Faculty Resources

The mission of the Sponsored Projects and Research Compliance Office (SPARC) at Lewis & Clark is to provide faculty and staff with professional and quality service in support of research and creative endeavors throughout their careers, which includes securing and managing external grants.

Key Items from SPARC

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Policy

Online Training Tools: LC subscribes to online training modules for the responsible conduct of research, research involving human subjects, research involving animals, and financial conflict of interest for federally funded research.

Intellectual Property

Human Subjects Research

Care and Use of Animals in Research and Teaching

Biosafety

Travel Grant Guidelines

We hope to support all regular faculty members in the College for travel to one professional conference per year, in accordance with the priorities listed below. Because travel funds are limited, requests for second trips in a given fiscal year will be held until after all first-trip requests have been funded, and granted according to specific criteria.

• Presenting a paper or a response to a presented paper
• Organizing/Participating on a panel
• Organizing/Chairing a session
• Performances or showings
• Serving the sponsoring organization in an official capacity

2023-2024 Application Process:

Tenured/tenure-track faculty and faculty with term can request up to $2,000 for an in-person conference during the 2022-23 fiscal year. First requests must be submitted before October 6, 2023. Second requests will only be considered after all first requests have been funded.

Eligible visiting faculty and instructors may apply for up to $1,000 for attending conferences. Funding may be full or partial.

Requests must be made via the Google Form. A full budget is required when submitting your request. All expenses must be incurred on or before May 31, 2024.

General Guidelines

 

Travel Expenses

Lewis & Clark requires an itemized Travel & Entertainment Expense Report for all travel expenses charged to a College account. A properly completed Travel & Entertainment Expense Report signed by the employee, with all original receipts attached, should be sent to the Dean’s Office upon completion of the trip. See Receipts/Lost Receipts for information regarding documentation requirements.

Research Grant Guidelines

Faculty Research Grants may be used to purchase minor equipment, research tools, and expendable materials, and to pay for project-specific travel, personal services (assistants, secretarial services, etc.) and miscellaneous expenses. Research tools may include books, but a specific justification must be supplied for why these are necessary and why other sources of funding, such as the department’s library acquisition fund, are not appropriate. Faculty who had start-up funds at the time of their hire should expend those funds before applying for funds through this program.

2023-24 Application Process:

Tenured/tenure-track faculty and faculty with term may request a research grant up to $1,000 once during the 2023-24 fiscal year. Review of requests will begin on October 6, 2023, and continue as long as there are funds available.

Eligible visiting and part-time faculty may apply for funding of up to $500 per year as long as the grant period coincides with the period of time grant recipients are associated with the College.

Requests must be made via the Google Form before the end of the fiscal year, May 31, 2024. All expenses must be incurred on or before May 31, 2024. A full budget is required when submitting your request.

General Guidelines

Tax Form for Independent Contractors and Vendors

This premiere five day writing seminar is designed for aspiring and established scholars seeking to present their research at professional conferences and/or publish their work in refereed journals. The retreat is based on a few simple premises: (1) a motivated, positive, and rigorous environment creates excellent work; (2) peer accountability and immediate feedback encourages productivity; and (3) scholarly work is enriched through collaboration.

Associate Dean’s Office

Albany Quadrangle 201

 

COHORT WRITING RETREAT GRANTS FOR JUNIOR FACULTY 2022-23

 

Cohort Writing Retreat Grants are intended to support tenure-track junior faculty in

advancing their scholarship and/or creative work. The grant program is designed to

provide small groups of faculty with time, space and community away from campus

where they can focus on specific research and writing objectives in the context of peer

mentoring from their cohort.

 

The grants are awarded by the Dean’s Office to support transportation and lodging costs

up to $1500 for a group of three or more faculty to hold a weekend writing retreat at a

local destination during the spring semester. The retreat is expected to focus on accomplishing

writing objectives identified by each member of the cohort.

 

Eligibility: All junior tenure-track faculty are eligible to apply for a Cohort Writing

Retreat grant. Preference will be given to junior-only cohort applications, but cohorts that

include one or more tenured faculty members may be considered.

 

Application Process: A group of 3 or more faculty members may apply for a Cohort

Writing Retreat Grant by submitting the following items to Associate Dean Goldsmith:

 

A short proposal for the retreat (1-2 pages maximum), which includes the following:

• names of the faculty in the proposed cohort
• the location and dates for the retreat
• a short description of the writing objectives for each member of the cohort
• a budget for the retreat, including transportation and lodging expenses.

Quality of applications will be determined from the specificity of the proposed format

and objectives for the retreat.

