Faculty Development Grants Program Guidelines

SUNY College at Old Westbury FY 2026

 

Application due date: Sunday, November 9, 2025


 

The Faculty Development Grants Program (FDG) provides money to tenure track faculty, in support of creative and scholarly endeavors, with awards of up to $3,000 per individual. Collaborative proposals may be submitted for a total requested award of up to $5,000.00. However, only one submission (as lead PI or collaborator) is permitted per faculty regardless of whether it is as part of a collaborative proposal or not. This restriction is to ensure as many different faculty as possible can be funded while still acknowledging the importance of collaborative efforts.

FDG grants support projects whose quality, originality, and sustainability demonstrate the potential for external recognition. Priority in funding FDG awards will be given to projects that are clearly designed to improve faculties’ chances of securing additional funding through external grant competitions. Interdisciplinary teams are especially encouraged to compete. For reasons of equity, preference in the awarding of FDG funds will be given to well-prepared proposals from individuals who have not received an Old Westbury Development Grant award within the previous two years and to first-time applicants to the FDG program. Finally, we enthusiastically encourage applicants from all schools and departments, and we look forward to receiving awardable applications from across disciplines.

 

Allowable Costs on an FDG Grant

Individuals may request up to $3,000 in support of their project (collaborative proposals will be considered up to $5,000). Expenses charged to FDG awards must comply fully with all existing campus policies and may be used for expenses such as travel; essential project materials and supplies; special-purpose software not otherwise available to faculty through campus sources; publication- related costs; and fees for external services including third party/consultant services of non-SUNY professionals.

 

Students may be hired on FDG grants only under

exceptional circumstances (applicants are encouraged to seek alternative sources of funds for student support, starting with your Department Chair and Dean).

FDG grants may not be used to provide direct compensation (salaries, stipends, consulting payments) to faculty from the University, professional memberships, or subscriptions. In general, the purchase of laptops is also discouraged and will be approved only under exceptional circumstances. In accordance with University policy, certain technology related purchases and licensing may require prior review and approval by Information Technology Services. Please note that software purchases must be made via ITS as they are not reimbursable.

Expenses charged to an FDG grant should be reasonable and demonstrably allocable to the work proposed in the grant application. A reasonable expense is generally one that can be pragmatically explained to benefit the proposed FDG project. Any changes in project scope or budget must receive prior approval by the Provost.

No project costs should be incurred prior to formal notification of receipt of an award, and funds may only be used for costs incurred during the University’s current fiscal year, i.e., for expenses and purchases made on or before June 30, 2026. In the case of travel costs, this means all travel must be completed no later than June 30, 2026, and all supplies must have been received by June 30, 2026.

Evaluation of FDG Proposals

Traditionally, the FDG Proposal Review Committee has been composed of 5 members: an appointed faculty member from each of the College's three Schools: Arts and Sciences, Business, and Education; along with the Director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) and an additional member selected by the Provost. Proposal Review Committee members will evaluate and rate each proposal using an objective five-point scale, and then rank all proposals in order  of  overall preference, from their top choice to their 


 

lowest-ranked submission.

Review Committee members are not precluded from competing for FDG funds, but they obviously must recuse themselves from voting and any deliberations associated with their own application.

 

Project Reports

 

At the end of the project period each recipient of an FDG award must submit a written final progress report generally within thirty (30) days following completion of work or within thirty days following the end of the approved grant period, whichever occurs first.


 

No proposal will be considered for funding if the applicant has failed to submit a written report for any    previous    FDG     award       received. In most cases, a final report should not exceed two pages. The report should describe what work or activities were accomplished as a direct result of FDG funding and any problems or setbacks that may                            have    been     encountered. A financial summary should detail the original budget, actual expenses and/or encumbrances to date, describing any variances. The             report

should conclude      with     a      brief explanation of   what    lies ahead for you in the project- funded field, including any      plans     you may have for                   publication,     or submission of an application for external funding. Project reports should be submitted to: FDG@oldwestbury.edu.


 

Proposal Submission Procedures

  • Upon completion and endorsement, FDG applications should be submitted via:

    https://forms.office.com/r/KDbXcX4k1t

  • Your project narrative should not exceed 3 pages, and must utilize the following headers/subtitles:

    • Project Purpose/Goal(s).

    • Work to Date. A brief account of related work already completed by the applicant.

    • Work Plan/Methodology. A description of that component (or components) of work expected to be made possible through FDG funding. Please include a brief timetable.

    • Significance. Why is this project important? To whom is the proposed work important? Does the project improve your ability to seek external grant support? If yes, from what foundation(s) or agency(ies) do you intend to seek funding?

  • Additional content and page restrictions:

    • Cover page (incl. Budget)

    • C.V. or bio sketch.     Please limit to two pages, unless you are utilizing an existing federal biosketch form (e.g., NSF or NIH)

    • Budget Narrative, limited to 1 page

 

  • Questions? Please send your questions via e-mail to FDG@oldwestbury.edu. Please enter “FDG”

    in the subject line, to assure the quickest response.

 

 

Application due date: Sunday, November 9, 2025


 

Proposal submission deadline: Sunday, November 9, 2025

Completed proposals should be submitted via

https://forms.office.com/r/KDbXcX4k1t

Office Use Only

SUNY College at Old Westbury

Faculty Development Grant FY2026

Application Cover Page

Project Title:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Applicant(s) and Certification Signature(s): By signature below, I certify that I have submitted a written report for all past funding I have received under the College’s Faculty Development Grant program.


        Lead Applicant’s Name                                                Dept                                                        Signature

Daytime Tel:                                                                                 Email:                                                                                                      


        Collaborating Faculty Names (if any)


Collaborating Faculty Signatures

AmountRequested

not to exceed $3K/$5K:  $                                                               

Project

Period:                                    --                                         

Does thisproject involve:

Humans as research subjects?          Yes              No

IRB approval date:                                                          Pending

Does thisproject involve:

Vertebrate animals as research subjects?             Yes              No

IACUC approval date:                                                          Pending

Does thisproject involve:

the purchase of software?                 Yes              No

Date discussed with ITS:                                                  Pending

  Budget Please review program announcement concerning allowable and unallowable expenses.

Personnel costs                                                                                      Materials & Supplies $                                                                      Travel $                                                                                                        Other $                                                                                                  

 Possible future funding sources(external grant sources)

 Signature, LeadApplicant’s Dept. Chair

 Signature, Lead Applicant’s Dean