Welcome Dr. Amy Cuhel-Schuckers!
We are pleased to announce the recent hiring of Amy Cuhel-Schuckers as new director of OGSR. Dr. Cuhel-Schuckers, CRA, GPC, comes to us from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, where she had served as Director of the Office of Sponsored Projects and Research since 2020. She also worked eight years at Franklin & Marshall College (F&M), first as the Director of Faculty Grants and then as the Director of Faculty Grants and Compliance Resourcing, and while at F&M she won a five-year National Institutes of Health award to strengthen faculty grant seeking and enhance research administration structures and coordination. Other roles include work as an assistant grant writer at a community action agency, and as institutional grant writer and later grant development specialist at SUNY Fredonia in Western New York State.
Dr. Cuhel-Schuckers serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Research Administration, and has held leadership roles in the Colleges of Liberal Arts Sponsored Programs (CLASP). She is an active member of the National Organization of Research Development Professionals, the Society of Research Administrators-International, the National Council of University Research Administrators, and PRIM&R (Public Responsibility in Medicine &Research). Dr. Cuhel-Schuckers completed her BS in Geology from State University College at Brockport, and earned both a masters and doctorate from the Unification Theological Seminary. She enjoys gardening, bowling in the smallest bowling league ever, and watching her adult daughters continue to grow and prosper.
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Message from the Director
Thank you for the warm welcome I’ve received since my mid-June start at TCNJ! I continue to learn about the institution, walk the halls to explore and meet faculty and staff, and have begun to engage with the impressive
work that The College of New Jersey is spearheading. My background and experience is in research and grant development and I have a strong understanding of funders, their expectations and requirements, and what makes a competitive proposal that “fits” the identified funder. I also bring strengths in recognizing and addressing challenges so that operations can be enhanced, understand the ins and outs of research administration and research development, and enjoy working “across and between” existing structures. Beyond the “contact us early and often” mantra that our office has adopted, I’m a “nothing ventured, nothing gained” kind of gal and adhere to the corollary “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”!
Take a look at the 2021-22 awarded and submissions report that Heather Mayen generated, and put on your calendar now the programs that Cathy Virecci Alrabie has been developing. Please check out the virtual conferences coming up hosted by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health; particularly look for the faculty-focused tracks in each. And note, within the CITI Program offerings, both a one-session webinar on grant writing, and a grant writing course – these could be valuable for you individually, or could be used to strengthen your students’ learning outcomes. Finally, I’d like to learn about your research interests. Come talk to us – or invite us to chat with you, your department, or school. I look forward to working with you!
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Faculty Fellowships
OGSR’s Fellowship Listing is a tool for TCNJ faculty to familiarize themselves with a broad range of fellowship opportunities. External fellowships are intended primarily for individuals currently teaching in or affiliated with an academic institution, but independent scholars may apply. Faculty fellowships are awarded across the spectrum of academic ranks (assistant, associate, and full professor). This area of funding should be of particular interest to those in the humanities and social sciences, but there are also fellowships for faculty in other disciplines. Interested in this area? Contact us early and we can assist you in developing your idea, and targeting it to a specific opportunity. You can access the listing of fellowships here: https://academicgrants.tcnj.edu/fellowships/
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CITI Program – Check Out What’s New!
TCNJ is part of the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI program) along with nearly 1200 other organizations around the world. CITI is a resource that can be valuable for faculty, staff and students – consider adding CITI modules to your syllabus. CITI training content is extensively reviewed and critiqued by many experts and academic institutions and found to be one of the most appropriate training sites for human research subject protections, and other research compliance areas. Check out what’s new to our subscription, as follows! TCNJ has recently added the CITI All-Access Webinar package to our subscription, which will allow users to watch on-demand webinars on a variety of compliance-related topics. Additionally, there is a specific Grants Writing Course available to all TCNJ faculty and staff.
To access these resources, you’ll need to register by visiting the CITI website. You must create an account under an “existing registered group,” which is done by selecting The College of New Jersey as your affiliated group. For complete information on how to access the CITI modules, please see step-by-step directions here: CITI PROGRAM DIRECTIONS
If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Alrabie at vireccic@tcnj.edu or extension 3259.
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Feasibility Budget
The overall purpose of a grant budget is to not only show funders exactly how much a project will cost but also serves as proof that you and the institution have considered the true costs of running your research or program. Although the degree and specificity of any budget will vary depending on the nature of the project and funder requirements, it is important to start identifying costs early when conceptualizing your project. This is where a feasibility budget comes in. A feasibility budget is simply an assessment of practicality for a proposed project, where outlining costs can determine the viability of a plan.
