A West Virginia University Institute of Technology faculty member has won a $5,000 ‘mini-grant’ from the state to help prepare proposals with the goal of obtaining a much larger research funding award.
Dr. Deborah Chun, assistant professor of mathematics, received a mini-grant from the Higher Education Policy Commission’s Division of Science and Research.
The mini-grant provides replacement salary for an uninterrupted period of time for a faculty member to write research or research equipment proposals during the summer. Each winning faculty member agrees to submit a proposal for funding from an external agency or foundation as a result of obtaining the mini-grant.
“The Mini-Grant Program is an investment in research, education, and ultimately, in economic development,” said Jan Taylor, Ph.D., Director of Research. “By allowing these faculty members the opportunity to concentrate on external research proposals, the state ultimately may realize benefits well beyond its $30,000 investment.”
The Mini-Grant Program is funded by the West Virginia Research Challenge Fund, which lays the foundation for many of the state’s competitive grant programs. For more information about that fund and other programs managed by the Division of Science and Research, visit www.wvresearch.org.