The Board of Regents Support Fund’s 2011-12 competition is underway, with proposal received during October and November across three programs and nine subprograms. The Board has received a bumper crop of proposals, including 199 in Research & Development (Research Competitiveness, Industrial Ties, and Awards to Louisiana Artists and Scholars), 235 in Enhancement (Traditional, Undergraduate, and Two-Year), and 37 in Graduate Fellows (Traditional, Graduate Fellowships for Teachers, and BoR/SREB Graduate Fellowships to Promote Diversity). In total, the proposals request approximately $37.4 million in first-year funds, more than four times the $8.7 million projected in the FY 2011-12 Plan and Budget to be available for these competitive programs. Review panels have been selected and are already reading proposals. These panels will meet via teleconference and in Baton Rouge over the coming months, to develop funding recommendations for the Board of Regents by mid-spring. Panel reports, which include funding recommendations and individual proposal assessments, will be posted on the Sponsored Programs website (http://rsi.laregents.edu) in early April, and taken to the Board for action at its April 2012 meeting.