We encourage you to start incorporating a feasibility budget in your early planning when shaping your big idea. Think of it as drawing up a conceptual estimate of how much your project may cost in order to achieve its outcomes,
which then gives you a general picture of not only how much you will need but whether you can pull this project off for the amount of money you want to request.
Some quick steps to start a feasibility budget are:
- Start by reviewing all project requirements to determine the scope and duration of work likely to be required.
- Prepare a cost estimate based on market pricing.
- Create a list of things like materials, supplies, personnel, and travel that will be necessary to complete your project.
- Factor in level of effort (amount of time/work a grant-paid person gives to the project) and personnel costs (things like fringe benefits).
- Finally, calculate a total cost estimate to determine how and if to move forward with this project.
While it’s not necessary to include the TCNJ federally negotiated indirect cost rate at the stage of creating a feasibility budget, it is good to keep in mind that an indirect rate will be assessed when creating the actual
grant budget for submission. TCNJ maintains an up-to-date federally negotiated indirect cost rate that can be referred to here, but it is always best to check with OGSR for the most up to date information. You can also
take advantage of OGSR’s existing budget template to make it easier for you to frame up a budget.
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iEdison
Almost all federal grants and contracts are subject to the terms and conditions of the Bayh-Dole Act (37 CFR 401). Under these terms, TCNJ retains title to all inventions conceived or reduced to practice in the performance of the project (37 CFR 401.14(B)). The Federal government receives a non-exclusive license to use the invention for government purposes.
The TCNJ Office of General Counsel and OGSR are responsible for assisting the PI in fulfilling the patent provisions of their agreement. Please contact OGSR if there are any questions regarding the intellectual property
obligations of the award.
All Subject Inventions (conceived or first actually reduced to practice in the performance of the agreement) must be reported through the iEdison system within two (2) months after the inventor discloses the invention to
the college. Invention reporting is required regardless of whether patent protection is sought. Failure to comply with the terms of the agreement may result in a loss of rights in Subject Inventions, including, but not
limited to, forfeiture of retained rights. Please contact us in OGSR early with any questions regarding invention disclosure.
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Goodbye FastLane Proposal Preparation!
The NSF proposal preparation portal, FastLane, is targeted to be removed as a submission option from all program descriptions (PDs) when the PAPPG (NSF 23-1) goes into effect January 2023. Proposal information cannot be transferred from FastLane to Research.gov and vice versa. Furthermore, Letters of intent and preliminary proposals must be prepared in the same system as the full proposal. The migration of FastLane to Research.gov does not affect the merit review process in any way.
As always, OGSR stands ready to support your submission and can assist you with any questions arising from this change.
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Congrats Heather Mayen on CPRA!
OGSR Senior Coordinator, Heather Mayen, has earned certification as a Certified Pre-Award Research Administrator (CPRA) from the Research Administrators Certification Council this fall. The Certified Research Administrator is the recognized industry-standard credential for professionals in the world of grants and contracts and OGSR is proud to offer a well-qualified research administrator team to the campus. We wish her a well-earned congratulations!
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Spotlight on MRI
OGSR was pleased to announce an internal competition for submitting proposals to the 2023 NSF Major Research Foundation Instrumentation (NSF-MRI) Program. The academic deans and OGSR reviewed preliminary proposals, judging each by NSF’s merit review criteria (intellectual merit and broader impacts). This program seeks to improve the quality and expand the scope of research and research training in science and engineering, and to foster the integration of research and education by providing instrumentation for research-intensive learning environments. A total of six TCNJ faculty candidates applied. Candidates selected may submit full proposals to the next deadline, anticipated to be in the early spring.
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Where to Find Funding Opportunities?
First check out SPIN – TCNJ has an institutional subscription available to faculty, staff, and students – resources available to match your ideas to potential funding sources can be found using the SPIN database. Faculty interested in pursuing external funding are encouraged to contact OGSR at the earliest stage of project development, specifically prior to contacting public or private funders to ensure that the application is developed in compliance with university and sponsored policies, and that proposals can be developed and submitted in a timely manner to an institution. To register for access to SPIN, click here.
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OGSR New Timeline for Proposal Submission
Did you know? OGSR has a new proposal submission timeline that will aid in getting your proposals routed and submitted more efficiently. Instead of waiting until the day of submission (not a best practice), OGSR staff will
set up a submission meeting with the PI no later than one-day prior to the deadline to ensure that all submission materials are ready to go. To ensure that approvals have been received prior to submission, OGSR requests that all routing budgets and abstracts be sent at least seven days prior to submission. To help you remember this process, the OGSR team will create calendar invites with reminders for PIs so as to assist with time management. This new timeline will effectively create a more seamless submission process and (we hope) contribute to greater success Cheers!
