MT Internal Grant Opportunities (MT-IGO*) FAQs

MT-IGO awards are intended to provide seed funding for tenured and tenure-track faculty in the preliminary stages of a larger research or creative activity agenda or program.

• Tier I - Intended for research and creative activity projects in preparation to compete for successive external funding to support the continuation and amplification of scholarship.  These projects align to external funding sources upon completion. Max budget request = $10,000.  *To qualify for this level of funding, please identify one or more external sponsors and programs to which you will apply upon the completion of your MT-IGO project.

• Tier II - Intended for research or creative activity that currently do not have the potential for external funding but advance scholarship in the faculty member's field or provide innovative opportunities for faculty and student engagement in scholarly activity.  Max budget request = $8,500.  *To qualify for this level of funding, applicants must acknowledge they have created a GrantFoward account, utilized GrantForward to search for potential external funding sources aligned to their project, and were unable to locate applicable funding.  Additionally, applicants must specify one or more measurable outcomes related to their project (examples: manuscript, book chapter, performance, exhibit, Fulbright, or other scholarly dissemination).

There are two components required: (1) an application, and (2) the proposal.

ORSP is reserving office hours to answer questions for fall applicants.  

• Thursday, September 2^nd, 9:00-11:00 am 
• Thursday, September 9^th, 9:00-11:00 am and 12:00-2:00 pm

The program has two grant-making cycles per year, in September and March. However, the March submission is reserved for those applicants who were not funded in September and wish to resubmit their proposal after revision based on committee evaluation.

Complete and submit an MT-IGO Grant Application.  You will need the following information to complete the application: contact information of the PI, Co-PI (if applicable), Chair and Dean, project summary, proposal budget and justification, PDF upload of proposal.  For detailed information please visit the MT-IGO Application and Proposal Guidelines page.

• IRB/IACUC approval notice(s) issued by the Office of Compliance
• IRB/IACUC Status Form
• Travel Authorizations
• Quotes from vendors for supplies & equipment - attach to the application packet
• MT-IGO Award Acceptance Form

Upon completion of your MT-IGO project a MT-IGO Final Report Questionnaire** must be submitted within 60 days. 
**use for prior FRCAC award reporting

MT-IGO adopts a two-step review process to enable individual review by a specialists as well as holistic review which is conducted by the committee.  The final determination of the proposals recommended for funding will be informed by individual reviews and the panel summary. 

Once assigned to a proposal(s), the committee members review them in accordance with the scoring rubric.  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.  Most importantly, the reviewers 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.  

• For more information, please visit the MT-IGO Proposal Review page.

MT-IGO applicants must:

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

This section is required if the PI is requesting funding for any of the following:

• Senior/Key Personnel
• Other Personnel such as a student worker, graduate assistant, transcriptionist, etc.
• Equipment over $500
• Travel including mileage/flight, lodging, per diem
• Operational Costs such as supplies/materials, publication fees, consultant fees, etc.

No, if a project contains multiple PI’s, only one stipend may be split between the PIs.

• Follow all University procedures in connection with the proper and timely disbursement and accounting of funds and the completion of the necessary paperwork. Manage transactions and keep up with account balances.
• Complete and submit an acceptance letter within 30 days from the issuance of the award notification.
• Submit a formal petition to MT-IGO if addition time is required to complete the project.
• Immediately submit changes or revisions that require budgetary changes to MT-IGO.
• Recipients must submit a final report within 60 days of the project's completion.
• Acknowledge funding by the MT Internal Grant Opportunities (MT-IGO) program on articles submitted for publication and/or presentations of creative works.
• Follow intellectual property guidelines (see MTSU's IP Policy).