Taft Award Programs
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Research Support
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Departmental Programs
Taft Award Programs
Research Support -- Collections Purchase
The Research Support Fund provides funds to help underwrite expenses associated with faculty research through departmental allocations and competitive grants. Faculty may use Collections Purchase funds for the purchase of books, videos, data sets or other library materials. If the purchase is for $2,000 or less, faculty must use the department’s annual research support allocation first. Please refer to the Department Allocated Research Support page for further details. For purchases above $2,000 or after department resources have been exhausted, faculty may apply to the Collections Purchase competitive program.
Faculty may apply to purchase library materials that will serve as general reference and research resources. Examples include but are not restricted to the purchase of large digital or microfilm collections; bibliographies and catalogues; information on multimedia; rare or out-of-print books; and back issues of serials to which the library currently subscribes. Faculty may request the purchase of data sets (either direct holding or through subscription access). Material purchases as described above (books, data sets) must be purchased and held in a manner that allows the widest possible use. Whenever possible, such materials should be purchased through the University Libraries, to be held in circulating collections.
Faculty must coordinate library-held purchases through their collections librarian (discipline bibliographer). In the case of such purchases, faculty should seek to partner with the library so that a Taft award is supplemented with library resources. Such proposals will be given priority. The current budget for collections purchase is $50,000. In cases of very expensive collections, the Research Support Committee will entertain proposals that seek multi-year commitment of Taft funds. Such proposals, however, must contain commitments of substantial non-Taft funding and will be the exception, rather than the rule. Faculty considering such proposals should consult with the Taft Faculty Chair.
Collections Purchase Restrictions:
- Library materials purchased with general funds by university libraries will not usually be funded. In particular, serial subscriptions will not be funded. All expenses charged to the Research Support fund must either contribute to a faculty research project, or to improving the research infrastructure of the department. An example of the latter would be purchasing books for the library to build a collection.
Application Guidelines – Collections Purchase :
A complete application packet of SIX COLLATED COPIES should include the following:
1. A completed Collections Purchase cover sheet
2. A proposal narrative (500-1000 words) that explains the potential uses of the materials for research purposes in the applicant's discipline and related Taft disciplines. Details should be given concerning:
a) The likely use of this material for research by faculty members or students. When appropriate, list other faculty who would benefit specifically and explain the connection between the material and their research, (additionally the proposal may address secondary use for course work by graduate or undergraduate students);
b) How the material would complement existing holdings at UC libraries or in the department:
c) The location of the nearest library containing the requested materials, if applicable.
d) Indicate where the materials will be located and the rationale for that location.
All applicants requesting material purchases (books, data sets, etc.) must address the current availability of that material. Due diligence in determining whether or not the material is currently available is expected. For example, applicants requesting library purchases should provide documentation that the library does not currently own the material in any format, including Web or Ohio-link access; or document that the proposed format will greatly enhance their ability to use the materials.
3. Budget justification. This should detail the cost of the purchase and specify non-Taft resources that have been committed, if any. Library-held purchases should be supplemented with Library funds. Alternative funding levels or payment plans may also be suggested.
4. Support letter from Department Head. If the total request is less than $2,000 but the department has insufficient funds to cover the full costs, the letter should indicate the status of department allocated research support funds relative to the proposal and how much of the department allocation will be used. If the cost is above the $2,000 cap, the letter should speak solely to the merits of the proposal.
For applicants requesting materials to be held by UC libraries, a second letter must be from a library bibliographer and should discuss specifically the anticipated use of these materials in research (and teaching) and the value of the material to the collection at the University of Cincinnati.
5. 2-page CV (include CVs of other faculty whose research would specifically benefit from the purchase)
6. Copies of any supporting materials that the applicant considers relevant. Examples might include descriptive information from a book publisher or a software vendor.
Funding Limits for Research Support
Each award category for Research Support has distinct funding caps. Cumulatively, no faculty member may receive more than $100,000 in Research Support awards during a five-year period. If several faculty members submit a joint request, they may apportion the cost of the award among themselves in any manner they choose. If they do not indicate an apportionment, it will be assumed that the cost is to be apportioned equally among all faculty listed on the proposal.
Contact information:
2625 Clifton Avenue
PO Box 210369
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0369
Mail Location: 0369
Phone: 513.556.0675
Fax: 513.558.7136
Email Taft Secretary at taftcenter@uc.edu.
© Copyright 2004, The Charles Phelps Taft Research Center