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Event Listing
Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts:
Framing Your Project’s Responsiveness to NSF Review Elements & An Intro to ARIS
November 16th,2022 12:00PM-1:00PM
Virtual or TCNJ On-Campus
Focusing on the NSF intellectual merit/broader impacts review criteria and the accompanying clarifying review elements, this workshop will discuss how one can ensure reviewers can find evidence responsive to the review elements. We will also explore the ARIS resource and ways to frame a thoughtful approach to writing measurable (broader) impacts developed as an integrated part of the proposed research. Brown bag lunch, light refreshments provided.
Interested? Click here to RSVP.
National Science Foundation Virtual Grants Conference
November 14-17, 2022 11:00PM – 4:00PM Virtual
Join the National Science Foundation for the 2022 NSF Virtual Grants Conference, to be held during the week of November 14-17 2022. Just like the in-person grants conferences, the NSF Virtual Grants Conference is a must, especially for new faculty, researchers and administrators. Highlights include: new programs and initiatives, NSF Directorate sessions, proposal preparation and the merit review process, and award management topics.
Registration opens October 13, 2022:
https://beta.nsf.gov/events/nsf-virtual-grants-conference-november-14-17-2022/2022-11-14
NSF Faculty Early CAREER Program Seminar
December 1st, 2022 12:00-1:00PM
Virtual or TCNJ On-Campus – Lunch provided
Calling tenure-track Assistant Professors whose research intersects with “basic science” to a Lunch and Learn discussion of the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program. The National Science Foundation interests maps over social sciences, behavioral sciences, economic sciences, and some of the management sciences, in addition to biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and the fields one easily associates with the “science” in the National Science Foundation. The CAREER grant provides support for five years, requires proposers to integrate research and educational objectives (a “perfect fit” for TCNJ’s teacher-scholars), and can only be submitted when you’re a tenure-track Assistant Professor. Hope to see you there! Lunch provided.
Interested? Click here to RSVP.
All-Faculty Proposal & Concept Writing Retreat
January 10-12, 9AM – 4PM
Virtual or TCNJ On-Campus
Thinking about writing a proposal? Feeling a bit stretched thing with your responsibilities and commitments to others? This writing retreat is especially for those who need protected time and space away from the office and other responsibilities to dedicate to academic writing. Intentionally timed during winter break, this 3-day writing retreat will allow faculty and staff to develop ideas and outlines that provide the foundation for a full proposal – attend one, two, or all three days Guided assistance will be available from Amy Cuhel-Schuckers, Director, OGSR. Optional targeted break-out sessions will be available. Lunch will be provided, TCNJ location to be announced.
Interested? Click here to RSVP.
NIH Virtual Grants Conference & Pre-conference Events
Ongoing Pre-recorded and Live Virtual Events until January 2023 Virtual
Register one time to gain access to all virtual pre-conference events, a 2-day conference, and valuable resources. One registration. All-access. No cost. Join NIH experts and other others in the research community to focus on NIH topics. PreCon events include Navigating Early Career Funding Opportunities, International Collaborations: Policies, Processes & Partnerships. 2-day conference includes 1:1 Meet the Experts, Conference Networking Opportunities, and Human Subjects Research: Policies, Clinical Trials & Inclusion.
To learn more and register: https://grants.nih.gov/learning-center/conference
Events on the Horizon:
2023 Virtual National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grants Conference
February 1-2, 2023 Virtual
Experience the NIH Grants 2023 Virtual NIH Grants Conference to NIH Grants Conference: Funding, Policies, & Processes.
View the agenda: https://grants.nih.gov/learning-center/conference/2-day/agenda-at-a-glance
CUR Dialogues: Guided
February 14-17, 2023 Virtual
Whether you are writing a grant proposal, navigating the ins and outs of finding funding for your undergraduate research (UR) program or just trying to figure out where to start, the entire process can feel like climbing a mountain. CUR Dialogues was created to present an accessible platform for the undergraduate research community to discuss the many available possibilities of funding and grants with federal agency program officers and other grant funders.
Registration will open late 2022. To RSVP, click here to be included on institutional group registration list.
2022 Annual Conference: Advancing Equity & Inclusion in the Education Sciences
Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
Virtual – Date to be announced
The IES annual conference for 2023 has not yet been announced so check out this year’s recorded offerings. Over the past 20 years, IES has supported rigorous and relevant research to help identify, measure, and address disparities in education access and outcomes. However, disparities persist and have been further exacerbated by COVID-19, underscoring the importance of advancing equity and inclusion in the education sciences. IES is committed to research on a diverse range of schools and participants to identify what works for whom and under what conditions; grant applications from minority serving institutions; and the collection, analysis, and reporting of statistical information that includes analysis by diverse backgrounds and experiences.
