Presidential Awards

President Jacobs announced the continuation of three initiatives that are providing extraordinary institutional support for faculty and staff development and innovation.

Presidential Semester Incentive Awards

Application deadline: Monday October 8, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.
Apply Now for the Presidential Semester Incentive Award
Approximately six awards of a full semester course release with up to $12,000 each to support faculty in a focused and meaningful scholarly and significant product upon completion (i.e.: external grant application, research protocol, authored book, intellectual property development, etc.).
Preference will be given to applications that support the mission of the University of North Georgia (UNG) as articulated by the current strategic plan.
Eligibility is limited to tenured or tenure-track faculty who will have been employed a minimum of two years at the completion of the 2018-19 academic year at UNG.
Those who have receive a previous semester grant are not be eligible for the next three academic years.
Applicants will need to meet with their department heads and deans to determine the best semester to utilize the award and to secure approval of the budget submitted. As part of the application, applicants will be required to submit a letter signed by the applicant(s), each applicant’s department head, and each applicant’s dean that acknowledges that each person signing understands the requirements related to the award, including allowable expenditures and other responsibilities associated with utilizing the award (a letter template is available on the online application page). All correspondence regarding the proposal and award, if funded, will be communicated to the individual listed as the “Lead Applicant” on the letter. Approval by each applicant’s dean serves as the dean’s certification that the applicant is eligible to receive the award.

Applicants must submit a dissemination plan to both internal and external audiences. Funding must culminate in a substantive and significant product and meet the scholarship expectations as described in the departmental promotion and tenure guidelines.
Faculty selected for this award must specify whether they will focus on their efforts during the fall of 2019 or the spring of 2020.
Faculty selected for this award may not teach any academic courses during the duration of the funded semester. They must also sign an agreement to indicate their return to UNG for a period of at least one year after the completion of the semester scholar leave. (University System of Georgia---Board of Regents Policy Manual--Education and Professional Leave 8.2.7.4)

Presidential Summer Incentive Award

Application deadline: Monday October 8, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.
Apply Now for the Presidential Summer Incentive Award
Approximately nine awards of up to $10,000 each to support faculty in focused and meaningful research, scholarly and creative activities.
Preference will be given to applications that support the mission of the University of North Georgia (UNG) as articulated by the current strategic plan.
Eligibility is limited to tenured or tenure-track faculty.
As part of the application, applicants will be required to submit a letter signed by the applicant(s), each applicant’s department head, and each applicant’s dean that acknowledges that each person signing understands the requirements related to the award, including allowable expenditures and other responsibilities associated with utilizing the award (a letter template is available on the online application page). All correspondence regarding the proposal and award, if funded, will be communicated to the individual listed as the “Lead Applicant” on the letter. Approval by each applicant’s dean serves as the dean’s certification that the applicant is eligible to receive the award.

Budget may include requests for a summer stipend (available for academic year faculty only), student assistants, operating supplies, equipment, and/or travel. Please note that financial support is subject to normal withholding considerations. Also all budget requests are subject to UNG and USG policies regarding allowable expenses.
Applicants must submit a dissemination plan to both internal and external audiences. Funding must culminate in an activity during which the faculty member will share the results of his/her work, and meet the scholarship expectations as described in the departmental promotion and tenure guidelines.
Faculty selected for this award may engage in teaching and service during the summer sessions with prior approval of their dean.
Summer grant selectees can be funded for two years in a row; after that, they must skip a year.

Presidential Innovation Incentive Award

Application deadline: Monday October 8, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.
Apply Now for the Presidential Innovation Incentive Award
Approximately 30 awards of up to $5,000 each to support faculty and staff development. The project period for Innovation awards will be from February 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019.
Eligibility is limited to full-time faculty and staff members.
As part of the application, applicants will be required to submit a letter signed by the applicant(s), each applicant’s department head, and each applicant’s dean/division head that acknowledges that each person signing understands the requirements related to the award, including allowable expenditures and other responsibilities associated with utilizing the award (a letter template is available on the online application page). All correspondence regarding the proposal and award, if funded, will be communicated to the individual listed as the “Lead Applicant” on the letter. Approval by each applicant’s dean/division head serves as the dean/division head’s certification that the applicant is eligible to receive the award.
Funding to support faculty and staff development, and provide opportunities for interdisciplinary and/or cross-functional collaborations among colleagues or individual pursuits focused on innovations and partnerships that promote implementation of best practice models. The budget may include requests for student assistants, operating supplies, equipment, and/or travel.

Any topic, as long as it is related to developing and promoting best practices, will be considered for funding. The important focus is that the projects promote innovative institutional practices that support the University of North Georgia mission and the priorities established in the Strategic Plan. General submission areas include, but are not limited to, operational efficiency, improved unit performance, enhanced unit analysis, first-year student programming, learning communities, service learning, student research, global engagement, capstone project development, civic engagement, leadership development, economic development, and other community partnerships.
Funding must culminate in a product or activity for implementation that can be shared through a campus event. Broader dissemination is encouraged. Dissemination activities should meet scholarship expectations as described in the department promotion and tenure guidelines.

Selection Process for all Presidential Awards

Applicants are required to discuss their intended project with their department head and dean, or in the case of staff, with their department head and division head prior to submitting their application. As part of the application, applicants will be required to submit a letter signed by the applicant(s), each applicant’s department head, and each applicant’s dean/division head that acknowledges that each person signing understands the requirements related to the award, including allowable expenditures and other responsibilities associated with utilizing the award (a letter template is available on the online application page). All correspondence regarding the proposal and award, if funded, will be communicated to the individual listed as the “Lead Applicant” on the letter, and the “Lead Applicant” should be the individual submitting the application on the online application site.
Approval by each applicant’s dean or, in the case of staff, division head serves as the dean/division head’s certification that the applicant is eligible to receive the award.
While faculty may apply for both the Semester and Summer awards, they are only eligible to be awarded one.
If a faculty member elects to apply for a Semester/Summer award, and an Innovation award, both projects may be funded provided they are significantly different.
Committees will be formed consisting of members of faculty, staff, and administration to review submitted proposals and make funding recommendations.
Applications will be submitted and awards will be announced in the fall.
Funding, provided by the President, will be administered by the Office of Research and Engagement.
For all awards, the proposals must include a detailed budget and written justification for items listed. The budget will contain a listing of categories of expenses -- i.e., faculty compensation (n/a for semester incentive awards), student assistants, supplies, operating expenses, and travel. The detailed budget must include the planned month for the expenditures, so that the work can be budgeted in the appropriate fiscal year. Please note that all funds must be expended in compliance with UNG and USG policies.
Recipients of past Presidential Incentive Awards support must provide a summary as to the type of support, the project(s) supported, project outcomes, and specific examples of how the funding impacted their professional growth.
Recipients will provide a project report at the completion of the funded activity to the Office of Research and Engagement that summarizes the project relative to the goals set forth in the application. These reports will be made available to the internal University of North Georgia community, including the department heads, supervisors, and deans. Future funding is contingent upon receipt of the final report within one month of project completion.