UMass Boston

Public Service Grant Program

The Public Service Grant Program supports public and community service through community-based research and engaged scholarship that leads to commonly recognized scholarly outcomes.  The purpose of this grant is to build the capacity of the university researchers to engage in authentic, collaborative research partnerships for public benefit and to provide incentives that foster and stimulate the conduct of community-engaged scholarship and community-based participatory research. 

For additional information, please contact internal.grants@umb.edu.

Eligibility to submit a proposal

Current UMass Boston faculty or research staff members are eligible to submit a proposal for consideration. Single or multi-PI applications are eligible, including non-UMass Boston senior personnel (unfunded collaborators).

Application and Submission Information

Applicants are required to submit Proposals through Kuali Proposal Development (PD). Applicants must contact their Department’s Research Administrator for assistance in submitting their application. 

Dept. Administrators/ Kuali PD aggregators MUST follow the Aggregator Internal Submission Guide found here.

By using UMass Boston’s online portal, all department-related signatories, such as Dept. Chairs and Deans will be sent notifications to approve proposals electronically. PI’s, and CO-PI’s, will also be sent notifications to confirm Financial Conflict of Interest.

Excluding the ORSP Budget Workbook, the following attachments must be completed and saved as PDFs for your Internal Submission. 

Checklist of Submission Items

1. ORSP Budget Workbook (xls)
2. Budget Justification
3. Abstract
4. Project Narrative
5. Biosketch(es)
6. Current and Pending Support
7. Letters of Collaboration (if applicable)

Public Service Grant Program - Requirements

The Public Service Grant Program supports public and community service through community-based research and engaged scholarship that leads to commonly recognized scholarly outcomes.  The purpose of this grant is to build the capacity of the university researchers to engage in authentic, collaborative research partnerships for public benefit and to provide incentives that foster and stimulate the conduct of community-engaged scholarship and community-based participatory research.

Budget Workbook

Project Period: 07/01/2023 to 12/31/2024

Max Award amount: $7,500

No indirect costs or F&A on any application

Use ORSP Budget Workbook found here. Keep this attachment in excel format.

Request only those items indispensable to the project and not available through one’s department or from other funding sources. 

Budget Justification

The accompanying budget justification must explain each item requested in this budget – maximum 2 pages, with a font size no smaller than 12.

Allowable budget items:

• Graduate & Undergraduate research assistants
• Community partner expenses/Stipends for community partners
• Required supplies and materials
• Technical and/or administrative support above and beyond standard departmental resource
• Travel costs that are necessary to conduct the research

Unallowable budget items: 

• Course buyouts, salaries, or additional compensations for PI or Co-PIs
• Travel to present results of research
• Only in unusual circumstances will equipment be considered

Abstract

Abstracts are a maximum 1 page, with a font size no smaller than 12. Please include the following;

• A succinct project description and summary of the proposed work which should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields
• If applicable, briefly describe the interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary nature of the proposed project

Project Narrative

Narratives are a maximum of 4 pages, double-spaced, with a font size no smaller than 12. 

This is the core of the proposal describing the project for which funding is being requested. The applicant must be as clear as possible, remembering that the review committee will represent various disciplines and program areas and will not necessarily have strong expertise in the subject matter of the proposal. 

The project narrative will be evaluated based on the following elements: 

• Significance of the proposed project
• The primary target audience of the proposed project
• Project goals and objectives with a timeline for accomplishment 
• Set of activities that will be used to carry out the proposed project
• Anticipated outcomes of the proposed project
• Plan for follow-up and evaluation to determine that the project will build community capacity in the area addressed

Biosketch(es)

A Biosketch is needed for each PI and Key Personnel – maximum 3 pages. Further instructions are on the Biosketch Template found here.

Current and Pending Support

PI’s and all Key Personnel must each complete the Current and Pending Support form found here.

Other Attachments

Letters of Collaboration – Letters of collaboration should be limited to stating the intent to collaborate and should not contain endorsements or evaluations of the proposed project.

Letter of Collaboration Template found here.

Review Process and Committees

Awards will be announced on June 1, 2023

Each Internal Funding Opportunity has its own Review Committee. Each committee is comprised of university faculty and research staff members, and, if feasible, community partners drawn from various disciplines, program areas, and community perspectives will review all proposals.  

The Public Service Grant final funding and award decisions will be made by the Vice Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies. The committee will evaluate, score, and rank each eligible proposal according to the following merit criteria:

• Significance
• Approach/Project Design
• Innovation
• Goals and Objectives
• Project Outcomes
• Investigator(s) Qualifications

Award Management

The Public Service Grant is administered in accordance with established university fiscal procedures and policies relating to the conduct of sponsored programs. The anticipated project period will be from July 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024.  All budget expenditures and project activities must occur within the project period. 

The following conditions are made to all awards and must be adhered to by each recipient:

• A final project report must be submitted via email by December 31, 2024, summarizing grant activities, expenditures, and outcomes. Please access the ORSP internal grants page to access the most up-to-date final report template.
• One copy of submitted, published, or conference papers and facsimiles or descriptions of artistic creations that result from the project activities must be emailed when they become available.
• All publications resulting from the grant project and all narratives associated with exhibitions or performances of works resulting from the grant project must acknowledge the assistance of the Public Service Grant Program of the Univ