Frequently Asked Questions
At Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) we receive questions regarding how we started, what our mission and goals are, how an organization can apply for an innovation investment award, and investment program specifics.
We hope that these Q&A below can assist you in learning about our organization and answer many of your questions.
Questions are listed below in descending order from general SFAz information down to specific investment program questions.
If your questions are not answered here, please feel free to call our office or drop us an e-mail at info@sfaz.org and we will get back to you by phone or e-mail correspondence.
Q: What is the history of SFAz?
A: Founded in 2006 as a unique public-private partnership, Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation created from the collaboration of three statewide CEO business organizations—Greater Phoenix Leadership (GPL), Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC) and Flagstaff 40.
In June 2006, the Arizona Governor and State Legislature appropriated $35 million through the Department of Commerce and the Commerce and Economic Development Commission. SFAz was successful in obtaining the contract to implement a grant-making strategy.
SFAz’s investments to date have been focused on three areas of strategic importance to the state: Information and Communications Technology, Sustainable Systems and Biomedical Research.
Q: How are SFAz’s operational costs funded?
A: The private sector, through the above noted CEO groups in Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff, have committed to fund SFAz’s core operating costs, estimated at $2.5 million per year for the first five years. SFAz's actual operating costs for 2007 were 5.5% of the overall budget.
Q: If the CEO groups are covering the operating costs for the first five years, where do funds come from to invest in Arizona’s future?
A: As stated in the History of SFAz above, the Arizona Governor and State Legislature appropriated $35 million dollars through the Department of Commerce and the Commerce and Economic Development Commission to invest in SFAz. This money is committed toward innovation grants that represent investments in Arizona’s future. Additional philanthropic contributions are also being invested.
Q: How is SFAz governed?
A: SFAz is governed by a distinguished board of directors consisting of accomplished and respected individuals across Arizona, along with highly talented R&D world-class leaders from outside the state to ensure the perspective that is essential to compete in today’s global economy. The board sets investment policy and performance expectations, and empowers the president and CEO to operate the foundation. Donald V. Budinger>> serves as board chair. William C. Harris>> is the president and CEO.
Q: Where is SFAz investing?
A: SFAz invests in purpose-driven research that creates a competitive advantage for Arizonans and the future of the state. SFAz is helping to position Arizona as one of the top-tier states for new innovation and successful companies that employ highly educated scientists, engineers and medical researchers -- the type of innovation that results in leadership and a high quality of life for our citizens. We are ensuring that Arizona is a place where our children can fulfill their educational and professional dreams, locally, with knowledge-based, good jobs.
General SFAz Innovation Investment Award Questions |
Q: How are innovation investment awards determined?
A: SFAz’s innovation investment review process is about commitment to excellence and we pattern our process after the National Science Foundation model that ensures public engagement and transparency. The use of outside, independent national expert reviewers ensures fairness, thoroughness and competitiveness. SFAz also has staff members with extensive experience in public and private competitive grant and investment award processes. As a public-private entity, SFAz is able to capitalize on the thoroughness and commitment to excellence of the public realm and the speed and innovation of the private sector.
Q: How are Innovation Investment Award applications announced?
A: SFAz publishes its Requests for Proposals (RFP) on its website and sends announcements for its programs to all of the Arizona heads of research in the nonprofit sector. SFAz also engages in on-going statewide public outreach communications and community events. See the Our Investments >> for more information on each program.
Q: How long does the process take - from when I submit a proposal until I hear of a decision?
A: This process is very thorough and rigorous and can take up to three months. The proposal is first reviewed by SFAz staff for required additional information. Then, the proposal is reviewed three times by an outside, external expert review panels made up of national and international experts. The final reviews take place when the reviewers convene face-to-face in Arizona. Lastly, the staff and CEO make recommendations to the SFAz board of directors for their final decision.
Q: How is success measured?
A: SFAz submits quarterly financial and program reports to the Commerce and Economic Development Commission (CEDC) and Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC). In the event a grant recipient fails to achieve or perform, SFAz will terminate funding.
Cumulative return on investment will be assessed both qualitatively—in terms of number and quality of graduate students recruited, and the strategic importance of specific research programs funded—and later, when data is available, quantitatively, which includes numbers of patents issued and jobs created.
Detailed Investment Award Program Questions |
Q: What should I do if I am having trouble uploading my proposal to the SFAz site?
