Instructor “Division of Research Associate” Overload Initiative

Guidelines for Research Proposals

Charles E. Schmidt College of Science - Florida Atlantic University

Purpose

The Division of Research (DoR) Associate initiative recognizes and supports instructors who actively engage in research or scholarly activities alongside their primary teaching responsibilities. This program serves as a professional development opportunity and reflects FAU’s commitment to building a vibrant community of investigators within the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.

Program Overview

• Total Appointments: Sixteen (16) overloads available
• Compensation: Up to 12.5% of base salary per academic semester, not to exceed $16,640 annually (including benefits), subject to unit or college limits
• Duration: One academic year, with eligibility to reapply for renewal
• Supplemental Funds: Up to $450/year in supply funds available for projects involving undergraduate students (requires separate justification to the Senior AVP in DoR)
• Appointment Period: Aligns with the university academic calendar

Proposal Submission

Submit one PDF document clearly labeled with your name and department affiliation.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be full-time FAU instructors holding a PhD or other doctoral degree (e.g., DSW, DNP)
• Preferably have a minimum of six months of employment at FAU
• Be actively engaged in research or scholarly activities, documented via a Statement of Work and Research Outcomes in the “Justification for Additional Compensation” section of the Academic Affairs Additional Compensation Form (stored in Faculty180)

Note: Visiting faculty may serve as Co-PI but are not eligible to serve as PI per FAU’s PI Eligibility Policy: pi-eligibility-policy-rev-09-30-2022-final-vprsigned.pdf

Research Proposal Guidelines

Proposals must be limited to three (3) pages and include:

• Title
• Research aims
• Description of proposed work
• Figures (if applicable)
• References
• Brief budget/overload justification
• Expected outcomes (e.g., grant submission, data collection and analysis, manuscript or book chapter preparation)
• Identification of intended funding agency or journal/book publisher (if applicable)
• Current CV (additional document)

Returning Applicants

Returning instructors must submit a two-page summary of prior outcomes, including:

• Key accomplishments related to the proposed project
• List of mentored undergraduate and/or graduate students
• Conferences attended by the PI and participating students
• Peer-reviewed publications, books, and proceedings resulting from the project
• Grants submitted and/or awarded

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be reviewed by the College Review Committee, composed of one faculty representative from each department. Evaluation will be based on four equally weighted criteria:

• Significance: Does the proposal address a meaningful problem or barrier to progress?
• Innovation and Impact: Does the proposal present a creative, “out-of-the-box” solution with potential benefit to the FAU community?
• Synergy: How well does the project align with FAU’s education and research mission?
• Expected Outcomes: Likelihood of producing tangible research outputs (e.g., grant submission, publications, data analysis)

Deadlines

• Proposal Submission: September 5, 2025
• Submit to: Kacey Walker (kaceywalker2020@fau.edu) and Dr. Predrag Cudic (pcudic@fau.edu)
• Committee Review Completion: September 15, 2025
• Award Notification: September 20, 2025
• Overload Payment Activation: Beginning of Fall 2025 term (via Workday)
• Progress Report Due: May 4, 2026 (submit to ResearchFinance@fau.edu)

 

For questions or additional information, please contact:
Dr. Predrag Cudic
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Associate Dean for Research
Email: pcudic@fau.edu