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2027 - Beaumont Scholarship Research Award Program - SRC

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SUMMARY OF KEY FEATURES

● Project-based eligibility: there is no restriction on the department, school, or college of appointment; any faculty member’s project disciplinarily aligned with the units represented by the Scholarship Research Council (SRC) is eligible, including projects in arts, humanities, and social sciences.

● The maximum award amount is $10,000.

● Performance Period of Awards will be July 1, 2027 -June 30, 2028.

● Summer-only stipends can be budgeted up to a maximum of $5,000. Stipends are not limited to a percentage of the total budget. Stipends will be subject to tax and fringe adjustments.

● Other eligible expenses may include other research-related costs—such as materials or supplies, graduate or student labor, and/or research related travel.

● Applications will be due January 15 in alignment with all other SLU internal project- based awards such as the President’s Research Fund (PRF) and the Health Research Grant (HRG).

● Applicants will be notified of awards by Mid- May allowing for appropriate planning for the performance period, including advance travel arrangements, as needed. Please note that funds cannot be spent until the performance period begins.

● The materials have been designed in length and type to correspond to the requirements for NEH Fellowships; the format positions applicants to pursue competitive outside funding.

● The SRC will conduct the reviews and use a flexible scoring system aligned with other project-based awards. Final funding decisions are made by faculty peers on the SRC.

● Faculty with interdisciplinary projects may apply to the other SLU OVPR internal annual project-based awards: the Health Research Grants, President’s Research Fund SERC, and President’s Research Fund SOM. However, only one award may be accepted in any annual cycle.

PURPOSE, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES OF THE FUND

This grant program is intended to encourage faculty researchers working in the arts, humanities, and social sciences to further and complete scholarly research projects as well as to conceptualize and prepare for applications for external funding.

We encourage faculty to connect with their respective Associate Deans for Research, members of the Scholarship Research Council (SRC), or staff from the Office of the Vice President for Research for any specific questions about this funding opportunity.

DEADLINE

Applications must be received by January 15, 2027, at 5:00 P.M. CST, via the OpenWater portal. Log in to myslu.slu.edu and click on the OpenWater icon in the ‘My Apps’ tab. Log-in with your current SLU email address (i.e., first.last@slu.edu) and your password. The first time you log in, you will be asked to set up your profile.

AWARD DETAILS

Eligibility

Eligibility is based on the disciplinary content of the project, rather than the appointment of the scholar or researcher(s). Research projects in all disciplines represented by the SRC will be considered for funding, including the arts, humanities, and social sciences as well as business, law, and education. Scholars must also meet the following criteria:

● Full-time SLU faculty members (Madrid faculty should consult with their program director)

● Individual or collaborative proposals are allowed

● One application per lead scholar is allowed for this opportunity

● Faculty who are the current recipients of a PRF award are not eligible

● Faculty are eligible to receive up to $10,000 in Beaumont funding over a three-year period.

Award Amounts

Up to $10,000.

Awards are based on a competitive review considering the merits of the specific activities proposed, relative ranking among other applications, and availability of funds. The SRC reserves the right to make modifications to proposals, including budgets, as part of the review process.

Performance Period

Applicants will be notified of awards by May 15. Support will be for the period from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2028.

No-cost extensions (NCEs) will only be permitted under exceptional circumstances, with requests for such extensions being reviewed by OVPR and the Scholarship Research Council. NCE requests must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the end of the performance period.

APPLICATION FORMAT

Applications should be submitted via the OpenWater portal. Log in to myslu.slu.edu and click on the OpenWater icon in the ‘My Apps’ tab. You can log in using your current SLU email address (i.e., first.last@slu.edu) and your password. The first time you log in, you will be asked to set up your profile.

1. APPLICATION ABSTRACT – 1 page

2. NARRATIVE – 3 pages

The narrative should provide an intellectual justification for your project, addressing these four areas: significance and contribution; organization, concepts, and methods; competencies, skills, and access; and final product and dissemination. The narrative should be succinct, well organized, and free of technical terms and jargon such that a generalist peer reviewer can understand the proposed project.

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY – 1 page

The bibliography should consist of primary and secondary sources that relate directly to the project. Include works that pertain to both the project’s substance and its theoretical or methodological approaches.

WORK PLAN – 1 page

Indicate the current state of the project and the part or stage of it that will be supported by the award. Provide a detailed work plan describing what will be accomplished during the period of performance, where you will be, and how you will spend your time. If an application anticipates needing approval from the Institutional Review Board, applicants should include details about where they are in this process in their work plan.