A: Please make sure you have properly named your document as stated in the RFP. Contact the program coordinator for further assistance.
Q: Who do I contact with any post-award issues?
A: If you have any questions regarding your awarded proposal please contact SFAz’s finance department with these issues. You may also consult our Terms and Conditions posted on our website under terms and conditions >>.
Q: What is the number corresponding to my awarded grant and where can I find it?
A: The number you see associated with your awarded grant is an internal tracking number for administration purposes. This number is always given in any correspondence between awardee and our finance department. You may also contact the finance department to obtain this number.
Q: How do I obtain an application for submission of a proposal?
A: Anyone considering applying for a grant must first consult our website for RFP guidelines regarding the interested program. There you can download our cover page to be submitted with your full proposal. The cover page acts as our application.
Q: Can a proposer submit the same proposal to SFAz once it has been reviewed but returned without funding from SFAz?
A: Yes but the proposal should incorporate information and feedback from the last review to make it a more substantial proposal worth consideration.
Q. Can I submit a proposal for clinical trial research, a conference, or a training workshop?
A: No
Q: Can I have more than one Principal Investigator (PI) for my proposal?
A: No, there has to be one primary contact person per proposal. If there are additional investigators they should be listed as “Senior Investigators”.
Q: What is the procedure if the full amount of the grant is not spent during the term of the grant?
A: Unless a request for a no-cost extension is requested and approved by SFAz, unspent/unencumbered monies remaining at the end of the grant term shall be reverted to SFAz. A one-time No-Cost Extension of 6 months is allowed, provided the request is approved by SFAz. In order to be granted, requests must convey demonstrable merit for the extension and demonstrate clear value to SFAz. Requests that lack substantive justifications or fail to demonstrate a compelling need for an extension shall be summarily denied.
Q: If something should go wrong during the term of the grant, milestones are not met or research is not up to standards; who is held as the responsible party, the PI or the RPI?
A: Per the Terms and Conditions of SFAz’s Grants and Contracts, the RPI shall have full responsibility for the Research Program, the Research Grant, and for the adherence by the RPI, the Principal Investigator and the Research Team to the Grant Conditions.
Q: What are the requirements for submitting a budget change; when do I need to submit one?
A: Grantees are authorized to reallocate expenditures between individual line items within a general budget category (general categories defined as Salaries, Benefits, Equipment, Travel, Other Direct Costs, and Institutional Allowance) and between general budget categories (except Institutional Allowance) without prior SFAz approval, provided the dollar value of the reallocation does not exceed 10% of the total grant budget or $100,000, whichever is less. If the cumulative amount of the reallocation exceeds or is expected to exceed 10% of the total grant budget, the grantee must obtain prior approval from SFAz staff via an official request routed through the grantee’s sponsored projects office. In the case of Institutional Allowance, prior approval from SFAz is required for any proposed reallocations to or from this general budget category.
Detailed Graduate Research Fellow (GRF) Investment Award Program Questions |
Q: What is the Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) Program?
A: It is an investment program to recruit, support and retain top graduate students in Arizona with a focus on the strategic areas: Information and Communications Technology and Sustainable Systems and Biomedical Research >>.
With this GRF investment program, Science Foundation Arizona intends to strengthen existing research programs at universities in Arizona. This program does not support students to pursue medical school; the fellowship is for research studies only.
Q: Can I apply to the program?
A: You are qualified to submit an application on behalf of a prospective fellow to the GRF program if you are a VP of Research at a 501(C) (3) educational institution that grants Ph.D. or higher-level degrees or a Master degree the in aeronautical sciences. Students do not submit for this directly, but are selected by educational institutions where they have performed their undergraduate or some post-graduate studies.
Q: What is the due date for GRF proposals?
A: The proposal deadlines have not been announced for 2009. Deadlines are in the fall of each year prior to the funding year. For 2009 fellowship funding, applications will be accepted in the fall of 2008. Please check the website for the applications and deadlines when they are announced.
Q: How are the GRF proposals reviewed?
A: They are reviewed by a panel of expert panel of outside reviewers.
Q: How long will the fellows be funded?
A: The fellows are funded for 2 years with the second year dependent on progress.
Q: What is the amount of the GRF award?
A: GRF totals $40,000 annually, per Fellow that includes a stipend of $25,000 in supplemental allowance for research, $5,000 to offset any relocation costs or additional research expenses, and $10,000 for the institutional cost of the Fellow's education.
