Hendrix College encourages and seeks to facilitate the
professional development of all faculty members. Toward this end, the College
funds the Faculty
Grant programs, which are administered by the Committee on Faculty Grants.
Faculty Travel Grants
Faculty
may apply for and receive up to $1200 per academic year to attend scholarly
conferences, seminars, workshops, and meetings of professional societies. These
grants are awarded on a rolling basis until the funds for travel grants that
year are depleted.
Faculty Project Grants
These grants are awarded to
enhance the teaching, research, and professional activity of the faculty who
receive them. There is not a set maximum amount awarded through Faculty Project
Grants, but requests typically range from $400 to $14,000. The grant is
intended to cover expenses incurred during the course of the project and may
include funds to be spent for travel, equipment, appropriate professional
credentials or degrees, books or journals, and other materials deemed essential
to the project. Funds may also be used to pay student assistants. Proposals
should be submitted to the Faculty Grants Committee before February 1.
Faculty Odyssey Project Grants
Odyssey Project Grants are similar in nature to the Faculty Project grants described above, but are designed specifically to promote Faculty efforts to enhance the offerings of Odyssey experiences at Hendrix. As is the case with Faculty Project Grants, Odyssey projects may but not necessarily have to involve student participation, but should in any event have as their ultimate goal the creation of new or enhanced experiential learning opportunities for students in any of the six designated Odyssey categories. The timing and duration of the project and the types of expenditures envisioned likewise mirror those for Faculty Project Grants.
The specifics of the proposal process is described in the Odyssey Program Guide and regularly reviewed by the Committee on Experiential Learning, in coordination with the Odyssey Program Director. Under ordinary circumstances, Odyssey project grants are awarded according to the following schedule: February 15 (for summer projects and courses for the following academic year), April 15 (for fall projects), and October 15 (for spring projects). However, applicants who must have assurance of funding further in advance than these deadlines allow are encouraged to consult with the Odyssey office. In cases where there are extenuating circumstances (such as timetables imposed by external constituencies), applicants may be given permission to apply during an earlier cycle than usual.
Faculty Teaching
and Pedagogy Workshop Grants
Faculty
may also apply for and receive up to $1200 per academic year to attend teaching
and pedagogy workshops, which may be part of a scholarly meeting they already
plan to attend. This grant may be awarded in addition to a Faculty Travel
Grant. If the workshop is part of a
professional meeting, faculty may request funds for lodging and meals for the
duration of the workshop, as well as costs associated with the workshop, such
as registration. If the workshop is not part of a professional meeting,
faculty can additionally request funds for travel. These grants are awarded on
a rolling basis until the funds for Teaching and Pedagogy Workshop grants that
year are depleted.
Pedagogy Grants
Pedagogy
grants fund work directed toward enhancing an existing course or designing,
developing, and launching a new course taught in the following academic year. Maximum
grant awards will be $2000 for course enhancements and $4000 for new courses or
their equivalent. Faculty stipends can be requested as part of these grants,
for a maximum of $1000 for course enhancements and $2000 for new courses or
their equivalent. Pedagogy Grant proposals are due by December 15.
Mellon Course Development Grants
The College was awarded a $500,000
grant from the Mellon Foundation to fund diversity and inclusion initiatives. Part
of these funds are dedicated to Course Development Grants. Faculty may apply
for Mellon Course Development Grants of up to $3,000 to develop new courses
appropriate for their departmental curricula or to revise existing courses to
incorporate inclusive content and/or learn new pedagogies that are supportive
of diversity and inclusion. Mellon Course Development Grant proposals are due
by December 15.
Faculty Odyssey
Project Grants
Odyssey Project Grants are
designed specifically to promote faculty efforts to enhance the offerings of
Odyssey experiences at Hendrix. As is the case with Faculty Project Grants,
Odyssey projects may but not necessarily have to involve student participation,
but should in any event have as their ultimate goal the creation of new or
enhanced experiential learning opportunities for students in any of the six
designated Odyssey categories. Under ordinary circumstances, Odyssey project
grants are awarded according to the following schedule: February 15 (for summer
projects and courses for the following academic year), April 15 (for fall
projects), and October 15 (for spring projects).
Hendrix Odyssey
Professorships
Twelve Hendrix Odyssey
Professorships provide financial resources for selected faculty members to
develop academic courses and engaged
learning experiences that further enrich the experience of Hendrix students,
and to continue their own professional development in ways that complement
their work with students. All full-time tenured and tenure-track members of the
Hendrix faculty are eligible to apply. Faculty members who wish to be
considered for Odyssey Professorships will submit proposals for periods of one
to three years, with the possibility of extending their grants for as much as
two additional years. The Professorships carry an annual award amount of up to
$25,000 for each of the years of the Professorship. Hendrix Odyssey
Professorship applications are typically due October 31.
Hendrix-Murphy
Grants
The mission of the Hendrix-Murphy
Foundation is to enhance and enrich
the study of literature and language at Hendrix College. Faculty who are
engaged in work with students can receive funding for group travel for study or
research in literature or language, writing or language immersion retreats, faculty-led
service projects in literature and language, and course-related field work in
literature or language. Deadlines for grant proposals are October 1 for winter
and spring projects, February 1 for spring and summer projects, and April 1 for
late-developing summer projects and fall projects. Please click here for
detailed information about the Hendrix-Murphy program, examples of the types of
projects the program funds, and instructions for completing grant proposals.
