sensing and cryptography

        Quantum science is expected to have direct applications in industries in which Connecticut has a strong presence and workforce:

        • Healthcare and biotechnology
        • Insurance and financial tech
        • Cybersecurity
        • Aerospace
        • Pharmaceuticals
        • Defense
        • Other use sectors

        This program is offered as a companion program to the Quantum-CT Regional Innovation Engine project. Quantum-CT, led by UConn and Yale University, is an effort to build an innovation ecosystem of researchers, educators, industry, and state/local stakeholders to harness the economic impact of new quantum-enabled technologies through technology development, innovation and entrepreneurship, and advances in STEM education and workforce development.

         

        Program Timeline

        • Program opens 8/21/23.
        • Submissions to be made through the UConn Quest Portal.UConn Quest Portal.
        • Proposal deadline 10/30/23

        Eligibility

        The Quantum-CT Innovation Seed Grant program is available to UConn / UConn Health researchers, within the following parameters:

        • Primary Appointment:
          • PIs must be faculty whose primary appointment is at UConn and/or UConn Health
          • Individuals who are not eligible to apply as a PI may be able to serve as a collaborator/consultant on an eligible PI’s project. (external PIs qualify the project as a multi-PI effort)
        • Effort and Salary:
          • Although no minimum effort level is required, a PI/Co-PI must have institutionally-funded research time available during the award period.
          • Research Professors / those whose positions are contingent on grant-funding (soft money positions) must include details about their institutionally-funded research time as part of the budget justification to confirm eligibility.
          • PIs/Co-PIs must each make significant and distinct intellectual contributions to the design and direction of the project.
        • Eligible Faculty Ranks:
          • Awards are available to tenure-track, tenured, Clinical, Research, and in-Residence faculty with Assistant Professor rank or higher.
        • Eligible faculty may only submit one proposal as lead PI. Investigators may serve as collaborator on multiple projects.
        • Single-PI proposals will not be considered.  Projects that include external industry/academic collaborations are strongly preferred.

        Award Details

        • Awards of up to $50K will be made.
        • One year award periods are expected though alternate timelines can be proposed.
        • It is expected that the project will draw on the team’s collective research capacity to co-develop novel applications of quantum technologies that will address real world challenges or opportunities.  It is also expected that the projects proposed will include significant involvement (co-creation, co-direction) by external/community stakeholders and that they will lead to significant broader impacts.
        • Eligible projects may be at any stage in the development process (from early-stage basic science work through proof of concept and prototyping), but they must be use-inspired and moving towards translation.
        • Applications that include matching funding from partnering organizations are highly encouraged.
        • Funds can be used to support research and translational activities at UConn/UConn Health.  Salary for external partner researchers and funding for research activities at other institutions/industrial partners must be supported by those institutions/partners. Contractual services support can be included to support the engagement of non-profits or community groups.
        • Review of full proposals will be carried out by a team of peer reviewers.
        • Applicants should be positioning themselves to seek external funding (research grants, SBIR/STTR, industry partnership, etc) to continue work at the end of the seed grant period.  Applicants are expected to address their external funding strategy as part of their applications and submit invention disclosures to TCS upon completion of the project.

              Submission Instructions

              • Applications will be accepted through the Quest Portal.
                • UConn/UConn Health applicants can use their NetIDs to access the system.
              • Proposals should include:
                • Applicant information form (available on Quest): PI Name, Home Department, School/College, email, phone, academic rank, primary employer.
                • Quantum-CT Innovation Seed Grant application form (available on Quest): project title, team members (with roles and affiliations), project abstract, amount requested
                • Project Description (PDF Upload): Proposals should address the following areas and should not exceed 5 pages in length (1” margins, 11-12pt fonts, single spacing and single side pages, cover page and references do not count against page limit):
                  • Cover Page: Title of Project, Principal investigator(s) with contact information, List of other team members (including affiliation, role, area of expertise)
                  • Significance/Importance: Provide a clear and compelling rationale for why the proposed project matters. Indicate how the proposed project will advance knowledge, address an important research question related to this track, and meet specific, use-inspired needs or opportunities.
                  • Approach and Timeline: Describe the plan for carrying out the proposed activities, including research design, work plan, and methodological approach.  Describe the timeline projected for completing this work.  If applicable, include hypotheses to be tested, specific goals/aims, and relevant background/information or preliminary data in support of the project.
                  • Innovation/Novelty: Outline the ways in which this project’s proposed work is new/innovative in its approach, methods, techniques, or applications in comparison to previous work in the field.
                  • Feasibility and Resources: Explain the feasibility of the work proposed, describing the availability of necessary resources and other factors that may impact the completion of the project.
                  • Team: Describe how the PI and/or collaborators are well-suited to carry out the proposed project. For Multi-PI proposals, indicate how the project brings together individuals from different disciplines and how the collaboration will advance the proposed project.
                  • Impact and Outcomes: Indicate the value or impact of the proposed project, once complete. How does the project reflect institutional, state, national, and/or global priorities? In what ways will the results of this work be transformative within its discipline and beyond? What broader societal benefits does it promise? What is your plan / mechanism for assessing the project’s success and evaluating outcomes?
                • Budget: Describe and justify the use of Quantum-CT funds. Please see Internal Funding Budget Guidelines for instructions and a budget template.
                • Biosketches / CVs for all PIs and Co-PIs: Please include an updated biosketch consistent with NSF format.
                • NSF-style Letters of support from any facilities/partner organizations providing support during the award period

