IRAEA Research Fellows Program

Criteria, Expectations, and Request for Proposals 

IRAEA provides fellowships for MSU faculty members to pursue research programs related to the IRAEA mission; produce publicly accessible briefing papers and other communications that inform law makers, policy advisors and the general public on policy and regulatory issues related to the research; and organize and participate in IRAEA workshops and conferences. Fellowships are awarded through an MSU-wide competitive process. 

Consistent with the IRAEA mission, the involvement of students in research is important and strongly encouraged; research programs should focus on policy at the state, regional, and/or national level, and should have a high likelihood of leading to independent funding. Additional funding for student involvement in the research is available on a competitive basis through the IRAEA Undergraduate Research Scholars program. Additional funding to support research-related visits to MSU by visiting scholars is available through the IRAEA Visiting Scholars program.

Eligibility

Any MSU faculty member engaged in research related to regulatory and policy issues is eligible to apply. Research must include a component that addresses the impact of regulation and/or policy in agriculture, healthcare, technology, finance, natural resources, education, public safety, or other related sectors. Research Fellowship applicants are expected to have a well-established research record. Interdisciplinary research proposals and proposals directed by multiple project leaders are welcome, and faculty members outside economics are encouraged to reach out to Vincent Smith (vsmith@montana.edu) or Wendy Stock (wstock@montana.edu) for assistance in identifying potential ways to include economic regulation and policy analysis in their projects.

Award Amounts

Research Fellowships are for two-year periods. Successful applicants will receive funding in each of two periods: August 1 to August 1 of each year – in the amount of $20,000 (a total of $40,000 over the entire period of the award) and an additional annual travel budget of up to $3,000 in each period (a total of $6,000 over the entire period of the award). Research Fellows may apply for competitive renewal in subsequent years.

Expectations

Research Fellows are expected to (A) conduct research programs and (B) meet the additional expectations of Research Fellows, as described below:

1. Research Project Expectations

  • Conduct research on topics covered by the Initiative’s mission and submit their resulting research papers to peer-reviewed academic journals.
  • Produce publicly accessible working papers (publication under review) to inform law makers, policy advisors, and the general public of the research findings and provide detailed technical information about how the research was conducted. The IRAEA research associate can assist with this process.
  • Produce policy issues white papers (a condensed version of published paper written in language accessible to non-specialists) to inform law makers, policy advisors, and the general public of the research findings. The IRAEA research associate is available to assist with this process.
  • Present a research seminar on the research project that is open to faculty, students and the general public.
  • Fellows are required to submit a brief end-of-project report in PDF format outlining how the work fulfills each of the project expectations described above. Reports should be 1,000 or fewer words and submitted to IRAEA co-directors as well as the communications specialist.
  • Fellows are asked to provide co-directors and the communications specialist with research presentations and any/all other outreach materials developed and presented that pertains to the IRAEA research project. Grantees are also asked to participate in the Initiative’s outreach efforts including video interviews and news stories regarding research and outcomes. Researchers are encouraged to communicate with IRAEA’s communications specialist, Carmen Price, to publicize publications, working papers, and seminars and to assist with formatting working papers and seminar presentations with branded communication materials.
  • Research Fellows are expected to follow all MSU and academic journal policies regarding conflicts of interest and acknowledgement of financial support for their research. Grantees are also strongly encouraged to acknowledge IRAEA in presentations as well as in academic journal and other publications upon acceptance of their work for publication.

2. Additional Expectations of Research Fellows

  • Organize and hold a workshop, seminar, and/or conference for law makers, policy advisors, interest groups and/or the general public related to the research project(s).
  • Serve on selection committees for the Initiative's Research Grant, Visiting Scholar, and Undergraduate Research Scholar programs (with the exception that Fellows may not be part of the selection process for their own proposals).
  • Apply for external grant funding to sustain their research program beyond the Fellowship period.
  • Provide substantive professional feedback to other Research Fellows, Research Grantees, and Visiting Scholars about their research projects.
  • Participate in the Initiative's research seminars, workshops, conferences, and other events.
  • Provide leadership in one of the Initiative's areas of focus, identifying emerging policy issues and areas of potential emphasis for future research support.

