PSC-CUNY Research Award Program Guidelines

The PSC-CUNY Research Award Program (“The Program”) seeks to grow faculty research, scholarship, and creative activities in all academically relevant disciplines. The Program is designed to strengthen both the CUNY research enterprise and the professional development of its faculty. Supported activities are expansive and may include diverse research forms and methods; efforts to start, continue, or finish a project; and/or pursuit of external grant awards. Over $4 million is available each year for Program Awards across the University. The Program’s terms are codified by the 2023-2027 collective bargaining agreement between CUNY and the PSC.

PSC-CUNY and the CUNY Office of Research co-govern the Program. The University Committee on Research Awards (UCRA), a faculty group, adjudicates proposals and decides Awards. RFCUNY administers both programmatic and fiscal aspects of the grant lifecycle.

All academic materials created through Program Awards must include the acknowledgement: "Support was provided by a PSC-CUNY Research Award from The City University of New York".

The annual application deadline is December 15. Applications submitted after December 15 will be rejected.

Eligible submissions must occur through the RFCUNY Grants Proposal system.

Two Award types are available:

• Track 1: up to $7,000 (85% of annual funding)
• Track 2: $7,001 to $15,000 (15% of annual funding)

All full-time instructional staff members are eligible to apply for either a Track 1 or Track 2 Research Award.

Each eligible Principal Investigator (“PI”) may receive up to two (2) Awards during any three-year period. Only one (1) of these Awards may be a Track 2 Award during the three-year period.

PIs who previously received a Research Award in the three-year period preceding their new application must include a copy of the Final Project Report from their immediate prior Research Award as part of their application for review consideration. Submissions that do not adhere to this requirement will be rejected. See below for further details.

PIs who possess, or subsequently receive, external grant direct costs of $100,000 or more in the year of their submission are not eligible. Submissions that do not adhere to this requirement will be rejected or subsequently withdrawn.

Out-of-cycle or emergency proposals will not be considered, and deadlines will not be extended. Incomplete applications will not be considered. If a PI is eligible for both a Research Award and a Post-Tenure Reassigned Time Award, they may submit a separate application for each program type but may only receive one (1) Award. The same panelists will adjudicate both applications.

All eligible applications in the Grants Proposal system must include 1) a completed My Profile section; 2) a completed Applications section; and 3) an attached Project Description. My Profile describes important information regarding the PI’s institution, educational background, tenure status, recent publications, and grant award track record.

Each PI is strongly encouraged to seek prior institutional approval for all project activities and budget categories, including Reassigned Time. Co-Principal Investigators are allowed for each application. Each Co-PI must create an account in Grants Proposal and complete the My Profile section. PIs may then add Co-PIs to their application in the system. Co-PIs are not eligible for Summer Salary or Reassigned Time. Co-PIs must also meet all eligibility criteria.

The Project Description must place the project in the perspective of the discipline and provide a detailed description of the project’s method and importance. If pursuit of external grant awards is an anticipated project activity, there must also be significant discussion about the external opportunities being pursued and a feasible roadmap for proposal development/submission.

Write the Project Description as a direct response to the Evaluation Criteria in these guidelines (see below). The Project Description (including tables, literature reviews, references, etc.) is limited to three (3) pages for Track 1 proposals and five (5) pages for Track 2 proposals. The Project Description may be single or double spaced, but formatting must include one-inch margins and a font of 10-12 points. The document must be in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. If the Project Description does not adhere to these requirements, the application will be rejected.

Proposals involving Human or Animal Subjects must check the applicable boxes in the Grants Proposal system. Relevant proposals must seek and receive IRB/IAUCUC approval prior to the start of the award period. All proposed activities and expenditures must occur within the IRB/IAUCUC approval period. Any activities or expenditures that occur outside of the IRB/IAUCUC approval period will become the sole responsibility of the PI.

Supplemental materials, such as portfolio samples, must be included for creative writing proposals and may be submitted for proposals in the creative, visual, and performing arts. Supplemental materials attached to proposals in any other discipline will not be reviewed. If a PI intends to submit supplemental materials, “Supplemental Materials” must be checked in the Grants Proposal system. Materials up to 2MB may be attached.

PIs must submit a Final Project Report for their Award before March 1 following the end of the grant period. PIs who do not will be unable to submit a new application for up to two years following the initial Award.

PIs who previously received a Research Award in the three-year period preceding their new application must include a copy of the Final Project Report from their immediate prior Research Award as part of their application for review consideration. Submissions that do not adhere to this requirement will be rejected. Click here to submit the Final Project Report for your Award.

