The New Initiative
Table of Contents
- Objectives
- Criteria for Selection
- Selection Process
- Value of Grant
- Eligibility
- Request for Re-budgeting or Extension of Project
- Final Report
- Intellectual Property
- Acknowledgement and Publicity
Objectives
The New Initiative Programme provides grants for the following:
- procurement of project inputs and equipment
- employment of research assistants, and
- the dissemination of research results
Grants do not support participation in conferences and the like.
As a human resources development strategy, the New Initiative Programme which is funded by the Campus Grants Committee facilitates career development of the recipient, capacity building in the department to which the grantee belongs and supports:
- Research that directly impacts national and regional development;
- the researcher who is unable to access upfront publication funding support, from the publisher;
- Dissemination and promotion of research findings through books, journal articles, journals, text books, compact discs and the like;
- New members of staff to establish areas of research particularly for the procurement of inputs for their research projects;
- Seasoned members of staff who wish to further their work on their established areas of research or diversify their research interests; and
- Interdisciplinary Research.
Criteria for Selection
In the selection process, priority will be given to:
- Applications submitted by staff members from departments and units that are funded from the budget of the Mona Campus;
- Applications for research support that involves interdisciplinary collaboration;
- Applications for research support in areas that are in line with the strategic objectives of the University of the West Indies, and the development imperatives of Jamaica and the Caribbean. (Appendix 1 lists some of these current objectives and imperatives; and
- Applications must be accompanied by letters of support from the Head of Department and the Dean with original signatures, and should be submitted in print to the Secretary, Research Fellowship Committee, Office of the Principal
Selection Process
- Having been vetted by the Secretary to ensure compliance with the selection criteria, applications are reviewed, evaluated and assessed by the Research Fellowship Committee;
- Short-listed applications are considered by the Research Fellowship Committee.
Value of Grant
Each successful recipient may obtain a maximum of J$1.5M in funding for his/her research project.
Eligibility
Full-time staff members of the Mona Campus are eligible to apply. However, they must be members of staff of departments and institutes that are funded from the Mona Campus Budget (that is, derived from the funds of the Campus Grants Committee).
Request for Re-budgeting or Extension of Project
In the case where a grant recipient requires a reallocation of approved funds from an original budgetary line item to another, or an extension of the period of the project financing, permission must first be sought from the Research Fellowship Committee.
Final Report
Every recipient of a New Initiative Grant is required to submit a report within one month after the scheduled completion date of the project. The report should list the research project’s objectives (as outlined in the original project proposal) and state if each was achieved and if not, why not. The report should also list the project’s activities and accomplishments which took place over the entire project period.
Intellectual Property
- All intellectual property emanating from the New Initiative Grant will be held by the University of the West Indies, according to the University’s IP policy, unless otherwise negotiated.
Acknowledgement and Publicity
- All recipients of New Initiative Grants are required to acknowledge receipt of support from the New Initiative Programme in all publications supported by the Grant.