View the agenda: https://ies.ed.gov/pimeeting/Agenda.aspx
Download session materials: https://ies.ed.gov/pimeeting/SessionMaterials.aspx
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You’ve Been Busy!
Grant Awards and Submissions for FY22
FY22 Awarded Proposals
- Margaret Pezalla-Granlund (Art Gallery) $5,000 from Mercer County Culture & Heritage Commission for the project MCCH Arts Grant Program
- Anthony Lau (Biomedical Engineering) $150,000 from NASA for the project Effects of Acute and Protracted Galactic Cosmic Radiation on Bone Strength (STEP-2)
- Althia Muse (Bonner Institute) $40,000 for the project J&J Consumer for the project BTE Ewing
- Kristi Cordier (CCE) $207,544 CNCS via NJ Dept of State for the project NJ Bonner AmeriCorps 21-22
- Kristi Cordier (CCE) $47,056 CNCS via NJ Dept of State for the project AmeriCorps American Rescue Plan 2022
- Brittany Aydelotte (CCE) $55,000 Mercer County for the project The Center for Community Engagement at TCNJ
- Andrew Bechtel (Civil Engineering) $23,187 Steel Deck Institute for the project Deformation Behavior of Supported Pour‐Stops
- Michael Horst (Civil Engineering) $11,500 FEMA via NJDEP for the project Dam Safety Program, FY22
- Sharif Mohammad Shahnewaz Ferdous (Computer Science) $174,835 National Science Foundation for the project CRII 2020
- Chris Freeman (Counseling & Prevention Services) $76,869 Highway Traffic Safety for the project 2022 Peer Institute and ADEP Initiatives
- Stuart Roe (Counselor Ed) $248,289 SAMHSA for the project Youth Mental Health First Aid: Addressing Mercer County’s Continuing Need
- Sandy Gibson (Counselor Ed) $80,123 Open Society Foundation for the project Global Drug Policy Program – 2021 Cycle
- Lilian Mauro (Dean of Business) $49,433 NJBAC via Rutgersfor the project NJ Business Action Center via Rutgers / SBDC State Funding 2022
- Suzanne McCotter (Dean of Education) $55,000 The Community Foundation of New Jersey for the project NJ Tutoring Corps
- Suzanne McCotter (Dean of Education) $1,171,169 Overdeck Foundation for the project Tutoring Corps, Summer 2022
- Suzanne McCotter (Dean of Education) $250,000 NJ Pandemic Relief Fund for the project Tutoring Corps, Summer 2022
- Suzanne McCotter (Dean of Education) $250,000 The David Tepper Charitable Foundation for the project Tutoring Corps, Summer 2022
- Suzanne McCotter (Dean of Education) $50,000 The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation for the project Tutoring Corps, Summer 2022
- Salika Lawrence (Education Administration & Secondary Education) $81,544 Library of Congress for the project Teaching with Primary Sources
- Mahrukh Khan (Electrical & Computer Engineering) $199,996 National Science Foundation for the project ERI: Addressing the Challenges in Microstrip Antenna Design using Surface Current Optimization
- Lauren Madden (Elementary & Early Childhood Education) $70,000 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via NJ SEA Grant Consortium for the project Expanding Project SEA: Science, Education, and Advocacy
- Lauren Madden (Elementary/Early Childhood) $73,540 National Science Foundation for the project Building Capacity for K-8 Sustainable STEM Teacher Leaders in New Jersey
- Lisa Angeloni (Enrollment Management) $1,000,000 NJ Office of the Secretary of Education (NJ OSHE) via Cares Act/Education Stabilization Funding for the project Opportunity Meets Innovation Challenge (OMIC)
- Teika Harris (EOF) $195,466 Office of the Secretary of Education (OSHE) for the project FY22 EOF Winter Session grant to help promote college affordability and success of EOF students
- Alison Goeke (Integrative Stem Education) $158,500 NJ Dept of Education for the project CTSO-TSA Continuation FY22
- Tanner Huffman (Integrative STEM Education) $330,981 NJ Dept of Education for the project Computer Science for All: Expanding Professional Learning Across Central New Jersey
- Sharon Byrne (Nursing) Coverdell Fellows for the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program
- Dara Whalen (Nursing) $274,508 Victims of Crime Act via NJOAG for the project New Jersey Victim Assistance Grant Program
- Lauranne Lanz (Physics) $83,467 NASA for the project XMM Newton Proposal, PHASE II: Characterizing the Nuclear Properties of Poststarburst Galaxies
- Tuan Nguyen (Physics) $16,011 National Institutes of Health via Univ. of Pitt. for the project R01 2021 Resubmission: Development of the intrinsic synaptic circuits of the inferior colliculus
- Nicholas Toloudis (Political Science) Fulbright Foundation for the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Program
- Alexis Mraz (Public Health) $64,824 National Science Foundation for the project (Collaboration with ASU) An integrative framework for decision support models including plumbing system dynamics and value of information to meet Legionella control goals
