PS-06.A.08 - Organized Research and Creative Activities (ORCA) Program

3.2.1. To qualify for internal funding through the ORCA Grant Program, the application will focus on execution of research and scholarship or creative activity, as defined in 2.3 of this policy.

3.2.2. The proposed research and scholarship or creative activity must support the goals and/or objectives of the university, college, and/or department and do at least one of the following: (a) contribute to knowledge in the discipline; (b) have the potential to result in patents or licenses for commercial products; (c) have the potential to generate peer-reviewed publications and/or other deliverables commonly accepted for research and scholarship or creative activities in the Faculty Annual Merit process and the Rank and Tenure process, (d) have the potential to attract additional funding from external funding sources.

3.3.1. For research and scholarship or creative activity to be internally sponsored by the University using ORCA funds, the applicant must hold a tenured or tenure-track appointment at the University at the time the research is proposed.

3.3.2. ORCA grants are discontinued with the termination of a tenured or tenure-track appointment to the University.

3.3.3. Members of the University ORCA Committee are ineligible for funding through the ORCA program during any application cycle in which they serve on the University ORCA Committee.

3.3.4. Applicant must be generally, in good standing with the University at the time of funding.

3.4.1. Departmental Committees: Each academic department from which an ORCA proposal originates must assemble a Departmental ORCA Committee. The committee is appointed by the department chair. The committee should to the extent possible represent a range of disciplines from which proposals may be submitted. The purpose of the Department ORCA Committee is to: a) engage in a review of proposals to ensure there is a connection between each proposal’s activity and the stated objectives of the ORCA program; and b) to offer feedback in time for resubmission to the department committee prior to submission to the University ORCA Committee. The Department ORCA Committee makes a recommendation on a proposal but does not render a decision of whether or not it moves forward for review by the Department Chair, the Dean, and the University ORCA Committee.

3.4.2. The Department Chair and Dean: The Department Chair and Dean make a recommendation on a proposal but do not serve to render a decision of whether or not it moves forward for review by the University ORCA Committee. The Department Chair does not serve to render a judgment on whether or not the proposal moves forward to the Dean.

3.4.3. University ORCA Committee: The University ORCA Committee consists of one faculty representative from each academic department, appointed by the Department Chairs. Members of the University ORCA Committee will serve two-year staggered terms. The AVP FAFD will convene the committee, provide instructions and an overview of pertinent regulations, establish deadlines, and oversee the election of a committee chair. Review by the University ORCA Committee will be based on the Exhibit D: ORCA Evaluation Rubric.

3.5.1. The University ORCA Committee may suggest that an ORCA grant for research and scholarship or creative activity be greater or less than the original amount requested by the applicant. Under most circumstances, the University ORCA Committee may not suggest that a grant be increased by more than 10% above the original amount. There are no limits on suggesting a lower grant than originally proposed.

3.5.2. Use of ORCA funds must comply with all regulations of the University of Houston System, UHD, the state, and the federal government. Proposed research or creative activities involving human subjects must be approved by the UHD Institutional Review Board. Proposed research or creative activities involving animals must be approved by the UHD Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Recipients of ORCA grants will be required to attend a Time and Effort training session and must submit regular Time and Effort reports to the AVP-FAFD through the proper process.

3.5.3. Proposed research and scholarship or creative activities requiring city, state, or federal permits must provide copies of the required permits to the AVP- FAFD before funds will be allocated for the research.

3.5.4. Research and scholarship or creative activity funds from the ORCA program may be used, when specified, to cover course instruction replacement cost and/or a summer salary.

3.5.5. No single grant may be greater than 10% of the ORCA funds available in that year.

3.5.6. Funds granted for designated uses (for example, the purchase of software) may not be re-budgeted into another category unless approved in advance by the AVP-FAFD.

3.5.7. All expenditures from faculty ORCA accounts must be approved by the faculty member, the departmental chair, and college dean.

3.5.8. All ORCA funds granted to a faculty member must be expended within three long semesters from the date of notification of grant. Unexpended funds at the end of this period will be returned to the ORSP.

3.5.9. If the SVPAA/Provost determines any modifications to the recommendations need to be made, they will consult the University ORCA committee.

3.6.1. Within 18 months of the end of the semester in which the ORCA grant is received, the recipient will submit a final report summarizing the results of the research, scholarship, or creative activities funded by the grant to the Provost and AVP-FAFD using the format described in Exhibit C: Format For ORCA Grant Final Report.

3.6.2. In the report, grant recipients are required to describe the product of the project funded by the ORCA grant.

3.6.3. The AVP-FAFD will archive all final reports of ORCA grants and will make them available to the University community.

3.6.4. The recipient of an ORCA grant will be required to acknowledge the support received from an ORCA grant in any publication, exhibition announcement or other appropriate external or internal outlet. The recipient of an ORCA grant also will furnish two copies of any published work, exhibition announcement, or presentation program resulting from any amount of ORCA funding to the AVP-FAFD. One copy will be archived in the ORSP office, and one copy will be sent to the University Archive.

3.6.5. The recipient of an ORCA grant also may be required to present the findings or products of this project to the university community at a forum to be determined by the Provost.

3.6.6. If a recipient fails to submit a final report within 18 months, that individual is ineligible for future ORCA funds. The AVP-FAFD will notify the individual and the ORCA committee of this ineligibility. The eligibility restriction remains in effect until such time as the recipient submits a report.