Disciplinary panels will use the following criteria to consider the scholarly or creative merit of proposals:

• Does the proposal clearly state its aims?
• Does the proposal clearly state its outcomes?
• Do the proposal’s aims and outcomes demonstrate scholarly or creative merit?
• Do the proposed activities follow a well-conceived and feasible design?
• Do the proposed activities show potential to attract other grant awards?
• Is the proposed budget accurate, appropriate, and justified?
• (as relevant) Did the immediate prior Research Award achieve its stated aims and outcomes?

Each Track 1 and Track 2 application will be reviewed by the discipline-based panel (one of 18) to which they are submitted. Each panel is composed of a Chair and between 4 to 12 additional CUNY faculty member panelists. Both Chairs and panelists are chosen with weight given to external funding track records.

Each Track 1 and Track 2 application will receive prewritten evaluations selected by the reviewer. Some PIs may receive specified feedback if the reviewer chooses to elect the “Other” response. In addition, some Track 2 applications may receive “Expert Review” upon recommendation of two panel members and approval of the Chair. Experts may come from inside or outside CUNY, and may not review more than three Track 2 proposals in a given year.

UCRA reserves the right to transfer an application to a different panel as deemed appropriate. PIs are encouraged to consult with their CUNY Grants Officer or RFCUNY program administrator with questions about review panels.

Budget requests must be justified based on a proposal’s stated aims and outcomes. Applications for Track 1 and Track 2 Awards require a short rationale for each budget item included on the “Budget” tab of the Grants Proposal system. Separate budget justifications are not permitted for either Track 1 or Track 2. Budget requests are not subject to modification by panels, and budget is an important review criterion. Consult with your CUNY Grants Officer for further guidance.

Funding requests that do not fall within one of the below allowable budget categories are at risk of being rejected.

• Supplies & Materials - All items with a value of less than $1,000 should be budgeted as supplies. Books, publications, and conference proceedings are allowable, as are research materials not easily obtainable or readily available.
• Equipment – Equipment must be directly related to the proposed activities. General outfitting of a space or lab is not allowed. Single items with a value of $1,000 or more are considered equipment and must be tagged by a PI’s institutional property manager as CUNY property. Equipment must be itemized on the budget form and justified. For single items with a value of $2,500 or more, justification must include the manufacturer and model number, as well as clear explanation for said model’s need.
• Travel - Proposed travel, both domestic and foreign, must be essential and require detailed justification including an itinerary with dates and estimated costs. The lowest practical fare and accommodation costs are expected whenever possible (per New York State travel guidelines). PIs are permitted to purchase flight and hotel accommodation, starting May 1 prior to the grant start date. However, the travel itself must take place within the project budget period, starting no earlier than July 1. No more than 60 days will be covered. Changes in travel plans require prior approval by the RFCUNY Program Administrator
• Publication/Manuscript Preparation - The cost of preparing a manuscript derived from Research Award activities, and the cost of publishing a manuscript in scholarly journals, may be requested. PIs may request one six-month extension to accommodate delayed expenditures for publication.
• Research Staff - Funds may be used to support Research Assistants and Post-Doctoral Assistants. The UCRA defines a Post-Doctoral Assistant as someone who has recently received a doctoral degree but has not held a full-time faculty appointment for one academic year or more.
• Summer Salary - PIs may request summer salary up to $7,000 or $15,000 depending on the Research Award received, subject to fringe benefits. Per CUNY Policy 5.14 Multiple Positions, PIs subject to Article 14.1 of the collective bargaining agreement may not receive summer salary greater than 3/9 of their gross annual salary, and may not receive compensation in a given month (June, July, August) greater than 1/9 of their gross annual salary. PIs who are not subject to Article 14.1 of the collective bargaining agreement may not receive more than 1/11 of their gross annual salary. PIs are not eligible during any month they are teaching full-time. PIs paid on a 12-month basis, HEOs, and CLTs are not eligible. Calculations must be based on salary levels as of January 1 for the following summer. Summer salary is awarded for the first summer of an award period.
• Reassigned Time - PIs may apply for Reassigned Time at the “Instructor, Lecturer, Adjunct Lecturer, Adjunct Lecturer (Doctoral Student)” single rate as of December 15 of the submission year in Article 24.6 of the contract. These rates will be:
  • For Academic Year 2025-2026: $6,024.60 (3-credit); $7,530.75 (4-credit)
  • For Academic Year 2026-2027: $6,986.40 (3-credit); $8,733 (4-credit)
  • For Academic Year 2027-2028: $7,100 (3-credit); $9,466.67 (4-credit)

CUNY colleges and schools are not required to accept Reassigned Time at Lecturer Adjunct Replacement cost. Application for and/or receipt of a Research Award does not guarantee a college’s approval for Reassigned Time. A Research Award panel recommendation does not guarantee approval by the college for Reassigned Time. PIs are strongly encouraged to obtain prior approval for any Reassigned Time budget request. Release of 4 or more contact/credit hours is limited to Track 2. Starting academic year 2027-2028, all Reassigned Time is limited to Track 2. Reassigned Time must be justified in the budget. Co-PIs and non-faculty titles are ineligible for Reassigned Time.