- George Leader (Sociology & Anthropology) $20,900 Leakey Foundation for the project The Leakey Foundation Research Grant
- Randall Solomon (Sustainability Institute) $185,000 NJ Transportation Planning Association (NJTPA) for the project FY 2022 Complete Street Technical Assistance
- Randall Solomon (Sustainability Institute) $71,958 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via NJDEP for the project Supporting Progress on Municipal Resilience
- Alexa Horvath (VP of Student Affairs) $99,083 NJ Office of the Secretary of Education (NJ OSHE) via Cares Act/Education Stabilization Funding for the project TCNJ Hunger Free Campus
- Celia Liu (World Languages & Cultures) $99,416 United States Dept of Education for the project Taiwan Group Projects Abroad
FY23 (FIRST QUARTER) AWARDED PROPOSALS
- Debra Schiff (Archives) $311,594 Institute of Museum and Library Services for the project Building a Digitization Infrastructure for The College of New Jersey’s Historical College Archives and a Novel Normal Schools Hub
- Gary Dickinson (Biology) $31,500 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the project Analysis of Juvenile Snow Crabs
- Rebecca Hunter (Chemistry) $45,407 National Science Foundation for the project Paper Microfluidics as a Platform for Flexible and Inclusive Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences to Develop Scientific Practices
- Mark Forest (Counseling & Prevention Services) $245,000 New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services for the project Peer Recovery Program – FY23
- Sandy Gibson (Counselor Ed) $200,000 Vital Strategies for the project PRP & IRTS Harm Reduction Integration
- Christa Olson (Global Engagement) $34,837 US Dept of State for the project IDEAS Phase II
- Melissa Zrada (Interactive STEM Education) $599,935 National Science Foundation for the project A Data Visualization Experience for Preservice Teachers (ADVizE)
- Yiqiang Wu (Special Education Language & Literacy) $599,800 United States Dept of Education for the project Meeting Urban School Immigrant ELs’ Challenges (MUSIC)
- Randy Solomon (Sustainability Institute) $500,000 NJ Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA) for the project Legislative Grant to SI
- Randy Solomon (Sustainability Institute) $575,000 NJ Board of Public Utilities for the project FY23 Workplan Proposal
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Funding Spotlight: The Fulbright Scholar Program
The Fulbright Scholar Program offers nearly 800 teaching, research or combination teaching and research awards in over 160 countries to faculty, administrators, researchers, and many others. Along with the Fulbright Student Program, it is one of the most widely recognized and prestigious international exchange programs in the world. The Fulbright Scholar Program provides grants to support research or teaching in a participating country for a set duration of time; often the equivalent of one academic semester or a full academic year; generally you’ll need to identify an institution with which you anchor your work, so plan ahead.
Who is Eligible? The Fulbright Scholar Program is open to scholars and professionals at all stages of their careers, including retirement. The program supports activities and projects that promote the relationship between educational exchange and international understanding. Additional review criteria include credentials, training, professional standing; professional excellence and record of service to the field and home institution.
Contact us early and often – we can help!
OGSR will be offering a spring event that presents an in-depth look at the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, the application process as well as the various components and required materials. This open forum will be a chance to ask questions and to hear from other Fulbright Scholars. This event will be listed in the OGSR spring newsletter but if you would like to pre-register, please click here.
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Contact us Early and Often!
The Office of Grants and Sponsored Research exists to support faculty scholarship and serve as the gateway for the broad pursuit of external funding. Our mission is focused on inspiring and serving faculty and staff through a high-level of engagement. In order to assist in developing proposals that are most competitive, we encourage all TCNJ faculty and staff who are thinking about developing a proposal to contact us early and to contact us often!
We can help you…
· Develop an idea
· Determine whether a funder is a fit
· Finalize and submit a proposal
· With a pre-submission review of your proposal
· Prepare a budget
· By answering questions about external funding or funders
Contact OGSR early and often, we are here to provide broad-based service for you!
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