Nominations sought for research project grants for assistant and associate professors

The Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence is calling for proposals for a research project grant for assistant and associate professors. This grant is made possible through funds from the Ketan and Tanuja Sheth Family Endowment and the Meghana and Vinayak Ranade Family Endowment established in spring 2019.

The research grant is given for a project focusing on any aspect of the academy and lives of faculty, staff and students. Proposed projects may explore strategies for university leadership to cultivate a culture of collective excellence and well-being, professional development and success in academia, innovative tools for assessing and developing academic leadership competencies, or individual or organizational factors contributing to greater inclusion and belonging in academia. Proposed projects may be university-level, unit-/department-level, or individual-level programs or initiatives. 

While the proposed project may explore aspects in any of the areas mentioned above, it must be aimed at furthering the mission of the Butler Center, in that this award supports the work of an individual (or individuals) interested in advancing inclusion and faculty success broadly. As the title of the award implies, there is a research component required. 

The principal investigator must be an assistant or associate professor (tenure-track/tenured/clinical/research). Additional faculty members, if any, on the proposal may be of any rank. A maximum of $5,000 is available for making one or two awards. 

Individual and team submissions are accepted. An application packet must include the following:

• Proposals should be described in a maximum of three pages (excluding title page and references) single-spaced in 12-point font. They must include the following details:
  • Project goals and significance.
  • Plan to gather/obtain or analyze data, explanation of need for support of research assistance, design of initiative/tool, as applicable.
  • Budget – Funding needed to conduct the project (as detailed as possible). The funds cannot be used for salary or salary supplements.
  • Timeline for project.
  • Brief explanation of how the project supports the mission of the Butler Center and clear outcomes.
• A two-page CV for the PI and any additional faculty included in the proposal (not needed for research assistants). 

The Butler Center will receive and review submissions and recommend candidates for selection to the Purdue Research Foundation. PRF will review the Butler Center’s recommendations and have sole decision-making authority with respect to the grant award(s) based on available revenue and the foundation’s assessment of those recommendations.

Grant recipients are expected to complete the project in one year. A report on the project and findings must be submitted to the Butler Center at the end of the one-year project period.

Application packets are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 5. Incomplete applications will not be considered for review. The application packet should be submitted online as a single PDF document.     

Email butlercenter@purdue.edu for more information.

Grant awardees will be recognized at the Butler Center’s reception on Dec. 5.