The Baldy Center Research Grants

Research grant proposals for faculty are invited for a maximum of $5,000, and for graduate students for a maximum of $2,500. The amount of funding requested should be carefully calibrated to the necessary costs of the research, as proposals will be reviewed in part based on their efficient use of funds. Grant recipients are responsible for ensuring that actual expenditures do not exceed the amount awarded and that all expenses and appropriate documentation for reimbursement is submitted through Concur by the end of the grant cycle.

For 2024-2025 grants, the funds are available for expenditures from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.

If you have any questions about The Baldy Center grants, please email BaldyCenter@buffalo.edu.

The Baldy Center's funded projects must be conceived, designed, and conducted by non-adjunct UB faculty members who will devote significant effort to the project, or by enrolled UB graduate students nearing degree completion.

Apply online using the application portal during the designated period. Select “faculty” or “graduate student” in the application. If you have problems completing the form or any other general questions relating to eligibility and criteria, please contact The Baldy Center, (716) 645-2102 or BaldyCenter@buffalo.edu.

• Fieldwork, archival research, data collection, transcription, subject fees or incentives, data sets, and student research assistants may be supported in awards to faculty. 
• Limited travel expenses to conduct fieldwork, gather data, or collaborate with co-authors can include airfare, mileage ($0.67 per mile), or rental car (if mileage costs exceed actual economy class auto rental) and only 50-percent of actual lodging expenses while traveling (for a maximum of three months). 
• Per diem or meal expenses may not be included. Proposals that include non-UB personnel for single, short-term tasks should provide a detailed justification explaining why UB personnel or student research assistants cannot do the work.
• Student research assistants* must work directly on tasks related to the funded research project. The research grant application should detail what research assistants will do. Research assistants are paid $15/hour and must conform to the UB Student Employment Policy. When planning your budget, allocate $15.50/hour for student assistants to account for fringe charges. *Awards to graduate students may not include funding for student research assistants. Also see UB Student Employment Policy.
  
  
• The Baldy Center Graduate Student Research Grant does not include student research assistant funding. 
  
  
• COST ESTIMATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
  

• Conference travel or registration.
• Office supplies and expenses such as postage, telephone, or photocopying; these are assumed to be available from the PI's department.
• Computer software.
• Purely curriculum-oriented projects.
• Purchase of equipment or books.
• Compensation for the principal investigator or collaborators.
• Food or per diem while traveling.

Note: The Baldy Center Graduate Student Research Grant does not include student research assistant funding. 

Research award proposals will be evaluated by The Baldy Center research grant committee according to:
• Significance for interdisciplinary research on law, legal institutions, and social policy.
• Originality, clarity, and overall scholarly merit.
• Concrete plans to use as seed money to pursue outside funding.
• Appropriateness of budget.
• Likelihood that research will lead to publication, external grant funding, or other important benefits.
• Record of publication from past Baldy Center grants.
• Evidence of outside funding (or attempts to seek it) to complement The Baldy Center funding.

The Baldy Center research grants are generally expected to lead to publications, and published works should acknowledge The Baldy Center support. Grant recipients agree to provide copies of their Baldy Center supported working papers and other publications to the Center. Graduate student recipients agree to present their work during a Friday seminar during the award year.

• Research grant recipients are expected to operate on a reimbursement basis, excepting only personnel costs. Reimbursements should follow costs described in the approved and awarded budget.
• Reimbursement requests must be submitted through Concur. Please contact The Baldy Center at BaldyCenter@buffalo.edu for specific instructions on filling out the header portion of your expense report to be sure the reimbursement is routed to The Baldy Center and not your home department. Expenses must conform to policies described on the UB Travel and Expense website.
• State taxes cannot be reimbursed on purchases or hotel bills paid within New York State. A tax-exempt certificate should be presented when paying.  Contact The Baldy Center for the NYS Tax Exempt Certificate.
  
• Your Concur reimbursement must be submitted within 90-days of incurring the expense. It must be accepted by UBF before the fiscal year ends on June 30. Please be sure to keep your receipts for your records.
• Reimbursement checks must be cashed immediately, as checks will not be reissued after their 60-day expiration period.
• Should you plan to pay for services from non-UB personnel for single, short-term tasks, you must confer with The Baldy Center for instructions ahead of time, as specialized permissions and tax forms are required.
• Student research assistant employee processes are described below.
  
