The College is calling for proposals for both the CLAS Excellence and Innovation Fund and the Perry A. & Helen Judy Bond Fund.  Proposals are due Monday, December 1.  (Another call for proposals will go out in the spring, with a deadline of May 1.)

Excellence & Innovation:

CLAS Excellence and Innovation funds are intended as nonrenewable awards to help academic units that aspire to distinction and visibility in research and graduate training.  The proposals must meet three chief criteria: (1) a timely and creative concept; (2) the promise for increasing the College’s and Department’s reputation and visibility within the University, the nation, and the state; and (3) a viable plan for sustaining the research or training once the Excellence & Innovation funding has ended.  The proposals should be based on faculty discussions of how the department can move to the next level of quality and distinction, and should also contribute to the College’s goals as described in the Strategic Plan .

Proposals should be submitted by the DEO to Brenda Gritsch (brenda-gritsch@uiowa.edu).  Proposals include the following elements:

• The cover sheet, with budget information and required DEO signature.
• The proposal itself (not to exceed two additional pages).  The proposal should demonstrate how the initiative meets the criteria mentioned above.  If the proposal is for seed money for a project that will be on-going after the period of the award, the proposal must explain how the funds for continuing the project will be secured.

In departments submitting more than one proposal, the DEO must include a cover letter rank-ordering the proposals according to their importance for the visibility of the department.  Awards range up to $10,000.

Perry A. and Helen J. Bond Fund for Interdisciplinary Interaction

The purpose of this endowment fund is to promote interactions among Iowa faculty and students in areas of cross-departmental strength, and to support interdisciplinary events that draw scholars from other institutions to the UI campus, both as presenters and as audience.

CLAS faculty may apply for funds to support events and programs that are consistent with the Bond Fund’s purpose.  Such events may include conferences, performances, lecture series, symposia, workshops, or any combination thereof.  Though CLAS faculty must be among the participants (as organizers, presenters, panelists, responders, or performers), the participation of other UI faculty is welcome and encouraged.

Proposals for Bond Fund awards are submitted by the DEO to Brenda Gritsch (brenda-gritsch@uiowa.edu). Faculty should apply for funds at least six months before the event.

Proposals include the following elements:

• Bond Fund Application Form.  This is a PDF that the applicant completes online, prints, and submits to the DEO.
• A confidential letter must be submitted to the Dean’s Office by the DEO with the completed application form.  The DEO letter should speak to the value of the project and indicate the financial support that the Department is contributing.
• If the proposal is submitted by a faculty group, or if the proposal is being submitted jointly by two or more departments, each DEO must sign the letter and the letter must indicate the support that each department is contributing.