Research and Innovation at The University of Toledo

Faculty may not receive more than two of any major internal awards as Principal Investigator over any seven-year period, and faculty may not receive any major internal awards as Principal Investigator in two consecutive years.

Although any tenure-track faculty may apply, the focus of this program is directed to established researchers and senior faculty.

Funds may support summer salary and fringe benefits (maximum summer support is for six weeks’ salary and fringe benefits), other support personnel, travel, equipment, and materials and supplies as necessary to organize, prepare and submit a proposal to an external agency. Funding is available mid April, with all expenditures to be completed 18 months after start date of mid April. Awardees will be expected to provide the Research Council with a presentation on the progress and results of their project.

All application materials will be submitted in InfoReady.

Letter of Intent

Required

Letter of Intent (LOI) not to exceed four double-spaced pages:

1. A statement of the significance of the problem and its impact on the field of study
2. A statement describing the innovative aspects of the proposed studies
3. A section outlining the specific goals of the project and how they will be accomplished
4. A description of the studies to be completed, including preliminary results if any
5. Expected outcomes
6. Plans for seeking additional funding

Full Proposals

By Invitation Only
The proposal requirements include:

• Abstract (single-spaced, 250 words maximum) describing the work in language understood by a broad audience
• Project Description, maximum 15 pages double-spaced, including:
  1)   A statement of the significance of the problem and its impact on the field of study
  2)   A statement describing the innovative aspects of the proposed studies
  3)   A section outlining the specific goals of the project and how they will be accompanied
  4)   A description of the studies to be completed, including preliminary results if any
  5)   Expected outcomes
  6)   Plans for seeking additional funding

Required but not counted in the 15-page limit:

• A cited literature reference list with full citations (maximum two single-spaced pages)
• An NIH-style biosketch (maximum five pages per investigator)
• A budget and budget justification (within the InfoEd system). 
• Final reports for any URFO awards for the past five years

LOIs will be reviewed by the Research Council, and applicants will be notified if invited to submit a full proposal.  Full proposals will sent to outside reviewers. Those invited to submit full proposals will be asked to provide names of potential external reviewers as well as names of those who should not be asked to review. 

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Significance of proposed research and likelihood that the topic is of interest to an external agency
• Investigator(s)
• Innovation
• Approach and methodology
• Research Environment
• Clarity of writing and organization of proposal