For the invited finalists in Area 1, Area 2, and Area 3 only

Due Date: All materials for full proposals should arrive at the Metanexus Institute by 5:00 pm (EST), Tuesday, January 17, 2005 .

Guidelines: One original and eight copies of the full proposal (including supplementary materials) should be submitted by mail. In addition, please submit an electronic copy of the cover sheet and budget summary sheets in Microsoft Excel and all other application materials in Microsoft Word on a CD-ROM with your proposal shipment. This would include the project description, as well as all other required documents. All proposals must be in English.

Content: The following is a description of submission items that will be required for all full proposals:

1. Cover Sheet:

Please fill out the cover sheet and attach it as the first page of the proposal. The cover sheet can be downloaded here. This form was created in a Microsoft Excel format and should be downloaded as an attachment from our website. Please feel free to adjust this template by adding or deleting lines according to your organization's needs when answering our request for information. The Principal Investigator and an official of the applicant organization, who is also authorizing the proposed project budget, must sign the cover sheet.

Please be certain to note any institutional approvals required and/or secured for the project. Documentation of IRB and/or human subject approval authorization will be required before initial payment may be made.

2. Executive Summary

The proposal must contain a one-page, single-spaced summary of the proposed activity suitable for publication. The summary should be written in the third person and include a statement of objectives and methods to be employed. It must clearly address in separate statements (within the one-page summary): (1) the intellectual merit of the proposed activity; and (2) the broader impacts resulting from the proposed activity. It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and, insofar as possible, understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader.

3. Table of Contents

4. Project Description:

The central part of the proposal will be a narrative description of the project itself. This description should include: research hypotheses; methodologies; plans for data analysis; a demonstration of the connection between the proposed project and the topic matter of this RFP; the objectives for the period of the proposed work; the relationship of the project to the current state of knowledge in the field, with reference to the TARP Field Analyses in your Area as appropriate; a detailed explanation of the activity of the grant; and statements elaborating on the expected significance of this work, with reference to the Evaluation Criteria for the program. Please limit to no more than 25 pages (not including bibliography).

5. Project Timeline

The Project Timeline should detail the major activities of the project.

6. Communications Strategy

Communications strategy to secure publicity and published articles in distinguished journals and magazines.

7. Curriculum Vitae

Names and CV's of the Principal Investigator, who will be responsible for the leadership of all program activities, and the co-investigators participating in the project. Please limit CV's to no more than four pages each.

8. Detailed Budget:

Please copy the budget summary sheet and create a budget summary for each 6-month period by indicating the dates of the proposed funding period (i.e. 6/1/06 – 11/30/06) at the top of the sheet. The budget summary sheet can be downloaded here. This form was created in a Microsoft Excel format and you should feel free to adjust this template by adding or deleting lines according to your organization's needs when answering our request for information.

Please refer to the instructions for completing the budget summary sheet found below. We ask that you also create a CUMULATIVE budget summary and that you justify only the cumulative costs in the budget justification narrative.

Budget Guidelines:

1. General
1. Each grant proposal must contain budget summary sheets in the attached format.
2. A separate form should be completed for each 6 months of support requested. An additional form showing the cumulative budget for the full term requested should also be completed. Identify each year's request (e.g., 6/1/06 – 11/30/06 or “Cumulative”, etc.) in the margin at the top right of the form.
2. Budget Line Items

Tight Budgeting is encouraged in order to maximize the impact of the project as a whole, with emphasis on scientific return per dollar rather than per proposal. Modest (less than 20% of the total grant) expenses for computer equipment, travel, publication charges and supplies is allowable, provided that these items are clearly explained and justified in the proposal. Following is a brief outline of budget documentation requirements by line item. (NOTE: All documentation, justification/explanation required on the line items below should be provided on the Budget Justification/Explanation Page(s).)



1. Salaries, Wages and Fringe Benefits. List individually, all senior personnel who were grouped under Part A and their percentage of effort dedicated to the project for each year's budget. Grant funds may not be used to augment the total salary or rate of salary of faculty members during the period covered by the term of faculty appointment or to reimburse faculty members for consulting or other time in addition to a regular full-time organization salary covering the same general period of employment.

   In most circumstances, particularly for institutions of higher education, salaries of administrative or clerical staff are included as part of indirect costs. However, salaries of administrative or clerical staff may be requested as direct costs for a project requiring an extensive amount of administrative or clerical support where these costs can be readily and specifically identified with the project.