Research Fellow Proposal Requirements

Proposals should include (1) items 1-4 below, (2) a current curriculum vita/biosketch (two-page limit) that provides either evidence of research experience in the economics of regulatory and policy analysis or evidence of potential to conduct high-quality research in regulatory and policy analysis, and (3) a statement describing how the applicant will meet the additional expectations of Research Fellows.

  1. Proposal narrative (2-4 pages) Provide a description of the research plan, written in the order listed below. Each section should begin with a section header (e.g., Abstract, Specific Aims, etc.).
    1. Abstract (150 word limit) 
    2. Statement of Specific Aims of the Project: Statement of the regulatory/policy issue that the research will address, hypothesis, and a description of the rationale and economic basis for the proposed research.
    3. Significance of the Project: Description of the importance of the regulatory/policy issue being addressed, how the research project will improve our knowledge regarding the regulatory/policy issue, including how the research could potentially help policy makers addressing the regulatory/policy issue, and a description of how the research fits into the IRAEA mission. 
    4. Innovation: Brief explanation of how the project is creative, unique, and innovative, and how the project moves the applicant’s research program forward. 
    5. Approach (Design and Methods): Provide a clear research plan that includes the various stages commonly used in economics research (e.g., assessment of current state of research on the issue, describing the underlying economic theory that applies to the research, specifying research methods to be used, obtaining data needed, generating research results, producing a working paper, getting expert feedback, and producing the research paper for submission).
  2. Human Subjects, if applicable, all researchers must abide by all human subjects requirements as described by the MSU Institutional Review Board (http://www.montana.edu/irb/). Researchers must identify whether their research project includes human subjects (including human subjects data), and if so, provide a CITI human subjects training certification (see https://www.citiprogram.org/) and an IRB approval letter (or exemption letter) or evidence that IRB approval is pending.
  3. Itemized budget and budget justification for the proposed two year grant period. The budget may include, but is not limited to, summer salary, equipment, data gathering, and other research-related expenses, and for the principal investigator travel to attend conferences to present results. Budget cannot be used for students, faculty, or staff who are not affiliated with MSU. 
  4. Project Timeline that clarifies the goals, objectives, and work to be accomplished during the granting period, including a timeline for writing white papers and policy briefs and presenting a research seminar on the research project that is open to faculty, students and the general public.

Deadline and Submission Requirements

  • Applicants should complete an OSP Electronic Proposal Clearance Form via the Office of Sponsored Programs website: http://www.montana.edu/research/osp/. Prepare a “Full Proposal Form” and select the sponsor, “Charles Koch Foundation (CHAKOC) [P].”
  • Applicants should include their proposal as an attachment on the clearance form. Attachments must be in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.
  • An electronic version of the complete proposal should also be sent to Tamara Moe, Department of Agricultural Economics & Economics, at moe@montana.edu

Applicants may contact Dr. Vince Smith (994-5615, vsmith@montana.edu) or Dr. Wendy Stock, (994-7984, wstock@montana.edu) at any time with questions about the proposal format and/or instructions or to discuss potential project ideas or opportunities for joint collaboration with faculty in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics.  

Proposal Review

Proposals will be reviewed by the IRAEA Research Fellows Selection Committee soon after the submission deadline. The Selection Committee is comprised of the IRAEA co-directors and the IRAEA Internal Advisory Board.

The selection committee will score proposals using the NIH 1-9 scale (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/peer/guidelines_general/scoring_guidance_research. pdf) for overall impact and individual review criteria (Significance, Investigator, Innovation, Approach, and Potential for External Funding) and will include written comments regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal.

Research Grants Program

Criteria, Expectations, and Request for Proposals 

IRAEA provides annual research grants for MSU faculty members to conduct research projects related to the IRAEA mission. Grants are awarded through an MSU-wide competitive process.   

Eligibility

Any MSU faculty member engaged in research related to regulatory and policy issues is eligible to apply. Research must include a component that addresses the impact of regulation and/or policy in agriculture, healthcare, technology, finance, natural resources, education, public safety, or other related sectors. Interdisciplinary research proposals and proposals directed by multiple project leaders are welcome, and faculty members outside economics are encouraged to reach out to Vincent Smith (vsmith@montana.edu) or Wendy Stock (wstock@montana.edu) for assistance in identifying potential ways to include economic regulation and policy analysis in their projects.

