CME MT-IGO

FOR NEW APPLICATIONS AY 2024-25 (TRANSITION YEAR)
Start Date: February 14, 2025
Closed: March 14, 2025 by 4:30 pm
Award Decision: May 1, 2025

FOR GRANT CYCLE  AY 2025-26

Fall Session – New applications and resubmissions from Spring 2025

Start Date: August 15, 2025
Closed: September 15, 2025 by 4:30 pm
Award Decision: November 1, 2025 

Spring Session – New applications and resubmissions from Fall 2025
Start Date: February 15, 2026
Closed: March 15, 2026 by 4:30 pm
Award Decision: May 1, 2026

Individual Faculty Awards are the traditional means by which CME MT-IGO offers funding for research, creative activity and scholarship in the college. 

Type of Grants

Research activity is scientific and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge — including knowledge of humankind, culture, and society focusing on media and entertainment — and to devise new applications of available knowledge. This covers three activities defined below — basic, applied, and experimental research.

• Basic research is experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundations of phenomena and observable facts, without any particular application or use in view.
• Applied research is original investigation undertaken to acquire new knowledge for a specific, practical aim or objective.
• Experimental research is systematic work, drawing on knowledge gained from research and practical experience and producing additional knowledge, which is directed to producing new products or processes or to improving existing products or processes.

Creative Activity includes the creation, production, exhibition, performance, or publication of creative works by one or more individuals that demonstrate originality in design or execution. Creative projects eligible for funding should include a clear articulation of the scholarly process, a definable product, and a mechanism for outside review and/or dissemination. The product of creative activity may be disseminated to academic, consumer, and to government or other such agency through original artwork, live performances, exhibits, consumer and other print media, academic journals, books, photographs, film, reports, video recordings, audio recordings, graphic designs, digital imaging, or other technologies, all consistent with standard scholarly practice in the discipline. Typically, the significance accorded the creative activity depends on the audience and the recognition it achieves-locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally.

Applicant Eligibility

CME MT-IGO applicants must:

• Be regular full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty at MTSU.
• Have received two or fewer MT-IGO grants including FRCAC.
• Have submitted final reports for any previous university and CME MT-IGO-funded activity and fulfilled external funding requirements.
• Have not received a university and CME MT-IGO grant* in the past five years.
  *including FRCAC grant(s)

There are two components required when applying for a CME MT-IGO grant:

1. an application, and
2. the proposal.  

