A61.15: Research Allocations Committee

Approved by: Faculty Senate
Effective: April 22, 2014
Responsible Faculty Committee: Research Allocations
Office Responsible for Administration: Office of the University Secretary

Policy Rationale

The primary mission of the RAC funding is to support the career development of faculty (research and creative works) who are in various stages of career development, but priority will be given to faculty: 1) in the early stage of their careers, 2) embarking upon new directions, or 3) in fields and disciplines where there is limited funding.

The Research Allocations Committee (RAC) supervises and allocates the Faculty Research Fund. This policy document provides policies and the procedures for grant application, approval, acceptance, and administration. It also defines the structure and composition of the Research Allocations Committee.

Policy Statement

The Research Allocations Committee receives requests from faculty members for grants-in-aid, determines faculty eligibility for grants from the fund and the amount of such grants, and appraises the merits of proposed research projects as well as the productivity of the applicants.

The Committee shall communicate and meet with the Vice President for Research or his/her designated representatives. The Committee shall formally meet periodically during fall and spring semesters to discuss the availability and allocation of funds.

Committee Membership

Twelve members appointed by the Faculty Senate; of these twelve, at least one shall be selected from each of the following seven areas with no more than three members from any one area serving concurrently:

1. Physical Sciences—e.g., chemistry, earth and planetary, mathematics and statistics, physics and astronomy.
2. Life Sciences—e.g., biology, psychology.
3. Social Sciences—e.g., anthropology, "business and administrative sciences", economics, geography, history, law, political science, sociology.
4. Engineering--all departments of the School of Engineering.
5. Education--all departments of the College of Education.
6. Humanities—e.g., architecture, English, journalism, foreign languages and literatures, Spanish and Portuguese, philosophy, communication.
7. Fine Arts--all departments of the College of Fine Arts.

The term of service shall be two years. Committee members may be elected to a second two-year term. At least one year must pass before a Committee member who has served two consecutive two-year terms is again eligible to serve. At the last meeting each year, the Committee shall elect a chair from the eligible membership. The chair shall remain active through the summer session. The chair or a designated representative shall convene the initial meeting of the new committee.

Applicability

All UNM units, including the Health Sciences Center and Branch Campuses.

Definitions

No specific definitions are required for the Policy Statement.

Who should read this policy

• Academic chairs, directors, and deans
• Faculty members

Related Documents

Research Allocations Committee Guidelines

Contacts

Direct any questions about this policy to the UNM Office of the University Secretary.

Procedures

Procedures for inclusion in this document will be developed by the Research Allocations Committee that defines:

• Eligibility
• Funding cycles and submissions
• Funding priorities and eligible project categories
• Application requirements
• RAC review process

History

Effective:
March 29, 2011 — Approved by Faculty Senate