February 3, 2006

This document outlines some basic guidelines for the preparation and submission of proposals to the MCTP.

               Proposal submission

1. The MCTP welcomes proposals for the Center's activities from its entire membership. However, all proposals must be sponsored by at least one full member.
2. Activities encouraged by the Center include (but are not limited to) organizing conferences and workshops, and inviting visitors to the Center.
3. Proposals for faculty travel and expenses traditionally covered by individual grants are strongly discouraged. Requests for tuition support are discouraged. At present, support for postdocs is unlikely.
4. In line with the mission of the MCTP, proposals emphasizing interdisciplinary activities as well as those with a cost sharing component are encouraged.
5. The standard funding cycle for proposals is the MCTP fiscal year (1 July to 31 June.) The deadline for proposal submission is 1 March.
6. So long as funds are available, proposals submitted outside the standard time-frame will be considered on an ad hoc basis. Requests of up to $1000 will be considered on a rolling basis.
7. Members should be aware that the MCTP has limited funds available for sponsored programs. Yet at the same time it aims to maximize the reach of its activities. To further such goals, all proposers of workshops and conferences are expected to make a good faith effort in securing external funding to supplement that of the MCTP.

               Reporting requirements

1. All publications resulting from sponsored activities must acknowledge the MCTP by name (i.e. “This research/activity was supported in part by the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics”). Similarly, members must include the MCTP byline on such publications.
2. A brief summary of the project highlighting the major achievements must be submitted within three months after the end of the fiscal year funding period. Members who are delinquent in submitting this summary will be barred from submitting future proposals until the situation is rectified.
3. All unspent funds revert back to the MCTP at the conclusion of the sponsored program. However, members may apply for a no-cost extension of up to three months after the end of the program/project.