Application

The application can be accessed using this link

• Once the application has been submitted, it will be routed to the proper individuals for signatures.  Within the application, the following information will be requested:
• Contact information for PI, Co-PI (if applicable), and Chair.
• Award.  CME encourages use of the CME MT-IGO awards to provide seed funding for tenured and tenure-track faculty in the preliminary stages of a larger research or creative activity agenda or program. Eligible faculty may request up to $10,000 in support. To qualify for funding, faculty must identify one external sponsor and program to which they will apply upon completion of their CME MT-IGO project.  
• External Funding Sources.  Identify ONE external funding source that the applicant will apply for, including opportunity details.
  • PIs can seek assistance from ORSP in determining applicable funding opportunities as needed.  Faculty who would like assistance should send a description of the type of project they are looking to complete for further assistance.
  • It is also suggested to create a GrantForward account using this link. GrantForward uses specialized data-crawling technology to constantly update their extensive database of sponsors and funding opportunities, allowing thousands of grant opportunities to be gathered from over 9,000 U.S. sponsors.  GrantForward’s adaptive search filters make it quick and easy to find the perfect grant opportunities to start moving your research or creative activity forward.  After setting the preferred notification frequency, GrantForward will continue to send targeted solicitations that align to your research interests.
• Proposal Budget and Justification.  
  • Proposal Budget.  This section is required if the PI is requesting funding for any of the following:
    • Other Personnel such as a student worker, graduate assistant, transcriptionist, outside consultant, etc. Student workers will be paid through MTSU payroll.  
      • Outside consultants or others providing services will need to submit an invoice to the CME MT-IGO accountant in the dean’s office. Note: Services provided by outside consultants that will cost more than $500 must have a service contract completed before services are contracted. For more information, please contact the MTSU Contracts Office.
      • All MTSU personnel funded by the grant must be paid through MTSU payroll.
      • Students are hired as student workers and paid on an hourly wage. CME MT-IGO awards do not pay tuition and GA stipends. Those are awarded through departments and follow guidelines of the College of Graduate Studies.
      • Applicants are urged to help undergraduate collaborators apply for funding through the Undergraduate Research Experience and Creative Activity program.  More information and application procedures are available at the Undergraduate Research Center. 
  • Equipment over $500: CME MT-IGO will consider funding the purchase or rental of any item(s) that cannot be provided by your department that are necessary to carry out your project. Include a letter from your department chair stating that departmental funds are unavailable for the proposed purchases or rental. The committee may decline to fund purchases that can be awarded through other grants or that are traditionally acquired by faculty personally. If you are granted funds to purchase equipment, it should remain the property of MTSU for future departmental use. Note: Laptops/computers are not fundable.
  • Travel including mileage/flight, lodging, per diem.
    • Faculty must complete and submit travel authorizations, travel claims, and any other necessary paperwork with the university’s Travel Office, just as they do with all other university-related travel. The CME MT-IGO coordinator must approve the travel authorizations and travel claims in addition to other necessary approvers.
    • Travel to conferences or seminars are not eligible for funding.
    • Applicants are urged to help undergraduate collaborators apply for travel funding through URECA.  Graduate students may request for travel assistance through the College of Graduate Studies travel fund.
  • Operational Costs such as supplies/materials, publication fees, consultant fees, etc. 

Note: The CME MT-IGO supports a one course release and adjunct pay. Extra compensation and summer salary, however, are not supported. Funding must be used only for the purposes approved by the CME MT-IGO committee; changes in the use of funds requires prior approval from this committee.

• Budget Justification:
  • Other Personnel: Graduate Assistantships require monthly stipend payments, tuition, and fees. Please visit the College of Graduate Studies website for more information on GA/GRA requirements. 
  • Equipment: $500 or more. Requested equipment must not be currently owned by the applicant’s department, or the applicant cannot access the equipment. Mandatory attachments (a) letter from chair stating funds not available to purchase the equipment; (b) competing price quotes; (c) sole supplier certificate from vendor if quotes from multiple sellers not available. 
  • Travel: All travel expenses must be related to scholarship or production for the project. CME MT-IGO funds cannot be used to fund conference travel.
  • Operational Costs: Includes equipment under $500, supplies, chemicals, materials, compensation to human participants, etc. Disallowed costs include conference registrations, food, hospitality, and other recreational expenses.
• PDF upload of proposal.  See next section for proposal requirements.

Examples of Successful Proposals

To be considered for review, the proposal must be in Times New Roman, single spaced,12 point font, 1-inch margins, saved as a PDF, and include the following components:

• Project Description (not to exceed 5 pages) including the following components:
  • Non-technical Abstract (not to exceed 1,200 words).  Should be written for a non-expert audience.  
  • Brief Introduction including a problem statement if applicable; brief literature review to provide context for the project’s significance to current scholarship/research/creative activity in your field. 
  • Background and Specific Aims. Include the objectives and significance of the proposed research or creative activity; describe the contribution your project will make to the field; discuss the hypothesis to be tested or the specific thesis or research questions under examination.
  • Methodology of Research or Creative Activity. Describe the methodology for the project, including data collection, sampling, or other procedures. Provide evidence of the efficacy of your methodology. Describe any survey instruments that will be used and provide copies of those instruments in the attachments. Describe, in detail, the activity to be carried out. For example, discuss the specific methods of production or performance including details of construction, composition, editing, texturing, rigging, mixing etc., using media appendices as examples where appropriate.
  • Milestones and Timeline. Outline your schedule for completion of each of the major components of the project, from beginning to completion including potential challenges and alternative strategies.  
  • Resources. Describe the resources necessary to carry out the project, including those already available and those requested in the budget. 
  • Future External Funding. Describe your strategies for seeking external funding for the project. The CME Research and MT-IGO Review Committee is interested to know how a grant from CME MT-IGO can serve as seed funding for a project that will later be competitive for external funding.
  • Dissemination. Describe how the results of the project will be disseminated (e.g., the publication of a book, a chapter, a journal article, a public performance, an art exhibition, or a production).
  • Significance of the Project. Justify the significance of the proposed project addressing the following: (1) innovation, (2) significance to the PI’s field, (3) benefits to the applicant’s long-term research goals, (4) future plans for the proposal including external funding, (5) potential impact on MTSU.
  • Personnel qualifications of PI, co-PI, and other applicable parties.
• References (not included in 5-page maximum)
• Illustrations, including Figures and Tables (if applicable, not included in 5-page maximum)
• Biographical Sketch (not to exceed 2 pages per investigator)
  • Biosketch Examples
    • Non-STEM Example 1
    • Non-STEM Example 2
    • Non-STEM Example 3
  • Websites
    • https://www.arts.gov/grants
    • https://www.neh.gov/program/media-projects
    • https://www.macfound.org/programs/enduring-commitments/journalism-media/grant-guidelines
    • https://www.parkfoundation.org/funding-priorities/media/
    • https://www.arts.gov/grants/grants-for-arts-projects/music
• Response to Reviewers’ Comments (spring applicants only)
• Final Report from Previous CME MT-IGO or MT-IGO* Funding (if applicable)
  *including previous FRCAC funding
• Appendix.  Any supporting budget justification, price quotes, IRB, co-investigator/co-PI CVs, certifications, etc. may be submitted with the application.  The CME Research and MT-IGO Review Committee requires submission of the following documents, if applicable:
  • Proposed survey instruments that will be used in the research.
  • Letters of support from collaborator(s).
  • Price quotes from vendors for any proposed purchases. Please note that CME MT-IGO follows the MTSU guidelines for purchasing equipment and supplies. Consult with your Department’s accounting specialist.
  • Permission letters and certifications, if applicable.
  • Letter of publisher interest for book proposals.

These grants are expected to serve as “seed money” to generate preliminary data or provide dissemination and/or performance opportunities for research and creative activity proposals to be submitted to external granting agencies. It is crucial that grant seekers provide a compelling case for why CME MT-IGO should award them their requested funds. In addition, applicants must also provide justification for each item in their budget proposal.

Limit

• Faculty may request funding up to $10,000.
• Synergy grants (interdisciplinary grants or multiple applicants) may request more but must be justified adequately.
• Funding must be used only for the purposes approved by the committee; changes in the use of funds requires prior approval from the CME MT-IGO coordinator.
• MT-IGO Grant Application
• MT-IGO Award Acceptance Form
• MT-IGO Final Report Form to be submitted within 60 days of the project completion. Please note: Once the final report is submitted, remaining funds will no longer be accessible to the awardee.
• MT-IGO Administration Request Form

Other Documents to be included with Proposal (when applicable)

• IRB approval notice(s) issued by the Office of Compliance
• IRB/IACUC Status Form
• Travel Authorizations
• Quotes from vendors for supplies and equipment – attach to the application packet

CME MT-IGO* Proposal Review
(*Formerly known as FRCAC)

Proposal Review

Proposals will be reviewed by the CME Research and MT-IGO Review Committee.  No changes to the submission will be allowed once the deadline has passed.  Only completed proposals will be reviewed; incomplete proposals will be removed. 

• The coordinator will assign two committee members as primary reviewers based on expertise area/s. Committee members review completed proposals in accordance with the scoring rubric (LINK to rubric will go here). The committee takes all criteria into consideration when reviewing proposals to ensure optimal feedback is provided. 

If the PI is an established researcher, such as tenured faculty or full professor, then the reviewers will also evaluate if the proposal offers a new direction in comparison to the applicant’s ongoing studies.  Subsequently, the reviewers will also evaluate the feasibility of the study’s specific aims within the projected timeline and available resources.  The qualification and expertise of the PI to lead and succeed will also be critically evaluated.  