  Note: The UB Graduate Student Research Grant does not include funding for student research assistants. 
  

• Please note updates about travel: UB is committed to protecting the health and safety of the UB community while remaining focused on our academic, research and community service mission. If a faculty, staff, student or non-employee (guest) travels for essential university business, they must adhere to NYS COVID-19 Travel Advisory guidelines. For those circumstances in which overnight business travel is required, the traveler/department must obtain pre-approval before making any travel arrangements. (Travel and Expense Reimbursement System - Administrative Services Gateway - University at Buffalo)
• Flights must be booked by the traveler and will be reimbursed when travel has been completed. Only coach or economy class travel will be reimbursed. The flight itinerary and receipt must indicate method of payment (ex. Paid by CC ####).
• Please note: your flight documentation is required. We can accept the paper boarding passes, or a photo-file of your boarding passes. The flight documentation must be submitted or flight costs will not be reimbursed. Submit the flight documentation with your Concur expense report.
• Requests for personal vehicle mileage reimbursement made on Concur must include a map of origin and destination along with total actual miles traveled. If mileage costs exceed rental car costs, a vehicle should be rented.
• Lodging costs during research travel will be reimbursed at 50% of the rate paid. Follow CONUS costs for allowable rates. Per Diem Rates | GSA

Student research assistants must fill out UBF employment paperwork and complete the hiring process at The Baldy Center before beginning work, assuming they conform to all UB student employment policies. The faculty grantee is responsible for monitoring the student research assistant’s work, signing each bi-weekly time sheet as the supervisor, and ensuring that research assistants submit time sheets promptly after work is performed. Student research assistants can be employed only during the time period for which the grant is awarded and will not be paid beyond the limit of the award.

Note: The Baldy Center Graduate Student Research Grant does not include student research assistant funding. 

To apply, please adhere to the application guidelines listed above and submit the on-line application form along with the four required documents.

Funding disbursements are payable in the fiscal year (July to June) specified in the grant for activities performed during that period.

The online application form includes: Check Box for Faculty or Graduate Student; Applicant name, email address, UB departmental affiliation; Title of Project; New proposal or project renewal; and as further indicated.

FOUR REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

The application requires four documents to be uploaded as pdfs.

REQUIRED PDF DOCUMENT 1.  PROJECT DESCRIPTION (3 pages)

With key citations, including:

-Research description, research questions, working hypotheses, and larger research context;

-Importance of the project to understanding law, legal institutions, and social policy;

-Relevance to applicant’s scholarly field;

-Expected findings;

-Methodology;

-Sources of information, including specific information about sources and/or archives (website, addresses, interlocutor-interviewee context, IRB requirements, etc. as relevant);

-Strategies for obtaining information;

-Rationale for selection of research sites, data sets, interviewees;

-Role of any research assistants.

-Expected outcomes and products.

REQUIRED PDF DOCUMENT 2.  CAREER NARRATIVE AND RESEARCH TRAJECTORY (1 page)

-Narrative of applicant’s research trajectory;

-Proposed project’s contribution to applicant’s research;

-If renewal request, progress and output since previous award;

-Justification for pursuing entirely new avenue of research, if relevant.

REQUIRED PDF DOCUMENT 3.  RESEARCH PROJECT BIBLIOGRAPHY (1 page);

REQUIRED PDF DOCUMENT 4.  BUDGET AND BUDGET DESCRIPTION (1-2 pages)

-Total proposed cost;

-Total funding requested from The Baldy Center;

-Projected non-Baldy Center support amount and source;

-Student research assistants (faculty research grants only)*: total hours requested. budgeting $15. per hour for wages + fringe costs; Specifically describe work to be done by student;

-Materials, Supplies and Services: amount requested. Itemize estimated costs and justify materials, supplies, and services, such as transcription, not available from department or university;

-Travel: amount requested. Itemize estimated costs and justify travel, including local transportation, and accommodations. For accommodations, list the number of nights and the cost per night divided in half;

-Other: amount requested. Itemize and justify other estimated costs.

* UB Graduate Student Research Grants do not include funding for student research assistants.