Faculty Grants

 

GUIDELINES FOR
2009-10 RESEARCH GRANTS

PURPOSE

The Center for Entrepreneurship offers grants to support research in the area of entrepreneurship.  Approximately four grants are awarded each semester. College of Business faculty in all departments are encouraged to apply. 

Research topics in the following areas are eligible for funding:

  • new venture formation
  • management of small business management of family-owned business
  • creativity and new product development
  • corporate entrepreneurship and innovation
  • venture capital
  • initial public offerings
  • entrepreneurial culture in organizations
  • marketing research for new ventures
Other topics in the field of entrepreneurship will also be considered.

Research funds can be used for all expenses associated with conducting research, such as paying for databases, surveys, equipment, etc.  Grants cannot be used to directly compensate faculty, but may be used to pay administrative assistance with proper documentation.  Again this year, grants may be used to pay for travel to conferences to present papers and other types of travel associated with your research, such as travel to interview executives at a company.

Grants range from $700 to $1300, with the average grant equaling $1,000.  Larger grant amounts will be considered based on the potential outcomes of the proposal.

FACULTY ELIGIBILITY

The program is open to full-time faculty members, whose annual evaluation includes research, including program directors. Faculty members that participate in Student Business Counselor Institute projects will be given preference for two of the grants. Faculty members who have not finished using funds from past CFE grants cannot apply for another grant, unless they agree to forfeit the balance of the previous grant.

SUBMISSION DEADLINES

Submit the proposal electronically to Carol Hamilton, CFE Interim Director, by the following dates:

Fall 2009 Submission:  November 20                     Spring 2010 Submission:  March 19

A committee will review the proposals; grants will be awarded within 20 days.

PROPOSAL FORMAT

Proposals should include the following:

  1. Project summary, including objectives and method - one page limit
  2. List of expected expenses and total amount of grant requested - one page limit
  3. Professional vita

Grant applications will be evaluated first and foremost on the merit of the proposal, which will include an evaluation of expected benefit per the amount of requested funds. In other words, there is not a limit on the amount of funds requested but proposals for larger grants should clearly have more benefit than smaller grants.  Professional credentials of faculty will be considered when reviewing proposals of equal or comparable merit and when determining an applicant's potential for successful grant activities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Any publication resulting from activity assisted by CFE grants should include the following statement:

"This work was supported by the Center for Entrepreneurship, College of Business, James Madison University."

Working papers resulting from the research are strongly encouraged to be submitted to the Center for Entrepreneurship's Faculty Research Papers Series.

If you have any questions or would like more information on faculty grants, please contact us at cfe@jmu.edu.