Award Amounts

Awards are up to $12,500 and the period of performance will be one year from receipt of the grant. The grant period runs August 15 through August 15 of each year. Funding for successful applications must be expended by the end of August for each grant period. Research grantees may apply for competitive renewal in subsequent years.

Research Project Expectations

  • Conduct research on topics covered by the Initiative’s mission and submit their resulting research papers to peer-reviewed academic journals.
  • Work with IRAEA research staff to produce policy briefs (condensed versions of published papers written in language accessible to non-specialists) to inform lawmakers, policy advisors, and the general public of the research findings.
  • Present a research seminar on the research project that is open to faculty, students and the general public.
  • Submit a brief end-of-project report in PDF format outlining how the work fulfills each of the project expectations described above. Reports should be 1,000 or fewer words and submitted to IRAEA co-directors as well as the communications specialist.
  • Provide co-directors and the communications specialist with research presentations and any/all other outreach materials developed and presented that pertains to the IRAEA-sponsored research project. Grantees are also asked to participate in the Initiative’s outreach efforts including video interviews and news stories regarding research and outcomes.
  • Complete a brief survey (sent out via email) at the end of the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters detailing the status of any papers, presentations, etc. that are associated with their IRAEA research.
  • Follow all MSU and academic journal policies regarding conflicts of interest and acknowledgement of financial support for their research. Grantees are also strongly encouraged to acknowledge IRAEA support in presentations as well as in academic journals and other publications upon acceptance of their work for publication.

Research Grant Proposal Requirements

Proposals should include items 1-4 below and a current curriculum vita/biosketch (two-page limit) that provides either evidence of research experience in the economics of regulatory and policy analysis or evidence of potential to conduct high-quality research in regulatory and policy analysis.

  1. Proposal narrative (2-4 pages) with a description of the research plan written in the order listed below. Each section should begin with a section header (e.g., Abstract, Specific Aims, etc.).
    1. Abstract (150 word limit) 
    2. Statement of Specific Aims of the Project: Statement of the regulatory/policy issue that the research will address, hypothesis, and a description of the rationale and economic basis for the proposed research.
    3. Significance of the Project: Description of the importance of the regulatory/policy issue being addressed, how the research project will improve our knowledge regarding the regulatory/policy issue, including how the research could potentially help policymakers addressing the regulatory/policy issue, and a description of how the research fits into the IRAEA mission. 
    4. Innovation: Brief explanation of how the project is creative, unique, and innovative, and how the project moves the applicant’s research program forward. 
    5. Approach (Design and Methods): Provide a clear research plan that includes the various stages commonly used in economics research (e.g., assessment of current state of research on the issue, describing the underlying economic theory that applies to the research, specifying research methods to be used, obtaining data needed, generating research results, producing a working paper, getting expert feedback, and producing the research paper for submission).
  2. If applicable, researchers must abide by the human subjects requirements as described by the MSU Institutional Review Board. (http://www.montana.edu/irb/). Researchers must identify whether their research project includes human subjects (including human subjects data), and if so, provide a CITI human subjects training certification (see https://www.citiprogram.org/) and an IRB approval letter (or exemption letter) or evidence that IRB approval is pending.
  3. Itemized budget and budget justification for the proposed granting period. The budget may include, but is not limited to, summer salary, equipment, data gathering, and other research-related expenses, and for the principal investigator to travel to attend conferences to present results. Budget cannot be used for students, faculty, or staff who are not affiliated with MSU. 
  4. Project timeline that clarifies the goals, objectives, and work to be accomplished during the granting period, including a timeline for writing white papers and policy briefs and presenting a research seminar on the research project that is open to faculty, students and the general public.

Deadline and Submission Requirements

  • Applicants should complete an OSP Electronic Proposal Clearance Form via the Office of Sponsored Programs website: http://www.montana.edu/research/osp/. Prepare a “Full Proposal Form” and select the sponsor, “Charles Koch Foundation (CHAKOC) [P].”
  • Applicants should include their proposal as an attachment on the clearance form. Attachments must be in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.
  • An electronic version of the complete proposal should also be sent to Tamara Moe, Department of Agricultural Economics & Economics, at moe@montana.edu.