   For fringe benefits please list the percentage of salary costs being applied to this grant as well as the normal institution fringe benefits percentage in the budget justification narrative.

2. Consultant/ Subcontractor Services.Consultant services should be justified and information furnished on each individual/firm's expertise, primary organizational affiliation, normal daily compensation rate and number of days of expected service. Consultants' travel costs and per diem allowances should be listed. Payment for consultants' services, exclusive of expenses may not exceed the consultant's normal rate or the normal daily maximum rate established by the research organization, whichever is less. Indirect costs are not applied to consultant expenses or subcontracts.
3. Equipment. Items of needed equipment should be listed individually by description and estimated cost, including tax, and adequately justified. General-purpose equipment, such as a personal computer, is not eligible for support unless primarily or exclusively used in the actual conduct of this project.
4. Travel . Address the type and extent of travel and its relation to the project. Itemize by event and cost. Fare allowances are limited to round trip, jet-economy rates.
5. Other Direct Costs. Any costs charged to a grant must be reasonable and directly allocable to the supported activity. The budget should identify and itemize other anticipated direct costs not included under the headings above, including materials and supplies, publication costs, computer services, participant/subject costs, communications, and other direct expenses.

   1. Materials and Supplies - Indicate types required and estimate costs.

   2. Participant Costs – Indicate costs associated with testing on subjects including fees and travel for human subjects as well as care costs for animal testing.

   3. Publication Costs – Costs associated with editing, reviewing, and printing.

4. Computer Services - Include justification based on estimated computer service rates at the proposing institution. Purchase of equipment should be included under C.

5. Communications – Possible communications costs include on-line services used for the direct work of this grant, shipping costs directly associated with the work of this grant, or separate telephone services needed to complete the work of this grant.

6. Other - Itemize and justify.

6. Total Direct Costs: Sum of line items A through E.
7. Indirect Costs . Indirect costs/overhead are not levied on equipment (C), consultants/ subcontractors (B), or any function that is outsourced such as computer services (E-4). If this function (E-4) is being performed by staff from the home institute, then indirect costs may be taken on it. Indirect costs are limited to 15% of applicable line items.
8. Total Costs: Sum of line items G and H.

9. Budget Justification Narrative:

A narrative budget justification is required. Please explain the costs associated with each line item from the CUMULATIVE budget summary only (please do not justify each 6 month period separately). There is no page limit but you are encouraged to be succinct.

10. IRB Approval

Evidence of Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval or submission for approval for research involving human subjects. Please submit your IRB requests early, and in the event they have not been fully approved by the time of submission on January 17, 2006, please provide a copy of the correspondence from your IRB committee about their status for impending review, including the date when that review will take place. Documentation of IRB and/or human subject approval authorization will be required before initial payment may be made.

11. Tax-exempt Status

Evidence of tax-exempt status from sponsoring institution.

12. Letter from Statistical Consultant (if applicable)

All proposals involving quantitative studies must include a letter from a statistician who has agreed to approve the research design and methods of analysis of the data collected.

13. Senior Researcher Biographies

Professional biographies of the Principal Investigator and each of the co-investigators written in the third person and suitable for publication. Please limit each biography to approximately 200 words.

14. Project Summary

A 200-400 word description of the project suitable for publication.

Supplemental Materials: This section is created for all other relevant information that you may wish to submit for consideration. You may include brochures from programs your organization runs, Web site addresses that your organization manages, supplementary material on those who will be performing this work, research articles that demonstrate your knowledge of the target audience and their interests, or any other relevant materials not detailed above.

Final Judging: The panel of judges will review each full proposal and meet to discuss the merit and potential impact of each proposal. We are planning to award two grants each in Areas 1 and 2 of approximately $1 million and four grants in Area 3 of approximately $150,000. We highly encourage applicants to construct realistic budgets, as more awards may be granted in each Area if the top proposals contain budget requests below the approximate award amount.

Approval may be contingent upon minor adjustments to the proposal before the final award letter is sent out. The award letter will stipulate all terms and conditions of payment. All applicants will be notified of their status by April 3, 2006 , and approved projects will commence June 1, 2006 . The decision of the judging panel is final and may not be appealed.

Metanexus Institute

1616 Walnut Street, Suite 1112, Philadelphia, PA 19103 USA
Voice:1 484.592.0304   Fax:1484.592.0313   info@metanexus.net