• Independent Contractors/Consultants - PIs may hire independent contractors or consultants to provide services for an agreed upon fee. PI will need to submit a Purchase Order to po@rfcuny.org to facilitate payment. Please go here for more information on what is classified as an independent contract. Additionally, please note that independent contractors may not be paid out of pocket by the PI.
• Subject Fees – PIs may pay research subjects an incentive for participation in a research study. PIs must maintain logs for participants to sign after receiving incentive payment. Incentives that are purchased but not distributed are ineligible for reimbursement and are the PI’s responsibility.

Budgets may not contain requests for: honoraria; journal subscriptions; internet or cellular services; professional organization memberships; advertisements; insurance; renovations; office furniture; and/or any item or service that fulfills an ongoing need. In addition, the following are not permitted in any budget: student stipends or tuition costs for either the PI or an assistant; activities that support the fulfillment of degree requirements; costs related to textbook writing; costs related to curriculum development for specific courses or programs; purchase of one’s own intellectual property (or other indirect compensation); and/or subcontracts. Items purchased for general research use—not specified within the PSC-CUNY Research Award—are not allowed.

Award funds must be spent as stated in the budget. To re-budget, Pls must send a request to PSC_CUNY@rfcuny.org. The Award number, the proposed new budget, and a detailed justification must be included. Payment requests will not be processed a budget modification has been approved. The following budget changes require approval of the University Committee on Research Awards (“UCRA”):

• Change from Research Staff to any non-personnel category;
• Change to travel not requested on the original budget;
• Change to any budget category not requested in the original budget;
• Expenditures that will exceed $500 more than the original allocation.

RFCUNY will honor all allowable project expenditures dated within the grant period. Expenses dated outside the budget period will not be accepted. Service periods or access periods must fall within, and should not exceed, the grant period to receive full reimbursement. PIs are allowed 90 days after the grant period concludes to submit all project expenses. Any costs submitted after 90 days will become the PI’s responsibility. RFCUNY Purchase cards are not issued for PSC-CUNY Research Awards. PIs must authorize all payments from an Award. No alternative signatories are permitted.

Expenditures must not exceed the total Award amount and must conform to the purposes specified in the budget. Any expenditure(s) that result in an overdraft will mandate reimbursement of RFCUNY by the PI.

OTPS purchases or reimbursement requests should be submitted through the RF's e-Procurement System. For assistance on how to submit a payment request, please contact epayhelp at ePayhelp@rfcuny.org or 212-417-8524.

• For travel claims, a completed Travel Expense Voucher must be provided.
• Purchases over $5,000 require a Purchase Requisition Form. Complete and email to PO@rfcuny.org. RFCUNY will send the signed Purchase Order (PO) to the vendor and notify the PI. PIs must then click Create Regular Payment Request and attach the PO and invoice.
• Payments to independent contractors also require Purchase Order (PO). Please send a Purchase Order form, along with a Scope of Work, vendor W-8 or W-9, and supplemental documents to PO@rfcuny.org. After the PO has been encumbered, the PI must then click Create Regular Payment Request and attach the PO and invoice for payment.
• PIs must not, under any circumstances, pay independent contracts in advance from their own funds.
• RFCUNY is exempt from all sales tax, both federal and local. PIs in need of a tax exemption form should call (212) 417-8481. RFCUNY’s Tax Exempt Number is 119218.

Funds may be advanced for travel and research subject payment only. Advanced funds cannot exceed 80% of the amount awarded for the respective budget category and must be accounted for with appropriate receipts. Travel Advance forms must be submitted at least three weeks prior to the trip. Research subject advances require a Petty Cash Fund Request form submitted via the E-Payment system. Award Extensions PSC-CUNY Research Awards use a grant period from July 1 to June 30. A six-month extension (until December 31) may be allowed upon request. Requests for extension may be sent before June 30 to PSC_CUNY@rfcuny.org. No further extensions are allowed.

If any PI changes their status as an eligible member of the full-time instructional staff, they must promptly notify RFCUNY. Leaves of absence during the Award period require RFCUNY notification. PIs on leave, such as CUNY faculty on sabbatical or scholar incentive leave, may apply for and receive Awards, but must return to full-time University payroll to access the Award. If any PI loses or relinquishes their eligible status, both pending grants and current Awards will terminate. CUNY faculty on Travia leave may access funds until Travia has ended. PIs not reappointed the following September 1 after the effective award date can use funds until the termination of the appointment. Awards are not transferable unless a Co-PI is part of the project.