Applicants are encouraged to contact Vincent Smith (994-5615, vsmith@montana.edu) or Wendy Stock (994-7984, wstock@montana.edu) with questions about the proposal format and/or instructions or to discuss potential project ideas or opportunities for joint collaboration with faculty in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics.

Proposal Review

Proposals will be reviewed by the IRAEA Research Grants Selection Committee soon after the submission deadline. The selection committee is comprised of the IRAEA co-directors and the IRAEA research fellows. 

The selection committee will score proposals using the NIH 1-9 scale (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/peer/guidelines_general/scoring_guidance_research. pdf) for overall impact and individual review criteria (Significance, Investigator, Innovation, Approach, and Potential for External Funding) and will include written comments regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal.

IRAEA Short-Term Visiting Scholar Program

Criteria, Expectations, and Request for Proposals

The Initiative provides funding to facilitate hosting visiting scholars for short-term visits to conduct research with MSU faculty and students, present seminars or workshops related to the research, and participate in other activities related to IRAEA’s mission.

Short-term visiting scholar support is available for hosting researchers from other institutions to work with faculty in departments and colleges across MSU. These visits are typically no more than two weeks in duration and can occur during the academic year or the summer. Proposals are made by MSU faculty on behalf of the visiting scholar.

Visiting scholars supported by the Initiative are expected to devote a significant amount of their time and resources during their visit to work related to the Initiative's mission. 

Eligibility

Any MSU faculty member engaged in research related to regulatory and policy issues is eligible to apply for support to host a researcher with whom they are collaborating. Proposals must include a component that addresses research on the impact of regulation and/or policy in agriculture, healthcare, technology, labor markets, finance, natural resources, education, public safety, or other related sectors.

Proposal Requirements: Proposals should be submitted by the MSU faculty sponsor and should include the following.

  1. An brief overview of the proposed scholar's activities during their visit and the projected outcome of the scholarly activities (including potential journal outlets for the research)
  2. A brief statement that highlights the importance of the proposed scholarly activities in relation to regulatory and/or policy issues and how the activities align with the IRAEA mission
  3. Current C.V.s for the MSU faculty host and the visiting scholar
  4. A timeline for the visit that includes the dates of the visit and the anticipated schedule of scholarly activities during the visit
  5. An itemized budget and budget justification for the visit and related activities. The budget may include, but is not limited to, travel expenses for the visiting scholar, costs of materials, space and equipment rental.

Deadline and Submission Requirements

Proposals are accepted on an ongoing basis. Please contact Wendy Stock (994-7984, wstock@montana.edu) or Vincent Smith (994-5615, vsmith@montana.edu) at any time if you have questions or would like to discuss potential visiting scholar ideas.

Proposal Review

Proposals will be reviewed by the IRAEA Visiting Scholars Review Committee soon after the proposal submission. The Committee is comprised of IRAEA administrators and IRAEA research fellows. The committee will judge proposals based on (1) the fit with the IRAEA mission, (2) the strength of the proposed scholarly work and the potential for peer-reviewed publication, (3) the research experience of the proposer and visiting scholar, and (4) the appropriateness of the budget.

Visiting Scholar Deliverables

Visiting scholars or their MSU faculty sponsor should coordinate with the IRAEA directors and communications specialist as they develop plans for the visit. MSU faculty hosts should provide IRAEA with copies of scholarly materials resulting from the visit for sharing with interested parties and for IRAEA reporting purposes.

IRAEA Workshop Program

Criteria, Expectations, and Request for Proposals

The Initiative provides support for researchers to organize and hold workshops for stakeholders, policymakers, students, researchers, and other interested groups. The purpose of the workshop program is to communicate objective, unbiased research findings in a small, workshop setting.

Workshops are generally half-day events (3 to 4 hours in length) with 20-30 participants. The exact structure of workshops varies depending on the topic, but they typically include presentations by 2 to 4 expert researchers and extensive time for Q&A with the audience.

Examples of potential or recent workshops include:

  • Current and Emerging Issues in Career and Technical Education
  • Current and Emerging Issues in Regulating Crop Protection Technology
  • Economic Perspectives on Reproductive Health Policies
  • Indigenous Economic Development
  • Policy, Regulation, and Market Access in Agriculture
  • Labor Market Legislation and Workforce Outcomes

Please note that these are simply examples, not recommendations or directives.

