Instructor “Division of Research Associate” Overload Initiative
Guidelines for Research Proposals
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science - Թ
Purpose
The Division of Research (DoR) Associate initiative recognizes and supports instructors who actively engage in research or scholarly activities alongside their primary teaching responsibilities. This program serves as a professional development opportunity and reflects FAU’s commitment to building a vibrant community of investigators within the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.
Program Overview
- Total Appointments: Sixteen (16) overloads available
- Compensation: Up to 12.5% of base salary per academic semester, not to exceed $16,640 annually (including benefits), subject to unit or college limits
- Duration: One academic year, with eligibility to reapply for renewal
- Supplemental Funds: Up to $450/year in supply funds available for projects involving undergraduate students (requires separate justification to the Senior AVP in DoR)
- Appointment Period: Aligns with the university academic calendar
Proposal Submission
Submit one PDF document clearly labeled with your name and department affiliation.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be full-time FAU instructors holding a PhD or other doctoral degree (e.g., DSW, DNP)
- Preferably have a minimum of six months of employment at FAU
- Be actively engaged in research or scholarly activities, documented via a Statement of Work and Research Outcomes in the “Justification for Additional Compensation” section of the Academic Affairs Additional Compensation Form (stored in Faculty180)
Note: Visiting faculty may serve as Co-PI but are not eligible to serve as PI per FAU’s PI Eligibility Policy:
Research Proposal Guidelines
Proposals must be limited to three (3) pages and include:
- Title
- Research aims
- Description of proposed work
- Figures (if applicable)
- References
- Brief budget/overload justification
- Expected outcomes (e.g., grant submission, data collection and analysis, manuscript or book chapter preparation)
- Identification of intended funding agency or journal/book publisher (if applicable)
- Current CV (additional document)
Returning Applicants
Returning instructors must submit a two-page summary of prior outcomes, including:
- Key accomplishments related to the proposed project
- List of mentored undergraduate and/or graduate students
- Conferences attended by the PI and participating students
- Peer-reviewed publications, books, and proceedings resulting from the project
- Grants submitted and/or awarded
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be reviewed by the College Review Committee, composed of one faculty representative from each department. Evaluation will be based on four equally weighted criteria:
- Significance: Does the proposal address a meaningful problem or barrier to progress?
- Innovation and Impact: Does the proposal present a creative, “out-of-the-box” solution with potential benefit to the FAU community?
- Synergy: How well does the project align with FAU’s education and research mission?
- Expected Outcomes: Likelihood of producing tangible research outputs (e.g., grant submission, publications, data analysis)
Deadlines
- Proposal Submission: September 5, 2025
- Submit to: Kacey Walker (kaceywalker2020@fau.edu) and Dr. Predrag Cudic (pcudic@fau.edu)
- Committee Review Completion: September 15, 2025
- Award Notification: September 20, 2025
- Overload Payment Activation: Beginning of Fall 2025 term (via Workday)
- Progress Report Due: May 4, 2026 (submit to ResearchFinance@fau.edu)
For questions or additional information, please contact:
Dr. Predrag Cudic
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Associate Dean for Research
Email: pcudic@fau.edu