Vision Fund Proposal Solicitation
2001 Proposal Guidelines

GENERAL INFORMATION
The proposal process involves three steps:

1. Letter of intent
2. Pre-proposal
3. Full proposal

Guidelines and templates for these three documents are described below and can be downloaded from links on this page.

Letters of intent will be solicited by September 4 to gauge the number and types of efforts being considered by the University community. The titles of projects along with the proposer will be posted on the Web and in Tech Topics to keep the process open and accessible, and to encourage people with similar interests to work together. Broad involvement by the University community is necessary if Michigan Technological University is to develop an actionable Strategic Plan. Each person or group submitting a letter of intent will be eligible to submit a pre-proposal. Where appropriate, the Strategic Planning Working Group will draw the attention of people who submit Letters of Intent and/or Pre-Proposals to others who have done so in similar areas or with a common theme with the objective of fostering group and collaborative activities. Full proposals are by invitation only, and their number will be limited.

The pre-proposals will be reviewed by faculty/staff/student panels, a different panel for each of the following areas:

• Innovation in Education
• Emerging Technologies and Research
• Residential and Community Campus
• Resources, Size, and Composition
• Other

The panels will be made up of three to five volunteers appropriate to the topic that will rank the pre-proposals and make recommendations to the Strategic Planning Working Group who will then solicit a select number of full proposals. The pre-proposal review may include discussion with the proposers on scope, potential partners, and funding sources. Wherever possible, ideas that can be funded outside the Vision Fund will be directed to those resources. Full proposals will be evaluated and ranked by a panel of reviewers drawn from the pre-proposal panels and the Strategic Planning Working Group, who will make recommendations to the Provost for funding. Proposals that will mobilize people to move Michigan Tech forward to become a National University of Choice will be ranked highest. Proposals should place emphasis on action, support goals and strategies found at all levels of the Strategic Plan, generate new coalitions across campus, lead to inclusion based on passion and interest, and allow actions in different areas without complete agreement of all.

ELIGIBILITY

• Any faculty, staff, administrator, student, or unit within Michigan Tech may submit a proposal.
• Friends of the University, including, but not limited to, advisory board members, alumni, and research collaborators may apply through partnerships with faculty and staff.
• No limit on number of letters of intent or pre-proposals.
• Full proposals to be submitted by invitation only (invitation to submit a full proposal is based on merit review of the pre-proposal).

AWARDS

• Type of Award—both one-time and continuing grants for periods of up to 3 years
• Estimated Number of Awards—as many as can be funded depending on the dollar amount available in a given year.
• Anticipated Funding Amount—the total pool for awards to be made in FY 2002–03 will be consistent with available funding.
• Minimum Request Amount--$2000

PROPOSAL REVIEW
Based on results of the panel review process, the Strategic Planning Working Group will make recommendations to the Provost who will make the final selections.

Pre-proposals and full proposals will be rated numerically on a 10-point scale, with 0 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, for each of the following items:

• Impact of the proposed strategic initiative on Michigan Tech progressing toward becoming a National University of Choice
• Direct and compelling support of one or more goals of the Action Agenda
• Estimated impact of the effort on recruiting and retention of students at all levels
• Skills and experience of the project leader and the team
• Methods for measuring progress and assessing accomplishment
• Cost effectiveness—how effectively does the proposal use existing resources, reallocations, and external matching funds? (Distinction will be made concerning external matches that are “in hand” versus those that are being pursued. Shared use of facilities, laboratories, equipment, and other resources are important considerations.)
• Overall merit and quality of the proposal

CONTACT INFORMATION

The members of the Strategic Planning Working Group to contact regarding this procedure are: Glenn Mroz and Nancy Seely. For questions concerning the proposal process or to obtain help in preparing a proposal, contact the Strategic Planning Infoline (7-2496, 7-2156, or 7-2046).

Letter of Intent (Deadline: September 4, 2001)

Pre-Proposal (Deadline: October 1, 2001)

Full Proposal (Deadline: December 3, 2001)