Eligibility

Any MSU faculty member engaged in research related to regulatory and policy issues is eligible to apply for support. Workshops must include a component that addresses the impact of regulation and/or policy in agriculture, healthcare, technology, finance, natural resources, education, public safety, labor markets, entrepreneurship, or other related sectors.

Proposal Requirements: Workshop proposals should include:

  1. An overview of the workshop topic, including a description of its importance and its link to regulatory or policy issues and fit with the IRAEA mission
  2. An abstract or mission statement for the workshop (100 word limit) 
  3. A description of the anticipated presentations in the workshop, including a short biography for each potential speaker
  4. A description of the anticipated audience for the workshop
  5. An itemized budget and budget justification for the workshop. The budget may include, but is not limited to, travel expenses for presenters, costs of workshop materials, space and equipment rental. The workshop budget should not exceed $8,000 unless the organizers present a detailed justification for additional expenses.
  6. A proposed timeline for development of the workshop
  7. An anticipated workshop date and time

Deadline and Submission Requirements

Proposals are accepted on an ongoing basis. Please contact Wendy Stock (994-7984, wstock@montana.edu) or Vincent Smith (994-5615, vsmith@montana.edu) at any time if you have questions or would like to discuss potential workshop ideas.

Proposal Review

Proposals will be reviewed by the IRAEA Workshop Review Committee soon after the proposal submission. The committee is comprised of IRAEA administrators and IRAEA research fellows. The committee will judge proposals based on (1) their fit with the IRAEA mission, (2) their potential to communicate peer-reviewed research to lay audiences, (3) the research and workshop experience of the proposer, and (4) the appropriateness of the budget.

Workshop Deliverables

Workshop organizers should coordinate with the IRAEA directors and communications specialist as they develop the workshop. Workshop organizers should provide IRAEA with copies of presenters’ materials for sharing with audience members and other interested parties. Where possible, organizers should also provide workshop photos and workshop evaluations by audience members for IRAEA reporting purposes.

IRAEA Travel Expense Reimbursement Program

Criteria, Expectations, and Request for Proposals

The Initiative provides funding to facilitate travel that is utilized to enrich or augment existing IRAEA-funded research. Such travel reimbursements may include presenting IRAEA-funded research at a conference/workshop, meeting with co-authors to work on IRAEA-funded research, or other travel that is useful in the creation and development of IRAEA-funded research. 

Eligibility

Any MSU faculty member engaged in research that is at least partially funded by IRAEA is eligible to apply for travel reimbursement to support travel to present or augment the funded research project. Proposals must be submitted by those participating in IRAEA-funded activities, including, but not limited to, research grantees, undergraduate research scholars, research fellows, and research associates.

Proposal Requirements: Proposals should be submitted by the MSU IRAEA-funded faculty member and should include the following:

  1. A brief overview of the proposed travel and the projected outcome of the travel
  2. A brief statement that highlights the importance of the travel in enriching or augmenting the existing research that fits within the IRAEA mission
  3. An itemized budget and budget justification for the travel. The budget may include, but is not limited to, expenses related to airfare, hotel accommodations, local transportation, and a daily per diem.

Deadline and Submission Requirements

Proposals are accepted on an ongoing basis. Please contact Wendy Stock (994-7984, wstock@montana.edu) or Vincent Smith (994-5615, vsmith@montana.edu) at any time if you have questions.

Proposal Review

Proposals will be reviewed by the IRAEA Travel Review Committee soon after the proposal submission. The committee is comprised of IRAEA administrators and IRAEA research fellows. The committee will judge proposals based on (1) the relevance of the travel to enrich or augment existing IRAEA-funded research, (2) the appropriateness of budget requested, and (3) the potential for the travel to improve the research and its potential for publication in a high-quality, peer-reviewed academic journal.

Deliverables

Recipients of travel expense reimbursements should coordinate with the IRAEA directors and communications specialist as they develop their travel plans. Travelers should provide IRAEA with copies of scholarly materials associated with or resulting from the travel for sharing with interested parties and for IRAEA reporting purposes.