+Policy Network Spring 2024 Policy Research Call

Call for Spring 2024 Research Applications

Click here to download full RFP | Deadline: March 12, 2024

The +Policy Network (+PN), solicits applications from Virginia Tech faculty who wish to pursue research projects with policy relevance. The overarching goal of the +PN is to integrate, connect, and expand policy knowledge—broadly defined—across disciplines. This call supports the +Policy Fellows program.

+Policy Fellows Program

This Program is aimed at helping researchers with policy expertise (a) join or collaborate with an extant or newly forming interdisciplinary research team that otherwise lacks a member with policy knowledge; or (b) to extend a policy scholar’s expertise into a new area. Accordingly, the award will support either collaboration between a policy researcher (the Fellow) and members of a research team, or an individual policy scholar collaborating with a content expert to develop his/her expertise in that individual’s area. The selection committee will give priority to applications from interdisciplinary teams or, if a single scholar, interdisciplinary research, a mentoring/collaboration plan and clear plans for future inquiry.

All +Policy Fellow proposals are expected to result in external funding proposals within three years post-award. Other deliverables may include team publication(s) or presentations, a policy brief and/or extensive or high-impact public dissemination of research findings. We ask that the Fellow provide the +PN with a brief written progress report, suitable for website posting at the end of the first year and by 2026 or project completion, whichever occurs first, a 3–5-page policy brief or summary of the project with an outline of its policy implications.

Summary of General Guidance and Expectations of Award Use

Participants selected for the +Policy Research Fellowship are expected:

To devote time during spring 2024 and early summer 2024 to jointly determined activities;
To submit a progress and budget report by July 2024 to the +Policy Network, with follow-up progress reporting annually for the following two years so that the group can track its investments (3 progress reports total);
To submit a 3–5-page policy brief describing project outcomes upon project completion or by the end of 2026, whichever occurs earliest, for posting on the +Policy Network website;
To present a seminar concerning the funded work to the Science, Technology and Engineering in Policy (STEP) seminar series or another +PN forum as appropriate.

The program is open to all faculty members at Virginia Tech with continuous or multi-year appointments (tenure-track/tenured, collegiate, research). Maximum awards are $10,000 and must be spent out by end of the current fiscal year (i.e., by mid-June, 2024) unless the awardee’s department pledges to carryover the funds.

Application Guidelines

Applications must include: (a) signed cover sheet (including department head signature); (b) title of project; (c) Applicant information together with that of team members or content mentor; (d) A research narrative of 3-5 pages; and (e) budget and budget narrative. +Policy Fellow proposals for developing expertise in a new content area must also include a paragraph describing the expected mentoring or learning plan.

In addition, proposals should address:

Significance of the issue, problem, or situation under study;
Goal(s) of the research and an explanation of how the +Policy Fellowship award will strengthen or enhance an extant research project or a scholar’s ability to become competitive in a new area of inquiry;
Brief justification for each item of the proposed budget (separate page).
Brief plan for securing external funds in support of research with a policy dimension.

For mentored +Policy Fellow proposals only, please also include:

How the applicant will gain experience with or learn about a new content area (Fellow), e.g. expected mentoring plan.

Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Clearly described, reasonable and attainable (aims) and approach
Distinctive policy content
Potential impact of deliverables
Potential for securing external funds
Expected mentoring plan (for +Policy Fellows addressing a new content area)
The +PN reserves the right not to consider proposals that are unresponsive to the particulars of this call.

Budget Guidelines: Maximum grant award is $10,000

Funds can be used for:

Summer stipend or stipends not to exceed $8,000 inclusive of fringe benefits; https://policies.vt.edu/4296.pdf. Any summer stipend for mentors or research team members cannot exceed that provided the Fellow.
Research assistant support;
Collaborating research team activities that promote the team and + Policy Fellow collaboration are acceptable, such as coordination expenses, research assistant support, consultation with funding agencies, external consultants/speakers, and so on.

Submission Requirements and Deadline

Applications should be prepared using 1-inch margins and Arial 11 font or larger. Submit an e-copy of the complete application and signed cover sheet to Isabel Bradburn (isbrad@vt.edu) by March 12, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. Acknowledgement of receipt of applications will be acknowledged within 48 hours and funding decisions communicated within approximately one week of receipt.

Notification of Award/Availability of Funds

Funds will be dispersed upon approval of a +Policy Fellow project. Any unencumbered funds as of June 1, 2024 must be returned to the +PN.

Questions?

We encourage questions or discussion about ideas, tracks and any aspect of this call. Please contact the +PN Director Isabel Bradburn (isbrad@vt.edu) or +PN Research Committee Chairperson Max Stephenson (mstephen@vt.edu).