FDIP Information for Business Administrators

GENERAL INFORMATION

FDIP is an acronym for Faculty Development Initiative Program. Each year, Academic Affairs releases funds dedicated to giving faculty an incentive to further develop courses, or conduct research utilizing some form of innovative technology. Every submitted proposal is screened by a committee of faculty peers, and rated on usefulness, realistic objectives, impact on students, and appropriate use of the funds requested.

The general process for the award is:

 

 

AWARD CATEGORIES

There are two categories of awards - Award A is given to individual faculty for developing specific course related material utilizing some form of technology. Award B is given (generally) to teams of faculty interested in development of course related material utilizing some form of technology.

Grant applications are submitted through an online form found on the ETUO web site during the open admission time period. Faculty are notified of the submission timeline through faculty listserv.

WHO CAN APPLY

Only full time tenured, tenure track, or clinical faculty (who have been here at least two full years) are eligible for funding as Principal Investigators.

HOW FUNDS MAY BE USED

Funds can generally be used for:

• Salaries for Graduate Assistants
• Stipends for the faculty (up to $4,000) submitting the proposal
• Hardware/software, instructional equipment specifically related to the proposal
• Funds for Teaching Assistants and Instructional Assistants specifically hired for work on the award project

Please note, if a faculty member requests a stipend, it is important to recognize that Fringe Benefit amounts will be taken from the stipend about before payment is made.

Funds can generally not be used for:

• Travel
• Scholarships
• Food or drink
• Memberships, journal submissions, etc.
• Office Supplies
• Spending outside of the approved budget.

TRANSFER OF FUNDS AND CHANGES

FDIP awards are generally for a one year cycle. The time begins when the funds are transferred to the department cost center which has been created specifically for the current award.

The cost center created should not be "co-mingled" with previous FDIP awards or other awards as the funds are intended for spending only on the proposed work.

Transfers are made to a 2079 cost center with a unique program code that identifies the faculty member and FDIP award. For example: FDIPA--JJones

Changes are inevitable. If the spending that must occur to satisfy the award is different than the proposal because the focus has changed, or the costs proposed have changed, or some deviation from the proposed budget occurs, the PI needs to request permission for the deviation by contacting the FDIP program coordinator (Tammy Hoskings, Asst. Director FDIS, thoskings@uh.edu). The request and approval must be made in writing (email is sufficient). No verbal approval will be given.

Spending which goes beyond the proposed project and budget without approval will not be paid by ETUO. Any funds spent outside of the proposed budget without approval will be requested to be returned by the department to ETUO.

END OF THE AWARD PERIOD REPORT

Somewhere close to the end of the award period, a reminder is sent to all PIs to encourage them to wrap-up their project, prepare the summary, and to ask the Business Administrator for a detailed document of expenditures. The 1074 report from PeopleSoft satisfies this request. These documents will be submitted to the FDIP Program Coordinator.

Every document submitted is compiled and summarized. If expenses are flagged as unusual and out of the project scope, a request for explanation is made to the PI for the award.

The goal of the FDIP is for satisfactory completion of the project. ETUO is most interested in the projects being successful and documentation of results complete. If the award period needs to be extended, the PI needs only to ask approval from the FDIP Program Coordinator.