Welcome Step 1: Your Information Step 2: Budget Proposal Complete

Welcome

2021-2022 Call for Applications

RTI International is one of the world's leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. Since 2014, the RTI University Scholars Program has provided partial financial support for distinguished academic researchers to spend scholarly leave time at RTI, actively collaborating with our experts. The program's goals are to foster collaboration, build scientific stature, and catalyze opportunities for future externally funded, joint projects.

With the launch of the RTI Racial Justice and Transformative Research Initiative, the RTI University Scholars Program will prioritize applications for the 2021-2022 academic year from tenured or research-track faculty members at the Associate Professor level or higher with a commitment to collaboration and a research project related to racial equity and policy, broadly construed. RTI's vision for achieving racial equity is to lead with compassion, execute with science, and transform by sharing what we learn.

The RTI University Scholars Program is open to faculty from Duke University and the University of North Carolina's 16 university campuses.

RTI especially encourages researchers from traditionally underrepresented groups to apply.

Key Dates for the 2021-2022 Application Cycle

Monday, November 16, 2020 Call for applications released
Sunday, January 31, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) Expression of Interest submission deadline
Friday, February 12, 2021 Notification to applicants
Monday, April 5, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. ET Full proposal submission deadline for invited applicants
April 2021 Notification to applicants who submitted full proposals

Full Proposal

If invited, full proposals must be submitted as one PDF document via this portal (see below) no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, March 29, 2021. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Full proposals must be organized as follows:

  1. Proposal Cover Page (online form): Please complete the online form, Step 1: Your Information, of the RTI University Scholars Program Application Portal. Include the following information on the form:
    • The project title
    • The proposed period of performance (start/end dates) and total months
    • Contact information for the applicant, university administrators, and RTI collaborator
    • RTI practice area(s) and/or services and capabilities to which the project aligns
    • Synopsis (200-word maximum) of the proposed research project that is appropriate for a broad readership.
  2. Budget (online form): Please complete the online template, Step 2: Budget Proposal, with justifications for specific expenditures, if necessary.

    Note that RTI does not cover F&A costs, and the RTI University Scholars Program will not cover graduate student stipends or tuition costs; however, students may participate in the RTI Internship Program.

    Items 3-4 must be consolidated into one PDF that is uploaded via the RTI University Scholars Program Application Portal.
  3. Project Description (up to nine single-spaced pages): The project description must clearly outline the scope, objectives, and measurable deliverables to gauge success throughout the period of performance, as well as the potential for external funding and ongoing collaboration. Additionally, the description should foreground racial equity and policy, and provide the following information:
    • Identify how the proposed research project aligns with RTI's practice areas and/or services and capabilities
    • Address an existing research gap
    • Describe how the project will advance scientific stature.
    The project description should also include enough detail such that reviewers can evaluate the proposed activity's appropriateness and feasibility. Please keep in mind that not all reviewers will be experts in every proposed field of study; therefore, project descriptions should be written for a broad audience.

    IMPORTANT: Applicants should explicitly discuss how the RTI University Scholars Program placement will evolve into a longer-term relationship beyond the individual—i.e., programmatic and institutional—level. Additionally, applicants who hold administrative positions should explicitly state whether they plan to take a leave of absence from those positions during the RTI University Scholars Program appointment.
  4. Letter of Support from the RTI Collaborator(s): The letter should
    • Endorse the applicant and project
    • Describe the nature of the relationship (new or existing)
    • Identify the domain area and field contributions
    • Highlight the potential for scientific stature.

Please read detailed instructions above before proceeding.

More Information

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Amy Vargas-Tonsi in the University Collaboration Office.

Amy Vargas-Tonsi, MIS
Project Operations Manager
avargastonsi@rti.org


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