Reviewers also will consider if the study has the potential to lend to a competitive proposal for external funding and to extend the scope and reach of the research agenda.  

Committee Meeting and Vote
Typically, in early November for fall submissions and in late March for spring new submissions and resubmissions, the committee meets to collectively review the proposals and funding recommendations.  The two primary reviewers share their feedback with the full committee, and elaborate upon the rationale for their funding recommendation.  Then the committee members each submit individual ratings for the proposal, and they are ranked in order.  The number of awards each cycle are dependent upon the budget.  

Notification of Award
Notification letters will be sent via email to the applicants within a week after the committee makes their recommendations.   

• Denied Proposal Notifications will provide reviewer comments and possible reasons for the decision.  Additionally, the applicants will receive unedited-anonymous reviewer comments.   
• Approval Letters will disclose the funding amount along with important account numbers and instructions to the applicants.  The supplemental section of the letter will also contain unedited reviewer comments and other notes generated during the meeting.  
• Conditional Award Letters will disclose the funding amount, but the funds offered may be different from what was requested by the applicant.  The PI can either accept or decline depending on whether the recommended funds and the terms/condition are acceptable. 

All committee decisions are final, and applicants may not appeal or request for additional review once a determination has been made. However, the applicants are encouraged to revise and resubmit their proposal in one of the subsequent funding sessions.

General Responsibilities: The faculty member will be responsible for following all University procedures in connection with the proper and timely disbursement and accounting of such funds and the completion of the necessary paperwork. If additional time is necessary, the recipient of the award shall petition the CME MT-IGO for additional time for the account to remain open, providing convincing justification. If the award recipient does not make the request or if the request for additional time is denied, the account will be closed and a notice to such effect shall be sent to the recipient.

Acceptance Letter: The PI must submit a complete CME MT-IGO Award Acceptance Form (LINK WILL GO HERE…) within 30 days from the issuance of the full version of the award notification.  The PI must agree and adhere by all the conditions provided in the acceptance letter.

Accounting: Files are set up in the PI’s name and the faculty members may sign off on service payments, student worker payments, adjuncts, purchases, travel, etc. The CME MT-IGO coordinator and accountant will do their best to guide the faculty with paperwork, etc, but overall it is the awardee’s responsibility to manage transactions and keep up with account balances. This helps in preparing those who will later apply for external funding.

Making Changes: Changes or revisions to your proposal that require budgetary changes must be submitted to the CME MT-IGO immediately via the MT-IGO Administration Request (LINK will go here….) The funds allocated for each activity listed in the budget must be followed as proposed.   All alterations or modification must be approved by CME MT-IGO before they may be implemented.  

• Final Reports: Recipients must submit a Final Report Form (link will go here) within 60 days after the project is completed.   

External Grant Submissions: All new CME MT-IGO recipients must select ONE external grant opportunity and list it in their application. All opportunities listed must be applied for before the grant requirements are considered completed. Pre-proposal submissions are due to the CME MT-IGO coordinator no later than 30 days before the submission deadline.

CME MT-IGO Acknowledgment: Grant recipients are expected to acknowledge funding by the CME MT-IGO program on articles submitted for publication and/or presentations of creative works.

Intellectual Property: The Bayh-Dole Act imposes the duty of disclosure upon a researcher who makes an invention in the course of federally-funded research. Also, under the Intellectual Property policy, faculty, staff, and students are all required to disclose all inventions as well as the creation of those copyrightable works which could be reasonably expected to have commercial value. Grant recipients are thus expected to disclose any intellectual property developed as a part of the project to the CME Research and MT-IGO REviewCommittee.

CME MT-IGO Forms

• MT-IGO Grant Application
• MT-IGO Award Acceptance Form
• MT-IGO Final Report Form to be submitted within 60 days of the project completion. Please note: Once the final report is submitted, remaining funds will no longer be accessible to the awardee.
• MT-IGO Administration Request Form
• Travel Authorizations
• Quotes from vendors for supplies & equipment – attach to the application packet