External Grant and Foundation Support
The College also encourages faculty members to seek and
secure funding for their work from outside agencies, such as government,
foundation, and consortium programs. One example is the Arkansas INBRE program.
Arkansas INBRE
The Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (Arkansas INBRE) is funded by a grant from the National Institute of General
Medical Sciences under
the Institutional Development
Award (IDeA) Program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and provides funds for faculty engaging in biomedical and
behavioral research. Funding opportunities include Research Development Grants of up
to $235,000 (applications due June 1), Pilot Study Grants of up to $40,000
(applications due March 1), and Summer Research Grants of up to $25,500
(applications due January 23). Funds are also available for seminar speakers
and mini-sabbaticals for faculty who want to receive technical training that
benefits their research.
Grant Approval Process
All grant applications initiated by or for the benefit of Faculty must first be approved by the Provost. The proposal budget must also be reviewed and approved by the Business Office prior to submitting the Grant. Grant applications or proposals submitted for approval must be endorsed by the chair of the sponsoring academic or administrative department and by the Area Chair.
Step 1: Discuss the proposed project with the Provost, including detailed information on College matching requirements (if any). The Provost advises the initiator regarding the fit of the project with the College’s academic program.
Step 2: Discuss the proposed budget with the Grants Manager in the Business Office, including detailed information on College matching requirements (if any). This is to ensure that the fringe benefits and the indirect cost requirements are properly submitted (if applicable).
Step 3: If the proposed project requires matching funds or in-kind resources from the College, the initiator must have approval from both the Provost and Vice President for Business and Finance before submitting to the granting agency or organization. If the proposed project involves matching funds to be raised externally by the College, the initiator must discuss the proposal with the Dean of Advancement for initial approval, who then discusses it with the President for final approval.
Step 4: Write the proposal, following all guidelines as documented in the RFP or funder publication(s), consulting with the Director of Foundation Relations, the Grants Coordinator, and the Provost as appropriate.
Step 5: Using the External Grant Approval form (included in Appendix 8), submit the proposal to the appropriate officials for approval.
Step 6: The Provost indicates approval of the proposal to the Dean of Advancement and the President.
Step 7: Submit a copy of all proposals for external funding to the Director of Foundation Relations.
Step 8: If a grant is awarded, copies of the award letter and/or receipt of funds must be sent to the Provost, the Director of Foundation Relations, the Grants Coordinator, and the Director of Media Relations.
Grant Budgeting and Indirect Cost Recovery
Hendrix currently has a federally approved rate for indirect costs of 62%. In drafting grant proposals, and when permitted by the granting agency, departments should budget indirect costs of 62% on all direct salaries. Fringe benefits are based on a number of different scenarios, so it is important to contact the Grants Manager to ensure proper requirements.
Funds derived from indirect cost recovery are first allocated to the income accounts of the College’s operating budget to support the cost of administering the grant and utilization of campus facilities, and then allocated in a portion to the departments for use on low cost equipment repair or student/faculty research and development costs.
This policy is reviewed on a periodic basis to determine the actual expenses incurred by the College to administer the grants awarded. Based upon these findings, the indirect cost allocation rate may be adjusted at any time during the academic year.
Questions concerning budgeting or indirect cost recovery should be directed to the Grants Manager in the Business Office.
Grant Compensation
All compensation from grants, whether as a principal investigator at Hendrix or as a sub-guarantee with another institution, must be approved in advance by the Provost.
Subject to the approval of the President, the Provost establishes the level of compensation and release time for any participants, and has final approval over all research and staffing participation for all grants. The regular and scheduled academic needs of the College are the primary consideration in determining a faculty member’s participation in a grant activity.
Compensation from grant activity during summer months cannot exceed a monthly rate equal to the regular monthly salary or wages of the participant.
All College Human Resources policies and practices for compensation and fringe benefits are followed. Compensation from grants, regardless of the funding source, are issued on payroll checks. Federal Income Taxes and F.I.C.A. taxes are withheld on all grant checks, as required by the Internal Revenue Service. See Appendix 6 for Business Office guidelines for grants.
Grant Reporting
It is the responsibility of the principal investigator to make sure that all progress reports, budget reports, and fund requests are submitted on a timely basis as defined within the grant. Copies of each report submitted to the granting agency should be forwarded to the Grants Manager in the Business Office and the director of Foundation Relations in the Advancement Office.
Assistance in Writing Grant Proposals
The Director of Foundation Relations in the Advancement Office coordinates grant proposals for College-wide purposes and, upon approval by the Provost and the Dean of Advancement, assists with proposals for individuals.
Fundraising by Faculty or Student Organizations
Except as provided herein, all fundraising activities must be conducted only under the auspices of the Office of Advancement (OA).
The OA is responsible for coordinating all fundraising except grants related to professional development (e.g. NSF, NEH, residencies, etc.). Charitable support through fundraising is sought from individuals, corporations, foundations, and other private sources. All efforts to seek philanthropic support from these sources must receive prior approval as described below, and shall be coordinated through the Office of Advancement.
All fundraising efforts by administrative departments, academic departments (including individual Faculty members) and any student organization must first be approved by the Senior Leadership Team member who is responsible for the area seeking funding. The Senior Leadership member will then seek approval from the OA. Fundraising efforts for athletics must be approved by the Athletics Director prior to being reviewed by the OA. Upon approval by the OA, all gifts and grants received, except grants related to professional development, must be received and documented by the OA in accordance with their processes and procedures.