LINGUISTIC MINORITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Please note that information regarding the October 2008 and February 2009 Grant Call for Proposals will not be available until July 2008, when the UC LMRI Faculty Steering Committee will announce future funding priorities and categories.

 

The University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute (UC LMRI) is a multi-campus research unit of the University of California. The major purpose of the UC LMRI is to encourage University of California researchers to undertake comprehensive and collaborative research that improves the schooling conditions and academic achievement of language minority youth by increasing our understanding of the challenges they face, as well as the resources they represent for the state. Through this research and the dissemination of findings, the UC LMRI represents one aspect of the University of California's commitment to outreach and more equitable access to education as a necessary condition for educational excellence.

Consistent with the mission of UC LMRI to pursue “…knowledge applicable to educational policy and practice in the area of language minority students’ academic achievement and knowledge,” the UC LMRI Faculty Steering Committee offers the following guidelines regarding submitting proposals for funding:

Language must be an explicit element in the focus and design of the study. Research designs appropriate for UC LMRI support treat language in a variety of ways, including as a primary outcome (e.g., language development) or as an explanatory factor (e.g., comparison of English background and Spanish background). Any non-English language may be studied (past studies have examined Spanish, Korean, American Sign Language, among others) as well as dialects of languages, including English (e.g., Ebonics). Proposals that focus on other, related population characteristics, such as ethnicity or immigration status, are appropriate so long as they also consider the role of language in shaping the experiences or outcomes for the study’s participants.

Because funds are limited, the UC LMRI Faculty Steering Committee will give funding priority to proposals that focus on:

• Biliteracy;
• Educational achievement;
• California

However, the overall quality of the proposal, as described on each Grant Information page, remains the most important consideration.

Proposals will be evaluated and ranked on five criteria:

• Scholarly merit of the research idea; (15%)
• Extent to which research addresses important issues affecting language minority students; (20%)
• Research design and methods; (30%)
• Qualifications of participants; (25%)
• Adequacy and justification of the budget. (10%)

Grant applications will be reviewed by the UC LMRI Faculty Steering Committee. Grant applicants will be notified of funding decisions approximately 30 days after the submission deadlines. Members of the UC LMRI Faculty Steering Committee are happy to discuss possible research studies with faculty and graduate students prior to submitting a proposal. Contact the UC LMRI system headquarters office at 805-893-2250 if you have further questions.

Proposals should follow the organization format below. They must be double spaced with 1" margins, in an easily readable typeface (between 11 and 12 points in size). Entire submitted proposal document should be no more than 20 pages total, and in Microsoft Word format. Your name, email address, phone number, campus and type of grant requested should be included in either the header or footer. Proposals must contain the following information in order to be considered for funding:

1. A completed, signed Grant Application Form;
2. A short, publishable Abstract (no more than 500 words maximum);
3. A Narrative Description that should explicitly discuss the following aspects of the research: theoretical frameworks, the major questions or hypotheses to be examined, if appropriate; planned methodology, including research design, sampling procedures, anticipated sites for the observation, data collection procedures, and data analysis plan; and potential applications to the improvement of educational policy or practice. The complete Narrative should include the following:
   
   • Title Page and Table of Contents
   • Budget detail and justification. Include itemized personnel (salary and title), supplies & expenses, equipment, and travel.
   
   
   Notes on Allowable Use of Funds:
   1. UC LMRI grants may be used to support salaries of graduate and undergraduate students (including the salary of the PI), post-graduate researchers, graduate student researcher tuition and fees, stipends for subjects, supplies and expenses, domestic travel, and equipment.
   2. Although direct costs such as tuition and salaries are covered, funding for benefits is not provided. Indirect costs are not eligible.
   3. Proposed budgets should be detailed by description and sub-categories (e.g., Sub-Category 1: General Assistance; Sub-Category 2: Supplies; Sub-Category 3: etc.).
   4. Awards will be distributed in state allocated public (19900) funds. Thus, each UC campus must ensure transfer of benefits to its campus benefit pool from the awarded budget as necessary (see Operating Guidelines No. 94-12, June 8, 1994).
   5. Title to all equipment purchased (an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more) or fabricated under UC LMRI grants vests in the University of California to be used for UC LMRI special projects as needed.
   
   
   • Bio-bibliographic information of key personnel (not more than two pages per person). If the work requires special training and experience, please indicate the background of those involved specifically addressing how they are qualified for this research (e.g., if the work requires ethnography, discourse analysis, or other specialized methods or procedures)
   • Appendices limited to materials essential to the review process
   • Potential for other extramural funding and any planned schedule for submission of proposals to these sources (give name of Project Officer by source, if already contacted)
   
   
   • For Dissertation Grants ONLY: Required Checklist to be completed by Faculty Advisor/Dissertation Chair/Committee

A visual representation and guide (PDF) is available to assist you in the organization and format of the Grant Proposal document(s).

Also provided below are two samples of successful Dissertation Grant Proposals previously funded by UC LMRI.

These samples are authorized by their authors to be provided only as a reference, and are not to be cited nor reproduced in any form:

• Dissertation, Qualitative: Proposal Sample #1 (PDF)
• Dissertation, Quantitative: Proposal Sample #2 (PDF)

An author release form must be signed by each grant recipient. UC LMRI reserves the right to use, edit, publish and distribute copies of all research reports. Authors who publish their reports through other outlets are required to notify UC LMRI.

Grant recipients may be requested to attend the UC LMRI annual conference in the Spring following completion of the grant to present the results of their research. UC LMRI will pay travel expenses.

All materials must be received on or before FEBRUARY 1 or OCTOBER 1 (annually). These deadlines will be adhered to whether or not they should fall on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday. Late submissions may be considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Director. Please contact your Contracts & Grants office (or equivalent) for any additional requirements at the campus level.

NOTE: Be aware that should you (or your Contracts and Grants office) choose to mail the Application Form via United States Postal Service regular mail delivery, it may take more than a week to arrive in our offices. We highly recommend the use of overnight delivery for this important document for prompt and timely delivery, as well as for tracking purposes in the event it does not arrive by our deadline.

The Grant Application Form is a "fillable pdf" which means you can type the required information into the fields via your computer. After you have filled out the form, print a copy (using your computer's print menu) to be completed and signed by your campus Contracts & Grants office. Your printed hard copy should be one 8-1/2" x 11" sheet of paper. The signed hard copy of this document is then mailed/delivered to UC LMRI (the address appears at the bottom of each Application Form).

UC LMRI will accept--and encourages you to send--a FAXED copy of the completed, signed Grant Application Form so long as the original, signed document is received by the deadline. (Fax Number: 805-893-8673) Grant Proposals are not considered complete until all materials have been received.

NOTE: Although the Grant Application Form is often sent by/from your campus Contracts and Grants office, it is still the responsibility of the applicant, as PI, to ensure that the Form is received at the UC LMRI office by the deadline.

Step 2: Submitting the Grant Proposal document(s)

• UC LMRI prefers document files be submitted in Microsoft Word format. If your files are in another format, please call or email our office before submission to confirm system compatibility and acceptance.
• Your name, email address, phone number, campus and type of grant requested should be included in either the header or footer of your document. If you submit more than one document, this information should be included in each document you submit.
• Send Proposal via email attachment to: grants@lmri.ucsb.edu
• You will be sent a verification of received materials via return email.
• If you encounter any difficulties, please contact us at 805-893-2250.

A printable checklist for assistance in successfully completing the Grant Proposal process.