              Budget Guidelines

              Please see the general budget guidelines for the OVPR Research Development Internal Funding awards.

              Review Criteria

              Significance

              • Does the project address an important use-inspired need or opportunity?
              • Is the project’s intellectual rationale clear and persuasive?
              • Does the project advance research in quantum technology in meaningful and significant ways?
              • Does the project’s conception, definition, organization, and description reflect the highest quality and excellence?

              Approach/Timeline

              • To what degree does the proposal outline a clearly articulated and well-reasoned plan of action?
              • If applicable, were the hypotheses, aims, and/or goals clearly articulated, well-reasoned, and adequately supported?
              • Are the conceptual / theoretical frameworks and methods adequately developed and clearly articulated?  To what degree are they appropriate to the aims of the project and reflective of intellectual rigor/artistic excellence?
              • Is the timeline adequate for achieving goals and meeting the project aims? For proposals requesting funding to exceed one year, is the request justified and supported?

               Innovation/Novelty

              • Is the project original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing paradigms, methods, approaches, applications, theories, practice and/or barriers to progress in the field(s)?

              Feasibility and Resources

              • To what degree is the project, as described in proposal, achievable?  Are there any concerns about feasibility?
              • Are the resource and time available for this project adequate to ensure success?
              • Does the environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success?
              • Does the proposed project benefit from unique features of the environment such as technical assistance/tools, translational expertise, and/or facilities support?

               Investigators/Collaborators

              • Are the PI, collaborators, and other personnel well-suited to carry out the project?
              • Do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise?
              • Does the team demonstrate an ongoing/emerging record of accomplishments that have advanced the respective field(s)?

              Impact and Outcomes

              • Is the proposed project compelling and if successful, would it make a meaningful disciplinary or interdisciplinary contribution and/or advancement?
              • Does the project have strong potential for producing valuable societal benefits?
              • Does the project have high potential for national or international recognition and achievement?
              • Does the proposal provide a mechanism to assess success and provide an adequate plan for evaluation of outcomes?
              • Where appropriate, does the project provide a sound dissemination and/or access plan?

              Budget Evaluation

              • Is the project budget appropriate and sufficient to carry out the proposed work?
              • Are the budget requests adequately justified, clearly articulated, and necessary for the scope of work and timeline?
              • Would you recommend any reduction in the budget?

              Funding Recommendations:

              Reviewers will be asked to make funding recommendations based on the merits of each proposal.

              Post-award considerations and Program Contacts

              Post-award considerations

              • Reporting requirements: PIs will need to prepare a brief report, using this Award Report Template to summarize project progress within one month of posting final expenses unless an extension from the OVPR has been received.
              • Further reports on project outcomes may be requested in the future to track return on investment.

              Program Contacts

              • Administrative contact: Charlotte Nelson, Internal Funding Coordinator. research@uconn.edu;

              UConn Innovations in Quantum STEM Education

              Advances in quantum science have the potential to have transformative social and economic impact.  New technologies are poised to revolutionize major industries, creating opportunities for new applications that will fuel economic growth.

              Taking full advantage of emerging quantum technologies requires a STEM-educated workforce that is ready to put these new technologies to work.  The Innovations in Quantum STEM Education program seeks to inspire and seed research into quantum-ready STEM education and workforce training that will enable our communities to rise to meet the new employment opportunities that quantum technologies will bring.  We encourage collaborations between UConn and Yale faculty, as well as other academic, workforce development, and corporate/industry partner organizations, to pursue innovative educational research related to quantum.  We particularly encourage collaborations that include faculty from quantum-related fields, STEM Education or curriculum development, and/or digital media and design.

