Karen Hille Phillips Regency Advancement Award

The Karen Hille Phillips Regency Advancement Awards are intended to enhance opportunities for the professional development of the university’s faculty, and are awarded annually. All members of the faculty, as defined by the Faculty Constitution (Article I, 1), are eligible.

How to Apply & Application Process

Application for an award shall be initiated by faculty members in close consultation with their college dean. Completed applications are to be delivered electronically to the office of the college dean. An application consists of a title, a 250-word abstract, a one-page description of the project, a proposed budget, a time-line, and a current curriculum
vitae.

• Each dean is asked to rank the applications within the college. Each dean may receive counsel from his or her faculty members on the merits of each proposal.
• The Provost shall review all applications and determine the awards. The Provost may receive counsel from the deans and faculty.
• The members of the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Regents will be appraised of the awards at its meeting that follows the announcement of the awards.
• Award recipients shall provide to their college deans and the Provost a full report upon conclusion of their projects. The report shall include an itemization of expenditures.
• Unexpended funds from each award shall revert to the university.

Project Budget Guidelines

The following guidelines outline allowable and unallowable expenses as well as procedures for purchasing and reimbursement requests. It is expected that your award be utilized within the established timeline set forth in your award letter. Additionally, expenses should strictly adhere to your approved budget, as outlined in your proposal. As per the university’s accounting standards (GAAP: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles), carry forward of funds from one fiscal year to the next or extension of funds beyond the award period are not allowed.

All durable assets purchased with Regency funds are considered property of Pacific Lutheran University. Durable assets are defined as tangible goods that yield service or benefits over a number of years. For example, scientific equipment or special computing needs over and above the standard computer/laptop provided by PLU. Unexpended funds from each award shall revert to the university.

Please note:

• Individual project or activity costs may not exceed $4,000.
• If an award is requested for a portion of a larger project, cost items for that portion must be specifically identified.

Allowable Costs

• Equipment, books, or other non-consumable materials are purchased only as university acquisitions and issued to the grantee on loan for the specified duration of the project, after which they revert to the university
  for appropriate disposition. Such purchases shall be made only through the appropriate university office, e.g., library, the bookstore, CATS, purchasing.
• Summer stipends for the grantee may be included in project costs if the project is to occur during June, July or August, but not in excess of $750 per month, or $2,250 total. Arrangements for payment are to be made through the Office of the Provost. It is expected that a faculty member who receives a stipend will not teach during the summer session or that arrangements will be made in advance with the Office of the Provost. See Guidelines for Purchasing and Reimbursement of Expenses section below.
• Stipends for student research assistants may be included. Arrangements for payment are to be made through the Office of the Provost. Please note that only individuals who are students at PLU may be paid as research assistants.
• Travel related to research or professional development, including conference travel. See Guidelines for Purchasing and Reimbursement of Expenses section below for travel expense guidelines.
• Professional membership fees.

Unallowable Costs

• Faculty compensation during the academic year
• Office furniture
• Regalia
• Gifts, Gift cards, donations, parties
• Shared costs of durable assets.
• Expenses for family members (travel, lodging, meals)

Guidelines for Purchasing and Reimbursement of Expenses

Up-front costs (not including large equipment or hardware) are paid for by the faculty member or through the college. Reimbursement requests are then forwarded to the Provost Office. For assistance with payment options, consult with your college for the purchasing procedures within your respective unit.

Summer Compensation

• If you requested summer compensation as part of your Regency Award, please contact the Provost Office (provost@plu.edu) to request a contract for extra pay.

Student Compensation

• ALL PLU students are paid hourly through Student Employment. Please consult the Administrator within your college for assistance on hiring and setting up payments with Student Employment. Timesheets should be charged directly to your Dept. Once payments have been set up, contact the Provost Office to request a transfer of your award amount allocated for student compensation to the account being charged.

Computer and Computer-Related Items (Software/hard drives etc)

• These items can ONLY be purchased through IT&S (Information & Technology Services). Any computer hardware purchases made without pre-approval or through IT&S will not be considered a reimbursable expense.
• General questions about software/hardware can be directed to IT&S at helpdesk@plu.edu. To place an order, the faculty member should submit a Help desk ticket here. In your email and/or ticket, please specify that your request is being funded with Regency Award funds and copy the Provost Office (provost@plu.edu) for approval and FOAP to be charged.

Books, Instructional Materials, Office Supplies, etc.

• Reimbursement for out-of-pocket purchases should be submitted to the Provost Office on a Payment Request Form. Original receipts showing proof of payment (such as the last four digits of the credit card) must be attached. For purchases made online, reimbursements are not accepted until the items are received. An order “Summary” will not be accepted.

Research Materials & Lab Supplies

• Faculty will work with their department or lab manager directly for these purchases and the Provost Office will transfer funds to the department.

Professional Membership Fees

• Reimbursement for membership fees paid out of pocket should be submitted to the Provost Office on a Payment Request Form with the original receipt attached.

Travel

• Please refer to the PLU Policy on Travel – Summary and the Travel and Business Expense Policy.
  • A minimum of two weeks prior to traveling, a Pre-Travel Authorization form must be completed and submitted to the Provost Office. Requests for a travel advance must be submitted one month prior to the trip.
  • A completed Travel Expense Voucher with original receipts must be submitted to the Provost Office within 60 days of the conclusion of travel to be eligible for reimbursement.
  • Travel must be completed and Expense Vouchers submitted by May 20th of the academic year to allow for processing by May 31st.
  • Travel arrangements and payments are to be made by the faculty member or through your college.
  • Please follow all state and federal health directives regarding travel, and notify the Office of the Provost of any changes to your proposed itinerary before travel.
• All travel and reimbursement policies and forms can be found on the Financial Services website.
• IMPORTANT: Payment requests received after May 31st (end of FY), are ineligible for reimbursement, even if the purchases were dated prior to May 31st.

General Criteria for Evaluating Applications

1. The project is clearly and specifically defined.
2. The nature of the project and the likelihood of its completion bear a justifiable relation to the time period within which it is to be carried out.
3. The project advances the applicant’s professional growth, the “cutting edge” of the applicant’s discipline, and/or the enhancement of the applicant’s departmental curriculum or quality of classroom instruction.
4. Priority consideration shall be given to qualified projects for which external funding is unlikely. Faculty members are, however, encouraged to articulate how they have or will leverage funding.
5. All else being equal,
   • Only the intrinsic merit of a project or activity, not its total costs, shall be the primary and decisive criterion.
   • Proposals from tenure track and tenured faculty are favored over those of visiting faculty.
   • Proposals from untenured faculty are favored over those of tenured faculty.
   • Proposals from faculty who have not recently received a Regency Award are favored over those who have received an award recently.
6. Projects related to sabbatical leave proposals shall not be excluded from consideration on that account, but shall have secondary priority in competition–all else being equal. Faculty who will be on sabbatical are not eligible to receive a stipend for the summer prior to year during which they will be on sabbatical leave.
7. More specific criteria may be developed and applied by the dean or faculty of a given college.

Past Recipients

*awarded, research project not funded/completed