Application Structure Guidelines

The application deadline for FFE Pool 2 is 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 20th, 2025.

• The project narrative must not exceed five (numbered) pages and must be submitted online, along with all associated documents by the application deadline.
• The text must be single-spaced with a standardized, non-condensed font in either 11-point or 12-point font size.
• Use no less than 0.5-inch margins throughout.

Applicants are encouraged to use the following outline when preparing the proposal narrative; however, additional sections may be added as appropriate. The length of each section is just a guide and applicants may vary the length of the sections based on their need while keeping to the five-page limit.

The application should be written so that it is understandable to faculty from a wide range of disciplines. For resubmission of an FFE proposal, up to one page that is not included in the five-page limit may be used to describe how the proposal has been revised and to address reviewers’ comments.

Brief introduction and specific aims

• One page suggested
• Specific objectives including what the return on investment will be
• Statement of how the proposed project is collaborative (if applicable)

Significance and innovation statement

• Half page suggested
• Significance of the work, including a statement on the impact to UMKC
• Description of the innovation of the research or creative work

Project background

• One page suggested
• Previous work of the applicant(s) and by other scholars in the proposed project area
• Relationship of the proposed project to current state-of-the-field
• Description of how this FFE project advances the field
• List any FFE award received by the applicant and collaborators along with the outcomes including publications, creative works and extramural grant applications. State whether these applications are pending, declined, or awarded (if applicable).

General plan of work

• Two pages suggested
• Design of activities to be undertaken, including methods and procedures
• Plans for preservation, documentation, and sharing of data or products, if appropriate
• Description of the role of each collaborator in execution of the work plan

Expected achievements, future plans and timetable 

• Half page suggested
• State the expected deliverable(s) AND how this award will support a larger external grant application
• Timetable for completion of project within one year

Documents exempt from five-page application limit

• Budget and justification
  • Please use the budget template provided on the REDCap online submission page or the FFE webpage and include a brief justification of budgeted items. Please note, the FFE funds are not intended to support or supplement faculty salaries. However, for PIs and co-PIs on 9-month appointments, a salary request is permitted but the combined PI/co-PI salary request is capped at $4000 for Tier 1 proposals and $2000 for Tier 2 and 3 proposals. FFE funds may be used for course buyouts upon approval of the department chair, however buyout requests should not exceed $5000 for any tier. Project budgets that exceed the funding limit must describe the source of additional support. In case the proposal cannot be funded for the full requested amount, include a description of how the goals of the project could be met given a smaller budget.
  • Your budget must be signed by your supervisor (department or division chair, if you are department chair, your dean) prior to FFE proposal submission.
• Bibliography
• Appendix
  • A one page appendix with supplementary figures, tables, etc. is allowed.
• Biosketch
  • If the intent is to use this FFE award to apply for extramural funding, the applicant may choose a biosketch format that fits that agency. NSF format should be used by default for all applicants not applying for other types of external funding.
  • The choice of biosketch must be consistent for all named applicants on the proposal.

• Statement on human subjects and/or experimental animals (if applicable)
  • If the proposed study involves the use of human subjects and/or experimental animals, the appropriate protocols MUST be filed for review with the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), respectively, at the time of application. A statement with the date when the protocol was submitted must be included with the final submission documents. If an IRB or IACUC protocol has already been approved, please indicate the approved protocol number and the date of approval and expiry. Applications without the accompanying required IRB and IACUC protocol submission will not be evaluated.
• Letter of collaboration
  • Internal or external collaborators should include a signed letter of collaboration describing their role in the project and in preparation of this application. External collaborators should include any intended in-kind contributions to the project.

Submission Procedure

Submit your application online via REDCap

The proposal narrative, signed budget and budget justification, bibliography, biosketch(s), figures, appendix, and if appropriate, statement on human subjects and/or experimental animals and letter of collaboration, should be in pdf format. Submissions of proposals for this cycle will be online via REDCap.

If you have questions regarding the REDCap submission process, please contact Sandy Wilson in the Office of Research Services. If you have questions regarding the specifics of this intramural funding call for proposals, please contact RAC Chair: Dr. Cindy Russell Lippincott. Since FFE awards are intramural, applications should not be submitted to ORS Pre-Award.

All proposals must be submitted online by 5:00 CST on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Proposals that are not submitted by the deadline or do not conform to the submission guidelines (above) will be RETURNED WITHOUT REVIEW.

Proposal Evaluation

Each proposal will be reviewed using the following criteria.

• Do the intended outcomes (deliverables) of this application align with the FFE goals including development into a competitive application for an external grant (where appropriate)?
• Are the deliverables feasible given the applicant’s background, expertise, budget, timetable, and plan? AND is the budget and scope appropriate for the selected Tier?
• Quality of Proposal (Clarity, Significance, Innovation): List the proposal strengths and weaknesses