              Areas of interest include (but are not limited to): assessing the current state of STEM education approaches in our region and our readiness for quantum, developing/testing new educational approaches to teaching quantum-related STEM concepts, developing training modules and game-based techniques for teaching quantum concepts, developing/implementing quantum-informed curriculum plans for all educational levels, and developing/implementing quantum-informed workforce development approaches for specific industries.

              This program is offered as a companion program to the Quantum-CT Regional Innovation Engine project. Quantum-CT, led by UConn and Yale University, is an effort to build an innovation ecosystem of researchers, educators, industry, and state/local stakeholders to harness the economic impact of new quantum-enabled technologies through technology development, innovation and entrepreneurship, and advances in STEM education and workforce development.

               

              Program Timeline

              • Program opens 8/21/23.
              • Submissions to be made through the UConn Quest Portal.
              • Proposal deadline 10/30/23

              Eligibility

              The Innovations in Quantum STEM Education program is available to UConn / UConn Health researchers, within the following parameters:

              • Primary Appointment:
                • PIs must be faculty whose primary appointment is at UConn and/or UConn Health
                • Individuals who are not eligible to apply as a PI may be able to serve as a collaborator/consultant on an eligible PI’s project.
              • Effort and Salary:
                • Although no minimum effort level is required, a PI/Co-PI must have institutionally-funded research time available during the award period.
                • Research Professors / those whose positions are contingent on grant-funding (soft money positions) must include details about their institutionally-funded research time as part of the budget justification to confirm eligibility.
                • PIs/Co-PIs must each make significant and distinct intellectual contributions to the design and direction of the project.
              • Eligible Faculty Ranks:
                • Awards are available to tenure-track, tenured, Clinical, Research, and in-Residence faculty with Assistant Professor rank or higher.
              • Eligible faculty may only submit one proposal as lead PI. Investigators may serve as collaborator on multiple projects.

              Award Details

              • Awards up to $25K are available for projects involving at least 1 UConn/UCH PI.
              • Awards up to $50K are available for projects that include PIs in at least two of the following three areas: quantum-adjacent fields, STEM education or curriculum development, and digital media and design.
              • One year award periods are expected, though alternate timelines can be proposed.
              • Teams must include a UConn/UConn Health PI.  Collaborations among Education researchers, STEM/Quantum researchers, and other disciplines such as Digital Media and Design is strongly encouraged.
              • External partnerships with co-PIs/collaborators from Yale University and other academic partners, the CT State Department of Education, CT public schools, or corporate/industry partners are also strongly encouraged.
              • It is expected that the project will draw on the team’s collective research capacity to co-develop innovations in STEM education related to quantum readiness.  It is also expected that the projects proposed will include significant involvement (co-creation, co-direction) by external/community stakeholders and that they will lead to significant broader impacts.
              • Proposing teams must be diverse, including investigators from underrepresented groups and a mixture of early-career and more senior investigators.
              • Eligible projects may approach the question of quantum readiness from any angle, as long as the project is developed with eventual implementation in mind.
              • Funds can be used to support research and translational activities at UConn/UConn Health.  Salary and funding for research activities at other academic institutions must be supported by those institutions – subawards are not allowed. Contractual services support can be included to support the engagement of educators, non-profits, or community groups.
              • Review of full proposals will be carried out by a team of peer reviewers.
              • Applicants should be positioning themselves to seek external funding (research grants, industry partnership, etc) to continue work at the end of the seed grant period.  Applicants are expected to address their external funding strategy as part of their applications and (if applicable) submit invention disclosures to TCS upon completion of the project.

