Writing SJRC into Grants: Applications, Approvals, Workflow and Integration
The Science & Justice Research Center partners with faculty, labs, and units at UC Santa Cruz, across the UC system, and internationally. While the SJRC accepts grant proposals on a rolling basis, proposal materials should be submitted in a timely manner (no less than 1 month prior to the deadline) to provide a sufficient time as proposals are reviewed by the SJRC Leadership Team and Steering Committee. Affiliated UCSC Faculty are welcome to act as Principal Investigators (PIs) on grants that support the SJRC graduate Training (ie: NSF NRT) and Visitor Program (ie: Fulbright, dissertation support), collaborative research projects (ie: Wellcome Trust, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, UC/HBCU), or the overall Center infrastructure and operations (seed grants from UCSC Office of Research).
Note: all research and grant activity naming the UC Santa Cruz Science & Justice Research Center must be sponsored by a UC Santa Cruz faculty member affiliated with the SJRC, reviewed by the Steering Committee and approved by the Center Director. Students and visitors must have a faculty sponsor who holds campus and fiscal responsibilities. Those searching for an affiliated faculty member to host a pre/postdoctoral position should follow the same process outlined above in addition to applying through the Visiting Scholar Program and securing pre-approval for a letter of support.
Faculty, labs, administrators, units, visitors, and students requesting to write SJRC into grants should:
Review the SJRC application process. All inquiries and proposals concerning the commitment of Center resources must be reviewed by the Center Director, Center Manager, the Steering Committee, and approved by the Director prior to submitting to the granting agency or unit.
Review our affiliate profiles, research, projects, events, pedagogy, and ethics in practice when developing proposals.
Obtain a letter (can be a simple email) of support from any additional faculty member who is interested and willing to act as a PI/Co-PI. If the applicant doesn't know the proposed faculty PI/Co-PI, the applicant should write to them to discuss the potential proposal to gain their support before applying.
Work with SJRC affiliates and staff early to conceptualize and compose proposals, research methods and activities, and budget justifications.
Develop conversation/Seek guidance from the Center Manager and Director who can help instruct on S&J methods for conceptualizing sponsored meetings, events; link proposal to Center research themes and collaborative projects; and advise how the proposal could fit into Center programming, as well as advise on needed resources.
Proposal and budget descriptions and justifications should:
Include a scope of work with budget and justifications
Note if IRB approval, donor consent, or data usage agreements will be needed and the plan to create proposal specific agreements.
Outline contributions to the Center’s Mission and Goals
Research | The Profile, Foci and Administration
Teaching | Curriculum, Training, and Support
Raising the Public Platform | Development, Engagement, Activism
Take into consideration the time and resources needed to do interdisciplinary, diverse, inclusive, and cross-divisional work (ie: course releases, summer funding, GSRs, administration, travel, meeting and participant costs, living-wage payments to community translators and consultants, evaluations and surveys, fellowships, data storage and mining usage, etc.).
The UCSC Science & Justice Research Center and Sociology Department aim to pay pre-approved travel expenses for university business on behalf of invited travelers. Unless otherwise notified, where possible, flights, shuttles, and hotel accommodation costs will be billed directly to grants as opposed to travelers. This will allow visitors to participate in program initiatives without accruing personal debt on behalf of the institution while awaiting reimbursement. This approach will additionally enable first-generation graduate students to conduct field research and attend conferences on behalf of UCSC--an HSI. Cash advances may also be arranged to aid field research costs (e.g. gas for personal car, archiving fees, meals, and incidentals).
Offset resource expenses including operational and staffing costs when appropriate. The following language should be adapted per proposal (as needed) and included in the Scope of Work:
"The Science and Justice Research Center manager role is an already-established position currently held by Ms. Colleen Stone. While this position is already established, it is soft-funded, meaning the SJRC is required to seek partial or full salary support from external grant funding on an annual basis. Should the __ application be successful, Ms. Stone will spend at least _% of her working time supporting this project.”
Reflect mutual interests to be as generative as possible.
Avoid treating SJRC as an afterthought or add on (see ethics in practice).
Not be affiliated with the tobacco industry (as to not conflict with grant guidelines set by the Wellcome Trust).
The following process will take place:
Applicant applies via this Google form, or via email to Center Director and Center Manager.
After applying, applicant emails any accompanying required materials to scijust@ucsc.edu.
Applications are accepted, compiled and reviewed by the Center Manager who sends all application materials to the Director flagging:
dates of submission deadlines
proposed faculty Principal Investigator and additional Affiliates
purpose of grant and research foci/question with relevance to goals
accompanied funding, resource requests
any attached accompanied materials received
The Center Director will review and discuss proposals with the Steering Committee and/or additional Advisors and Affiliates as needed.
The Center Manager and/or the Director will contact the proposed Principal Investigator with any clarifying questions or updates.
Work with the UC Santa Cruz’ Office of Sponsored Projects and the Office of Research as needed for shared costs.
Final documents to be submitted and any notifications from the funding agency, should be sent to scijust@ucsc.edu and to the Center Director.
If awarded, continue working with the Office of Sponsored Projects and the Center Manager who will liaise with the Center’s Budget Analyst and the PI's Budget Analyst to transfer the agreed upon percentage for the Center Manager appointment. A meeting will be set to further review the budget justifications and line-item details to create a workflow and spending plan that coincides with the Scope of Work.
Should a GSRship become available, a call for a graduate student researcher will be released on the SJRC website as an opportunity and emailed across campus or as the selection committee has determined (refer to staffing practices).