5. CV OR RESUME – 2 pages (per person)

Provide a current curriculum vitae or resume for all key personnel that includes current and past positions, education, awards and honors, publications and presentations, other relevant professional activities, and accomplishments. Include your level of competence in any relevant foreign languages.

6. CURRENT AND PENDING FUNDING-1 page

Please attach a list of all current and awarded funding. Make sure to include any other current applications related to funding for the proposed project. The SRC Faculty Review Board may inquire about funding status during the review process in case the project has been funded by other mechanisms.

7. BUDGET AND JUSTIFICATION – 1 page

Include a detailed, itemized budget. Provide a clear, narrative description of how funds in each category will be used. A brief description of any other current and pending funding, both internal and external, for the project must be included with the budget justification.

Eligible Expenses.

Expenses must be essential to the proposed project.

Summer-only stipends can be budgeted up to a maximum of $5,000 and will be subject to tax and fringe adjustments. In the budget justification, applicants should specify the number of hours per week they will devote to their Beaumont project during the performance period, describe the work they will complete during that time, and briefly explain why a summer stipend is necessary for the advancement of the project.

Other eligible expenses may include materials or supplies, graduate or student labor, and/or research-related travel and should directly relate to the proposed project.

● Conference travel is only eligible if the applicant presents research or has a major organizational role. All applicant travel expenses must abide by college and University guidelines.

Ineligible Expenses.

● Conference travel without presenting or organizing

● Staff are not eligible for stipends

● Course releases/workload reallocation

● Student worker tuition or fees

● Non-research expenses

APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Applicants will receive an email confirming receipt. Late applications will not be considered.

INSTITUTIONAL COMPLIANCE

Projects including the use of human subjects, hazardous materials, etc., must have the appropriate committee approval(s), e.g., Institutional Review Board (IRB), etc. prior to the start of the project.

In the event that a grant award is made and required approvals are not received prior to the start date, the award may be delayed until approval is received.

REVIEW PROCESS

Awards are based on a competitive review. Reviewers will consider the merits of the specific activities proposed, relative ranking among other applications, and availability of funds. In function of the applicant pool, reviewers may decide to consider faculty rank.

Proposals must demonstrate exceptional merit and value for the field of study, the individual, the department, the college or school, and the research mission of the university.

Applications will undergo peer review by the Scholarship Research Council. Proposals will be scored ranging from 1 (exceptional) to 9 (poor), based on the following criteria.

The intellectual significance of the proposed project, including its value to scholars in its field, general audiences, or both.

1. The quality or promise of quality of the applicant’s work.

2. The quality of the conception, definition, organization, and description of the project and the applicant’s clarity of expression.

3. The feasibility and appropriateness of the proposed plan of work, including, when relevant, the soundness of the dissemination and access plans.

4. The likelihood that the applicant will complete the project (not necessarily during the period of performance).

Impact Score Rating Guidance on Strengths/Weaknesses

High
1	Exceptional	Exceptionally strong, essentially no weaknesses
2	Outstanding	Extremely strong, negligible weaknesses
3	Excellent	Very strong, only some minor weaknesses
Medium
4	Very Good	Strong but with numerous minor weaknesses
5	Good	Strong but with at least one moderate weakness
6	Satisfactory	Some strengths but also moderate weaknesses
Low
7	Fair	Some strengths but at least one major weakness
8	Marginal	A few strengths and a few major weaknesses
9	Poor	Very few strengths, numerous major weaknesses

Minor Weakness: an easily addressable weakness that does not substantially lessen impact

Moderate Weakness: a weakness that lessens impact

Major Weakness: a weakness that severely limits impact

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF AWARDS

The award will be placed in a designated fund in the administrative Primary Investigator’s (PI’s) name within the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR). PIs are required to oversee and approve all expenditures according to the approved budget. Any remaining funds at the end of the performance period will be retained by the SRC for allocation for future projects.

At the end of one year of performance (June 30, 2027), PIs must submit a report to the research council and OVPR detailing progress and research products related to the received funding. In addition, recipients are required to complete brief annual reports to the research council and OVPR that document any external funding, publications, or presentations directly related to the support received from this award for three (3) years following the project end date. Failure to comply with reporting requirements may impact consideration for future internal funding opportunities.