HES Office of Research
RESEARCH SERVICES FOR FACULTY
OTHER SERVICES
Contact Dr. Marion O’Brien, Associate Dean for Research, m_obrien@uncg.edu, 6-0361
Support for New Faculty
The HES Office of Research provides support to untenured tenure-track faculty as they develop their programs of scholarship. As part of the HES New Faculty Orientation series, we encourage faculty in their initial year to consult with their departmental mentor on the development of a three-year plan, setting personal goals for publication or exhibition of their work, establishing independent scholarship at UNCG, and submitting proposals for both internal and external funding.UNCG has a program of internal grants managed by the Associate Provost for Research. New faculty members are eligible to apply for Summer Excellence Awards, which provide $5,000 in summer salary, and for New Faculty Grants, which provide up to $5,000 in research support. Applications for Summer Excellence Awards are due at the end of September and for New Faculty Grants at the end of January.
We can work individually with junior faculty to identify sources of funding for their work, assist with proposal and budget development, and review proposal drafts. In addition, new and junior faculty are encouraged to talk with Marion about their needs for short-term support that will aid in establishing their programs of scholarship.
Course Releases for Proposal Preparation
HES accepts applications for course releases from tenure-track faculty in the School (either untenured or tenured) who have concrete plans for proposal writing during a specific semester. Proposals for course releases can be submitted at any time, but are specifically requested twice each year: early in the fall for spring semester and in March for fall semester. Plans for proposal preparation must be concrete, and all preliminary work must have been completed prior to the beginning of the semester for which the course release is requested. It is important that faculty communicate with their department chair well in advance of applying for a course release from the School; all requests for course releases must be accompanied by a letter of support from the chair.When awarded a course release for purposes of proposal preparation, a faculty member is expected to meet with Marion during the semester of the release, make regular progress toward the proposal submission, and submit a proposal for external funding within two months of the end of the semester (or on the next appropriate submission date). Marion will also request a written report describing the work completed during the semester.
Short-term Project Support
HES faculty who have specific short-term needs for personnel or supplies to complete a scholarly or creative project can request our support. Requests should be sent in writing (either hard copy or e-mail) to Marion and should include:- A brief description of the project goals and significance (no more than one page)
- A budget with justification for each item requested
- A timeline
- The anticipated product (proposal, publication, exhibition, etc.)
Facilitating Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Projects
A major goal of the HES Office of Research is to work with faculty in the School and across the University in developing collaborative programs of work. To this end, we welcome suggestions from faculty regarding topics they view as candidates for larger interdisciplinary proposals. In support of interdisciplinary proposals, we will provide administrative support for bringing groups of faculty together, provide funds to bring in an external consultant during the development phase, and help to organize the proposal writing process.Staff at the HES Office of Research also collaborate with other groups at UNCG who are focused on interdisciplinary work, including the Child and Family Research Network, the Gerontology Network, and the TRIAD Health Project, as well as the two interdisciplinary centers on campus, the Center for Youth, Family, and Community Partnerships and the Center for Biotechnology, Genomics, and Health Research. HES Faculty interested in knowing more about any of these opportunities are invited to contact Marion or Ken.
Speakers and Workshops
HES sponsors two annual visiting scholars, the HES Visiting Scholar Program and the HES International Scholar Program. The Office of Research also has a continuing program of speakers and workshops on research methodology and other research-related topics. Suggestions from faculty for workshop topics or speakers from within or outside HES are always welcome.Research Design and Methodology Support
We also work with faculty in the design of studies, survey development, database organization, and analysis of data. Faculty members wishing assistance in any of these areas are invited to contact Ken directly or talk about their needs with Marion. If specialized design and/or statistical support are needed, we can assist faculty in identifying another person at UNCG or elsewhere who can provide the specific kinds of help the faculty member needs.SUPPORT FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Graduate Student Travel
The HES Dean’s office provides support for graduate students who are presenting their research or creative products at conferences or other professional events. Students may receive up to $200 for travel to a conference or other event; a student may make only one travel request in a fiscal year. Travel support is intended for students who are first authors of presentations or posters or who are exhibiting their own work.The travel awards are paid after the student’s travel is complete. Departmental staff prepare the reimbursement forms which are then sent to Mandy for processing. Funds cannot be made available prior to travel or to reimburse a p-card purchase.
Research Design and Methodology
Graduate students in HES are welcome to with Ken about their projects. He can answer questions about thesis and dissertation research design, give students assistance with setting up their data for analysis, and provide references to statistical methodology, although students are expected to carry out their analyses on their own.Graduate students are also invited to attend statistics and methodology workshops that are organized by HES and to attend the sessions when visiting scholars and other speakers present their work.