I. Cover Page. Fill out the cover page and obtain signature of your department chair. Please click here 2009 Cover Page.doc for standard format.

II. Title. A brief, clear, specific designation of the subject of the research. The title, used by itself should give a good indication of what the project is about. Limit title to 80 characters, including letters, symbols and spaces.

III. Personnel Involved. List names of PI, co-PIs, and key research associates.

IV. Proposed Duration. Projects start on October 1st and terminate September 30th. If proposed for more than 3 years, continued funding is contingent upon committee approval of a progress report due in year 3 of the project.

V. Summary/Abstract. Provide a description of the work proposed, the approach to be taken, the expected outcome of the work and its significance. Limit to 200 words.

VI. Introduction/Literature Review. Provide relevant background information describing the problem, what is known about the field, and what needs to be done and why. PI?s should conduct a review on the CRIS system for similar projects, and provide a statement of how the proposed project is distinct from, or augments current CRIS approved projects. Limit to 2 pages.

VII. Progress Report/Preliminary Results. Describe work that you have done with previous Hatch funding and preliminary results that you have obtained regarding the proposed project. Limit to 2 pages.

VIII. Objectives. List objectives with a sentence or two of clarification for each. Limit to 1 page.

IX. Research Plan and Methodology. Describe the experimental design, the essential working plans, and methods to be used in attaining each of the stated objectives. The procedures should correspond to the objectives and follow the same order. Phases of the work to be undertaken concurrently should be designated. The location of the work, facilities, and equipment needed or available should be indicated. Appropriate methods for statistical analysis of the data should be indicated. Discuss expected results, potential pitfalls, and potential alternate strategies. Statement on procedures should indicate that the research has been carefully planned and should provide for changes when they are necessary to improve the work. Limit to 7 pages.

X. Significance. State the expected outcomes and their importance. Indicate the relevancy to one or more of the VT-AES priority areas. Describe how the results will be used or disseminated; the stakeholder beneficiaries of the research results and the nature of the benefits. Limit to 1 page.

XI. Timetable for Proposed Work. Provide a brief timeline for completing each of the objectives and sub-objectives. Limit to 1 page.

XIII. Financial Support. Prepare the Budget for each year of support requested. The budget request must be completely described as justified using the form provided. 2009 Budget Form.xls All expenditures must follow VT-AES administrative procedures. 2009 Hatch Procedures.doc

XIV. Proposals Types.

XIVa. Standard Project Development: Proposals should be limited to $15,000 per investigator per year.

XIVb. New Investigator: New Investigator proposals are limited to $20,000 per investigator per year and are intended to facilitate establishment of a scholarship area for faculty in their initial years of service at UVM. "New Investigators" must engage with at least two peer scholar "mentors" in their discipline, to aid in the development and finalization of an appropriate VT-AES project. We recommend that at least one of these reviewers/mentors be external to UVM. The purpose of these disciplinary mentors is to assist the "New Investigator" in developing their scholarly program, in directing their efforts towards important questions in their discipline and in relation to AES priority areas, in designing their project to result in peer-reviewed publications and extramural funding opportunities, and constructing their grant proposals most effectively for their discipline and appropriate funding sources. Accordingly, these reviews/mentors do not need to be "arms length"; indeed, we encourage "New Investigators" to seek established colleagues who are familiar with the "New Investigator", who are willing to engage with the "New Investigator" to develop an appropriate project and who are willing to provide frank mentoring advice. This input is primarily for the benefit of the "New Investigator". We suggest that the "New Investigator" share early drafts of the project several weeks before finalization of the Hatch proposal. A brief statement indentifying the mentors and describing their role in development of the proposal is expected to accompany the proposal.

XIVc. Multistate: Standard Development Proposal or New Investigators Proposal may be considered for a Multistate designation. There is an additional $5,000 per project/per year plus $1,500 in approved Multistate project travel funds. For Hatch projects to be considered for status on Multistate Projects, PI must list the multistate research project http://nimss.umd.edu/, its number and title, and objectives of the multistate project that the proposal will work with. Early in the development of the multistate project proposal, the Vermont Experiment Station researcher should prepare a contributing research project proposal using the format outlined above. The proposed Hatch project must address one or more of the Multistate Project objectives and the overall title should be exactly the size as the Multistate project in NIMSS.

XIVd. Thematic: Thematic proposals are an abbreviated application for the PI to maintain their AES appointment and to be available for graduate students support. Faculty provide only a statement of objectives and a brief summary of the currently funded extramural project (2 page max) No operating funds are provided.

XV. CV. Prepare a curriculum vitae (2 page max) that includes publications and invited presentations during the past 5 years.

XVI. Current and Pending Support. Complete Form CSREES 2005 found at 2009 Current&Pending.doc.

XVII. Institutional Units Involved. Indicate any essential services or core facilities to be used.

XVIII. Institutional approval. If there is an advisory, coordinating, or directing committee for the project (i.e., recombinant DNA, radioactivity, human subjects, IACUC), http://www.uvm.edu/iacuc approval for the project must be obtained before the project can be submitted to USDA. The applicant must indicate this on the Cover Page whether or not the proposed research involves human subjects, animals, recombinant DNA, biohazardous substances or radioactive substances. The PI must obtain and submit the relevant authorization forms to the Office of Sponsored Programs, 340 Waterman Building, before funds can be released.