 

The incoming cohort of faculty (first-year tenure-track faculty) automatically receive

funding for a retreat as part of their mentoring schedule. The funding is outside this grant

program. Nevertheless, for administrative purposes, we ask the first-year cohort to use

these guidelines and submit a cohort application in order to secure dates and to articulate

goals.

 

Reporting Requirements: Cohorts awarded grants must submit to Associate Dean

Goldsmith (daena@lclark.edu) within 30 days of their retreat a short report (1-2 pages

max) describing how the outcome of the retreat compared to the proposed objectives and

how the format of the retreat contributed to its success.

 

Administration of Funds: Faculty must use their P-card to charge transportation and

lodging expenses; please work with Debbie Richman (drichman@lclark.edu) to submit

receipts and complete the Per Diem Travel & Entertainment Expense Report within 60

days of the end of the retreat.

 

August 2018; Updated July 2021

CAS Associate Dean’s Office
Albany Quadrangle 201

GUIDELINES FOR JUNIOR FACULTY START-UP FUNDS

Start-up funds for junior faculty are intended to cover non-personal expenses required for the establishment of a successful and sustainable program of scholarship and/or creative activity as a faculty member at Lewis & Clark College. Any expenses covered by start-up funds must be justifiable as necessary for the purposes of the faculty member’s scholarship and/or creative activity and are limited to those persons directly involved in the research and/or creative activity. Such expenses may include:

• Faculty stipends for summer research (Unless otherwise stated in your contract, you may use up to $5,500 of your start-up funds per summer as a faculty stipend for full-time research. However, if you have other external summer research support, the total amount you may receive is limited to 2/9 of your academic year salary per summer.)
• Research personnel (wages and applicable benefits for research technicians, undergraduate research assistants, etc.)
• Fees for professional research services (consultants, translation assistance, copy editing, etc.)
• Travel expenses for professional conferences, meetings and projects (charges must be commensurate with LC’s Travel Policy)
• Office supplies, furniture and renovations
• Research equipment and tools
• Computer software, hardware and ancillaries
• Materials and supplies for your research or creative scholarship

Limitations: Please note that additional restrictions may apply, depending on the source of your start-up funds (e.g., if part of the funding comes from an external grant).

Please note that the following are not allowable charges to your start-up funds: travel to and from campus, expenses for your partner to accompany you to a conference, a cell phone, etc.

Other limitations: Faculty should expend their start-up funds before applying for other internal funds. Some exceptions are as follows:

• Faculty Research Grant Program – no applications until startup funds are expended.
• Faculty Travel for Conferences Grant Program – applications allowed. However, faculty must indicate in their request whether they have start-up funds remaining. Priority will be given to applicants without start-up funds; but, depending on demand, conference travel grants may be available to faculty with some start-up funds remaining.
• John S. Rogers Research Program – applications allowed. Due to limited resources,
  faculty must use start-up funds for faculty summer research stipends (see above) before requesting faculty stipends from the Rogers Program. Faculty are eligible to apply for student stipends, but must use start-up funds for at least two students per summer before requesting additional funds from Rogers.
• Faculty-Student Summer Research Grants provided by Dean’s Office (Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences) — applications allowed. Preference may be given to applicants whose start-up funds are expended.
• Other Internal Support Available – applications allowed. Applicants must disclose availability of start-up funds, if applicable.

Administration and use of start-up funds: Start-up funds are administered by either 1) the Dean’s Office or 2) the Sponsored Research Office (if your start-up funds are partially or wholly funded by external support).

• General purchasing: Use your P-card to charge expenses to your start-up funds. Unless
  instructed otherwise, when you sign off on the transactions through Works®, charge the expenditures to your start-up account. Do not charge meals to your P-card.
• Purchase Orders and purchases over $3000: Follow the Business Office guidelines for
  purchases over $3,000, or to obtain a Purchase Order, if required by a vendor.  Requisition forms should be approved by your account fund manager.
• Travel: If using start-up funds for travel expenses, use your P-card to charge transportation, lodging and registration fees. Do not charge meals to your P-card. Complete the Per Diem Travel & Entertainment Expense Report within 60 days of the end of your trip. On the expense report, enter the allowed per diem for each day of your trip (deduct any meals paid with conference fees or provided by others). If your funds are being administered by the Dean’s Office, submit your expense report to Margaret Salstrom (msalstrom@lclark.edu) for review and approval. If your start-up funds are partially funded by an external grant, additional guidelines apply; submit your expense report and additional required information to the Sponsored Research Office at sponsres@lclark.edu.
• Any questions? Contact Margaret Salstrom or Sponsored Research Office.