Q: Who can apply?
A: In general, we are seeking applicants who are biologists, chemists, physicists, bioengineers, chemical engineers, electrical engineers, materials engineers, computer scientists, social scientists and individuals with related degrees interested in addressing SFAz's key strategic focus areas. >>
Q: Where should I upload the GRF proposal?
A: The directions for submitting your proposal are located in the RFP located on the SFAz website. The web address for the upload is http://files.sfaz.org/
Q: What is the user name that I am being asked on the GRF secure login upload webpage located at http://files.sfaz.org/ ?
A: Your secure login username is grfdropbox. Ignore the prompt for the password as there is none.
Q: How many proposals may an institution submit?
A: Each institution is allowed to submit one proposal.
Q: Can the fellowship be transferred to a different student?
A: The fellowship may be changed to another student that the institution has chosen as long as SFAz agrees.
Q: How many fellows will the GRF program have?
A: In the first year 80 fellowships were awarded. In 2008, 100 additional were awarded.
Detailed Strategic Research Group (SRG) Investment Award Program Questions |
Q: What is the Strategic Research Group Program?
A: It is a program to facilitate the collaboration of RPI and industry. We intend
to build and attract new industry to Arizona and strengthen existing research
programs within AZ and create economic and research advantages for Arizona.
Q: Can I apply to the SRG program?
A: You can submit a pre-proposal that will be reviewed and SFAz will invite those qualified for submission of full proposal.
Q: How soon will I hear back regarding my pre-proposal?
A: We will work hard to return a response to you within two weeks of submission; sometimes the review process may take longer which can delay our response.
Q: How will my pre-proposal and proposal be reviewed?
A: Our standing Advisory board will review the pre-proposal and once a full proposal is submitted a series of reviews will take place. First is a postal review by experts outside of Arizona, and from there the series of reviews depends on
the proposal itself.
Q: What type of company can I select for my industry partner?
A: The leading industry partner needs to have >100 employees and be willing to cover 50% of the 1:1 required match. As long as there is a strong working relationship between you and the Industry, you can use anyone for your
additional partner including industry, DOD, national labs and private
organizations.
Q: Can universities or research performing institutions (RFI's) establish relationships for matching funding with industry partners located outside of Arizona?
A: Yes, the industry partner must provide a 1:1 cash match and be engaged in research. If the research investment is successful, SFAz will want to understand if the company has a plan to initiate an R&D center or other type of operation in Arizona and in what time frame.
Detailed K-12 Student and Teacher Discover Investment Award Program Questions |
Q: Where should I upload the K-12 proposal?
A: The directions for submitting your proposal are located in the RFP located on the SFAz website. The web address for the upload is http://files.sfaz.org/
Q: What is the user name password that I am being asked on the Secure login upload webpage at http://files.sfaz.org/?
A: The secure login username is k12dropbox and ignore the prompt for the password as there is none.
Q: Is the K-12 program renewable?
A: Yes it can be renewed assuming that the program provides a report of milestones that are successfully achieved and the availability of state funds.
Q: How do you measure the progress of a K-12 program?
A: The progress is measured by reporting the milestones in a five and eleven month report.
Q: Can a K-12 program have a budget change?
A: The programs budget change may be requested if SFAz is contacted and is made aware of how and why the budget need to be changed. SFAz must approve such a request.
Q: Reviewing the budget for my proposal, I see there is a 10% institutional allowance in addition to the total for "programs". Will this amount be deducted from the total award?
A: The RFP states “In lieu of indirect costs (which are not allowed), a 10% institutional allowance will be added”. Therefore, please add the institutional allowance to total budget.
Q: Does the 10 page narrative include references? Or is it the 10
page narrative and additional pages of reference?
A: It is 10 pages total.
Q: Do the supporting documents need to be in 12-point Arial font? For
instance, the CVs and the budget justification?
A: Yes, everything is to be submitted in 12-point Arial font. One exception is letters of recommendation written and signed by the districts as the point size and type font cannot be controlled.
Q: Is there a format for the Curriculum Vitae (CV) that is required? For instance, National Science Foundation (NSF) CV or a similar 2 page CV?
A: NSF format is an excellent format and it is the required format. You may view an example of a NSF CV format here>>.