Guidelines for Applicants

The Professional Development Grants Program supports innovative research and investigative projects undertaken by members of the Managerial and Professional staff of the Yale University Library. The grants are intended to provide incentive and financial assistance for projects that contribute to the Yale library community through such avenues as scholarly research, creative program applications, or feasibility/ pilot studies. The program is administered by the Library's Standing Committee on Professional Awareness (SCOPA).

Calendar
Grants are awarded annually, with a call for proposals going out each Fall. The deadline for submissions is October 31; winning proposals are announced by December 15. Awards are made for the calendar year that immediately follows the application period (e.g., grants announced in the fall/winter of 2006 will be effective from January through December of 2007).

Eligibility
Only members of the Managerial and Professional (M&P) YUL staff are eligible to apply as a primary investigator(s), while clerical and technical staff may participate in proposed projects as group members. Members of the SCOPA Grants Subcommittee may not apply for grants or receive grant funds during their terms of service.

Applicants and group participants must obtain any necessary approvals in advance from supervisors and department heads regarding the use of work time, the possibility of release time, the scheduling of vacation time, domestic or international travel, access to collections, tools, equipment, staff support, etc.  Documentation of these approvals should be included in the grant application.

Judging
Proposals are judged by the members of the SCOPA Grants Subcommittee, with the SCOPA Chair and two rotating members of the Library Management Council (LMC) serving as non-voting advisors. The grants subcommittee then presents its decision to the Director of Library Human Resources, who is the ex-officio SCOPA member and serves as a liaison to LMC. The ex-officio member must approve the subcommittee's recommendation before decisions are final. To ensure impartiality in the judging process, applicants are asked to submit proposals anonymously. Proposals are judged according to the following selection criteria:

• Appropriate methodology
• Reasonable budget and timetable
• Advancement of the professional development of Library staff
• Positive contribution to the YUL and possibly also to the larger library and information science community

Awards
The amount awarded is approximately $1000 and is determined by the anticipated level of project expenses. Partial funding of larger projects may be given. All software, equipment, or materials purchased with these funds remain the property of the YUL. Awards are made for one calendar year and all funds must be used by the end of that year. Extensions are granted in exceptional cases only (e.g., extended illness, a death in the immediate family); requests for extensions must be made directly to SCOPA.

Obligations
All grant recipients are expected to submit two written reports to SCOPA: a mid-term progress report and a more comprehensive final report. The final report should provide a detailed description of the project's implementation and a full accounting of its expenditures. It should be submitted in electronic form to facilitate its inclusion on the SCOPA website. Grant recipients are also expected to share the results of their project with the Yale University Library community by participating in a public forum sponsored by SCOPA in the spring of each year. Grant recipients may also be asked to make presentations to library standing committees on request.

Applications
To apply for funding, please submit the following information to the Grants Subcommittee chair:

1. Cover Sheet
Cover sheet should include:

• project's title
• your name(s) and department(s)
• campus contact information: e-mail address(es), campus mailing address(es), phone number(s).

In order to preserve anonimity, place the cover sheet in a sealed envelope. Your name(s) should appear ONLY on this cover sheet and NOT on the proposal itself. This envelope is opened only after the initial selection process is completed.

Applications must be submitted anonymously and in hardcopy (not via e-mail). To insure a fair and unbiased selection process, the committee has discretion to forego consideration of any application that does not meet these stipulations.

2. Departmental Approvals
Documentation concerning issues of work/time release, domestic or international travel, or systems staff support should be included in the sealed envelope with the cover sheet. These can be in the form of email printouts, letters, or another format that documents the fact of the necessary approvals. This envelope is opened only after the initial selection process is completed.

Note: All proposals are judged with the assumption that the necessary approvals have been received. If it becomes apparent during the selection process that the appropriate approvals were not received, the grant will not be awarded; if this becomes apparent after the awarding of the grant, the grant may be withdrawn.

3. Project Proposal

Six paper copies of the project proposal should be submitted. In your proposal, repeat the title of your project and then address the following topics:

• Purpose and expected outcome of the project
• Methodology
• Timeline
• Expenses: list estimated project-related expenses (e.g., computerized literature searches, student assistants, equipment, software, etc.). Include documentation verifying the cost of big-purchase items whenever possible (e.g., photocopies of advertisements or price-lists).
• Benefit: explain how the project will contribute to the YUL and the larger library and information science community.

4. Electronic Version of Project Proposal
Please include an electronic version of your proposal in a sealed envelope marked with title only to facilitate its mounting on the SCOPA website should your project be awarded funding.

Guidelines revised December 2006

Please contact one of the members of the SCOPA Grants Subcommittee if you have any questions regarding the grants process.