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Research Incubator Frequently Asked Questions

Note: This list will be supplemented on a rolling basis.

General Questions 

I am a non-tenure-track faculty member. Can I participate? 
Yes, you are eligible to participate in all segments of the Research Incubator.

I have a faculty position in a central unit. Would I be able to participate in all components of the research incubator?
Yes, as long as your faculty appointment is either a tenured, tenure-track, or non-tenure track as noted in the eligibility section.

I am an adjunct faculty member. Can I participate? 
Adjunct faculty members can be included on a Rutgers’ led team project as collaborators for the symposium or seed funding components of the Research Incubator.

How is “early-career” defined?
For purposes of this Research Incubator, the phrase “early-career faculty” is defined as an investigator who has completed their terminal research degree or end of post-graduate clinical training—whichever date is later—within the past 10 years and who has not previously competed successfully as a Principal Investigator for a substantial, independent research award.

Can students and postdocs participate in the Research Incubator?
Students and postdocs may participate on faculty-led seed projects as part of the Research Incubator.

I am a faculty member at another institution. How can I participate?
External faculty members can be included on a Rutgers’ led team project as collaborators for the symposium or seed funding components of the Research Incubator.

Are faculty members in the humanities, arts, and social sciences eligible to participate?
Yes, absolutely.  We welcome participation from all eligible individuals who have research ideas that intersect with the Research Incubator’s theme.

Ideas Café Questions

Is participation in the Ideas Café required to apply to participate in the symposium?
Participation in the Ideas Café is completely optional.

Will the Ideas Café be in person or virtual?
The Ideas Café will be virtual. Details for how to join will be sent to those who register. 

At what state of readiness should my project be to participate in the Ideas Café?
We welcome individuals with new projects in any stage of development. The participant should be prepared to discuss their concept (background + new ideas) in a 4-minute speed presentation. 

Can teams of faculty put together one idea or proposal?
For the Ideas Café, a participant is more than welcome to present a research concept for a team proposal. However, we ask for one individual participant per project presented.

Symposium Questions

Is participation in the Symposium required to apply for team or early-career seed funding through the Research Incubator?
Yes. Only teams or early-career faculty who apply and are selected to participate in the Symposium may apply for the seed funding component of the Research Incubator.

Is the symposium limited to a certain number of teams?
We anticipate that there will be a competitive selection process for symposium participation. We will provide more details on the application and review process this summer.

I have an existing climate-health-related project, can I apply to the symposium with my current team?
Yes. However, we encourage the development of new projects rather than projects that have already received internal or extramural support. 

What would be considered different disciplines for purposes of a team research project?
We consider multidisciplinary team projects as involving participants from different departments with different disciplinary foci, regardless of campus.

Seed Funding Questions

Can graduate students and postdocs be listed on my project as co-PIs or collaborators?
No, but they can be included on budgets for team grants.

Can we request to purchase supplies and equipment through this funding?
Yes, so long as the request is under $5,000. 

I am a non-tenure-track faculty member. Am I eligible to apply for seed funding available to early-career faculty?
Yes, so long as you meet the definition of an early-career faculty member as described in the eligibility requirements.

Who is eligible to apply for seed funding?
Only participants in the Research Incubator in Climate and Health Fall Symposium are eligible to apply for seed funding.

I recently received another internal grant, am I eligible to apply?
Yes, as long as the proposed work is distinct from the work that was recently funded.

Can I apply for funding with two different projects? For example, can I submit both an Early Career Grant and a Team Grant
Faculty may only be listed on one application as lead PI or core faculty, even if the projects fall under different funding mechanisms. They may however serve as a collaborator on additional Seed Grant applications.

Can I apply with a core faculty member who is from another university?
Yes, but the lead PI must be a Rutgers faculty member. Please note, funds cannot be used to pay for salary for faculty, staff, or students at another university.

Can I request to purchase equipment?
Yes, if the cost is under $5,000. Note, funds cannot be used to purchase major equipment (items over $5,000).

Can grant funds be used for faculty salary?
No, funds may not be used for summer salary, salary supplement, or to pay any part of a faculty member’s salary.

Should I include F&A in my budget?
No, internal grant funds cannot be used to pay Facilities & Administrative costs.

Can I change my application after submission?
Once submitted via InfoReady you will be unable to make changes to your application directly. Please contact Research Development to request assistance with editing your application. Changes will not be accepted after the submission deadline.

When will award notifications be sent out?
We expect that award notifications will be e-mailed by the end of January 2023.

Do we need to upload the proposal into RAPPS?
Proposals need to be uploaded into RAPSS only after they are awarded.

If awarded, when will I have access to the funds?
Access to the funds will not be made available until the new award has been entered into the Research Administration and Proposal Submission System (RAPSS) and all compliance requirements have been met (IRB, IACUC, etc.).