The Strategic Reallocation process is now officially underway through the release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) guidelines in both Research and Student Success.

The RFP Guidelines for Research and Student Success proposals are posted at provost.wsu.edu/rfp/, along with the timeline and other resources related to the RFP process. Our goal is to provide a clear and thorough explanation of how and why funds are being reallocated, to facilitate successful proposal development, and strive for transparency throughout the process. If you have any questions or suggestions, you are welcome to contact our office.

In our previous post, we presented the  underlying rationale for the five-percent budget reallocation. The RFP Guidelines outline the priorities we are committed to supporting and provide specifics on how proposals will be formed and submitted.

Our degree-granting College Deans, along with the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Vice President for Student Affairs, are leading the proposal effort by designating their specific priorities and identifying key faculty and staff partners within colleges and administrative support units.

Collaboration across colleges and administrative units is a key requirement in the RFP Guidelines. We believe that this multidisciplinary approach will provide the most successful process for achieving our strategic priorities. This also will enhance our faculty and staff members’ competitiveness for external funding opportunities in an environment that increasingly favors multidisciplinary project proposals.

The Office of the Provost and the Office of Research will continue to develop information and resources regarding the strategic reallocation process and will post them to the RFP website as they become available.

In addition to the Strategic Reallocation RFP, which is a limited-submission proposal process facilitated by the degree-granting colleges, the Office of Undergraduate Education and Division of Student Affairs, the Office of the Provost and the Office of Research will also be welcoming seed grant proposals. Seed grant proposals may be submitted by WSU faculty members at Pullman, Spokane, and Everett campuses who hold appointments through the 2016-17 academic year. Unlike the Strategic Reallocation RFP process, there is no requirement that they be coordinated through the deans of degree-granting colleges. Faculty are encouraged to collaborate with faculty and staff from other colleges and campuses, and from nonacademic units, as appropriate. Seed grants are intended to fund pilot and smaller-scale research and student success projects whose purpose upon completion is to support the creation of refined, larger scale multidisciplinary projects and extramurally funded proposals.

Details regarding the research-themed seed grant RFPs are available here. Details regarding the student success-themed seed grant RFPs are available here.

Please visit provost.wsu.edu/rfp/, read the FAQ, and email rfp_questions@wsu.edu with any questions.

If you have questions, comments, or feedback on this post, or other matters concerning the Office of the Provost, please email them to provost.social@wsu.edu.