                  Submission Instructions

                  • Applications will be accepted through the Quest Portal.
                    • UConn/UConn Health applicants can use their NetIDs to access the system.
                  • Proposals should include:
                    • Applicant information form (available on Quest): PI Name, Home Department, School/College, email, phone, academic rank, primary employer.
                    • Quantum-CT Innovation Seed Grant application form (available on Quest): program track, team members (with roles and affiliations), project abstract, amount requested.
                    • Project Description (PDF Upload): Proposals should address the following areas and should not exceed 5 pages in length (1” margins, 11-12pt fonts, single spacing and single side pages, cover page and references do not count against page limit):
                      • Cover Page: Title of Project, Principal investigator(s) with contact information, List of other team members (including affiliation, role, area of expertise)
                      • Significance/Importance: Provide a clear and compelling rationale for why the proposed project matters. Indicate how the proposed project will advance knowledge, address an important research question related to this track, and meet specific, use-inspired needs or opportunities.
                      • Approach and Timeline: Describe the plan for carrying out the proposed activities, including research design, work plan, and methodological approach.  Describe the timeline projected for completing this work.  If applicable, include hypotheses to be tested, specific goals/aims, and relevant background/information or preliminary data in support of the project.
                      • Innovation/Novelty: Outline the ways in which this project’s proposed work is new/innovative in its approach, methods, techniques, or applications in comparison to previous work in the field.
                      • Feasibility and Resources: Explain the feasibility of the work proposed, describing the availability of necessary resources and other factors that may impact the completion of the project.
                      • Team: Describe how the PI and/or collaborators are well-suited to carry out the proposed project. For Multi-PI proposals, indicate how the project brings together individuals from different disciplines and how the collaboration will advance the proposed project.
                      • Impact and Outcomes: Indicate the value or impact of the proposed project, once complete. How does the project reflect institutional, state, national, and/or global priorities? In what ways will the results of this work be transformative within its discipline and beyond? What broader societal benefits does it promise? What is your plan / mechanism for assessing the project’s success and evaluating outcomes?
                    • Budget: Describe and justify the use of Quantum-CT funds. Please see Internal Funding Budget Guidelines for instructions and a budget template.
                    • Biosketches / CVs for all PIs and Co-PIs: Please include an updated biosketch consistent with NSF format.
                    • NSF-style Letters of support from any facilities/partner organizations providing support during the award period

                  Budget Guidelines

                  Please see the general budget guidelines for the OVPR Research Development Internal Funding awards.

                  Review Criteria

                  Significance

                  • Does the project address an important use-inspired need or opportunity?
                  • Is the project’s intellectual rationale clear and persuasive?
                  • Does the project advance research in quantum technology/quantum-related STEM education in meaningful and significant ways?
                  • Does the project’s conception, definition, organization, and description reflect the highest quality and excellence?

                  Approach/Timeline

                  • To what degree does the proposal outline a clearly articulated and well-reasoned plan of action?
                  • If applicable, were the hypotheses, aims, and/or goals clearly articulated, well-reasoned, and adequately supported?
                  • Are the conceptual / theoretical frameworks and methods adequately developed and clearly articulated?  To what degree are they appropriate to the aims of the project and reflective of intellectual rigor/artistic excellence?
                  • Is the timeline adequate for achieving goals and meeting the project aims? For proposals requesting funding to exceed one year, is the request justified and supported?

                   Innovation/Novelty

                  • Is the project original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing paradigms, methods, approaches, applications, theories, practice and/or barriers to progress in the field(s)?

                  Feasibility and Resources

                  • To what degree is the project, as described in proposal, achievable?  Are there any concerns about feasibility?
                  • Are the resource and time available for this project adequate to ensure success?
                  • Does the environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success?
                  • Does the proposed project benefit from unique features of the environment such as technical assistance/tools, translational expertise, and/or facilities support?

                   Investigators/Collaborators

                  • Are the PI, collaborators, and other personnel well-suited to carry out the project?
                  • Do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise?
                  • Does the PI (and collaborators for Multi-PI proposals) demonstrate an ongoing/emerging record of accomplishments that have advanced the respective field(s)?

                  Impact and Outcomes

                  • Is the proposed project compelling and if successful, would it make a meaningful disciplinary or interdisciplinary contribution and/or advancement?
                  • Does the project have strong potential for producing valuable societal benefits?
                  • Does the project have high potential for national or international recognition and achievement?
                  • Does the proposal provide a mechanism to assess success and provide an adequate plan for evaluation of outcomes?
                  • Where appropriate, does the project provide a sound dissemination and/or access plan?

                  Budget Evaluation

                  • Is the project budget appropriate and sufficient to carry out the proposed work?
                  • Are the budget requests adequately justified, clearly articulated, and necessary for the scope of work and timeline?
                  • Would you recommend any reduction in the budget?

                  Funding Recommendations:

                  Reviewers will be asked to make funding recommendations based on the merits of each proposal.

                  Post-award considerations and Program Contacts

                  Post-award considerations

                  • Reporting requirements: PIs will need to prepare a brief report, using this Award Report Template to summarize project progress within one month of posting final expenses unless an extension from the OVPR has been received.
                  • Further reports on project outcomes may be requested in the future to track return on investment.

                  Program Contacts

                  • Administrative contact: Charlotte Nelson, Internal Funding Coordinator. research@uconn.edu;