Hiring Research Personnel or Student Research Assistants: Please contact Human Resources to hire anyone to be paid with funds from your start-up account, whether it is an outside hire, a currently enrolled student, or a recently graduated student. HR staff will help determine whether or not that individual may be hired as a student, regular or temporary employee, or as an independent contractor. Either Margaret Salstrom or Sponsored Research will need to verify how much funding you have available to support this position, and the availability of funds may restrict the type of position that you can offer; please make sure that your start-up fund manager is aware of any such expenditure plans.

Please note that any non-expendable equipment purchased with start-up or other internal funds are the property of Lewis & Clark College. If the faculty member leaves the College for any reason, Lewis & Clark retains ownership of this property.

Expiration of start-up funds: Unless otherwise stated in your contract, your start-up funds will expire at the end of the fifth year or the end of your junior sabbatical, whichever comes first. If you fail to expend all your start-up funds by the expiration date, they will revert to the College. Please notify the Associate Dean’s office in a timely manner if you will be unable to use your entire start-up fund package before its expiration. In qualifying cases, particularly those cases involving external grants, the expiration date for a start-up fund may be extended.

August 2018; Updated October 2020.

Start-up Guidelines (PDF)

Watzek Digital Initiatives. Digital Initiatives staff work with faculty to build online digital collections in support of scholarship and teaching. They are available at any time for consultations and there is a project proposal process for for larger-scale projects.

The College supports a limited number of student/faculty teams to conduct research during summers through two separate but parallel programs.

In the Mathematical, Natural, and Psychological Sciences: The John S. Rogers Summer Science Research Program. This program is supported by the John S. Rogers Endowment of Lewis & Clark College and grants from the James F. and Marion L.Miller Foundation and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

In the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The goal of the Faculty-Student Collaborative Research Program is to encourage collaborative research projects between Lewis & Clark College faculty and students. Applications will be reviewed and approved by Faculty Council.

How to Apply

In order to apply for the Collaborative Faculty-Student Research Program, please read the guidelines for the program below, prepare your application, and complete the application form.

• Applications must be submitted by February 1, 2023.
• Faculty Council will review applications and make recommendations to the Dean.
• Award notifications will occur in mid-February.

The CAS Teaching Excellence Program (TEP) provides resources to faculty members to support them in strengthening and expanding their teaching expertise, with the goal of best serving the needs of Lewis & Clark’s undergraduates. Funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the program strives to create opportunities for collaboration and to provide assistance to faculty as they refine and share teaching practices with their colleagues.

TEP offers a number of resources and events designed to help disseminate best practices in pedagogy. The program is designed not only to assist professors, but also to bring faculty together – across all disciplines and throughout their careers – to discuss and apply teaching techniques that are engaging, inclusive, and innovative. By offering workshops, distinguished speakers, and hosting regular events, TEP dovetails with the efforts of other campus programs to support faculty development.

The Educational Technology group works with faculty, staff and students to show them how technology can be applied to their current activities so that they are better able to perform their job duties and/or pursue their academic and research activities. A major goal of this group is to help our faculty and students become self-sufficient with the technology that they need to use. Further, the Educational Technology team works closely with faculty to help them utilize instructional technology in ways that can augment traditional teaching methods.

Annual Events

Faculty Technology Showcase. Annual event at the end of Fall term where faculty colleagues demonstrate their uses of technology in their teaching and research.

Faculty Technology Institute. Each May, usually one week after commencement. Week of informal workshops including tutorials and conversation about using digital tools and techniques in teaching and research.

Academic Integrity Information for Faculty

The Consultation and Referral for Students Who Are Struggling Guide from the Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students is a listing of important contact information for you and your students.

These funds are designed to enable (or to assist) off-campus field trips and excursions that supplement course goals by contributing directly to the curriculum. These funds can also be used for class dinners, cooked at faculty homes, or at off-campus venues with some course tie-in. Applications must come from faculty (or staff at faculty behest). Each faculty member can apply for one-such grant per class per semester. We regret that we cannot fund on-campus food (e.g., donuts, pizza brought to class) or student club events.

All requests are to be submitted before the priority deadline for fall and spring semesters and will be reviewed on a weekly basis. Requests received by the priority deadline for each semester will receive full consideration. Later requests will be considered if funding for that semester remains available.

Priority deadline for Fall 2023: September 22, 2023
Priority deadline for Spring 2024: February 2, 2024

Student Course Event Funds Request (Google Form)