Call for the presentation of research proposals for financing with INTEC's own funds

The Vice-Rector for Research and Liaison, through the Executive Directorate for Research, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, calls the members of the academic community of INTEC to present research proposals for financing with INTEC's own funds.

INTEC encourages joint research among researchers from the institutions that are members of the Scientific-Technological and Innovation Pole of the Northwest of Santo Domingo. Thus, as part of the 2010 Call for the presentation of research proposals for financing with INTEC's own funds, researchers from INTEC and the institutions that are members of the Pole are invited to agree on joint proposals. 

The amounts to be financed would be committed as seed funds and are the same amounts referred to in the general call, up to RD $ 250,000.00 and complying with the same general guidelines established. They must contemplate a counterpart equal to that granted by INTEC by the institution or institutions of the Scientific Pole whose researchers make up the proposal. As part of this compensation, the fees of the researcher of the Polo institution may be considered (up to an amount no greater than the fees to be received by the INTEC researcher in the budget of the project in question; INTEC funds do not cover fees of researchers from other institutions). Additionally, up to twenty percent (20%) of the counterpart may be in kind (such as laboratory or support materials and services) valued at market prices and / or subject to the evaluation of the project's peer evaluators). 

Deadlines for the submission of proposals: The stipulated time for the presentation of proposals is 30 days. The period for submitting proposals in this call opens on April 15, 2010 and closes on May 14, 2010, at 5:00 pm Proposals will not be accepted after the deadline has expired. These proposals must be delivered to the Executive Directorate for Research, Entrepreneurship and Innovation of the Vice-Rector's Office for Research and Relations (building annexed to Ercilia Pepín, EP). 

Form of presentation:Proposals must be submitted in two physical copies and in digital format (in Word, without protection or encryption). 

Character and scope of investigations: Research can be basic or theoretical, applied, technological or experimental in nature; Its scope extends to all areas of scientific knowledge and technological work, which means that scientific research, research and development (R&D) and technological innovation projects can be presented; They can be exploratory, descriptive, explanatory, (inferential or predictive), and innovation and development, among others. Institutional investigations may be included 1 whose interest is endorsed by legitimate pertinent instances. Commercial research is excluded2.  

Aspects to be taken into account in the consideration and evaluation of each proposal:

• They are presented by an active member of the academic community of INTEC as principal investigator or co-investigator. Those members of the academic community who have not fulfilled their contractual research commitments in the last five (5) years are excluded. Only those whose failure has been the late delivery of results for no more than 50% of the time proposed and approved will be considered within this line.

• It has the written endorsement of any instance of the respective Area: Dean, Academic Committee, Center or Professorial Group, Director of Career or Program or Professor-Researcher.

• It is logically structured, so that there is internal coherence between the title, the problem posed, the objectives, the hypothesis or research questions, the theoretical framework, the methodology, the research techniques and procedures, the activities and the products.

• It is clearly part of a tradition or current of research and / or technological development whose state of the art corresponds to relevance and relevance.

• It raises in a clear and explicit way the research problem, as well as the foreseeable contribution of the project to its better knowledge and / or solution.

• It consistently exposes the research methodology, specifies the research techniques and instruments and the strategy of treatment and analysis of the data and interpretation of the results.

• It responds to the institutional interest of producing valuable research results in terms of: a) generation of knowledge and / or new technological developments of relevance in terms of the state of the art and frontiers of advance of the discipline or field of study, b) knowledge and / or new technological developments relevant to the natural, social, economic, political or cultural Dominican reality and its demands of economic, social and cultural order, c) appropriate solutions to national challenges or problems that contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of Dominicans and the sustainable development of the country.

• It incorporates undergraduate or graduate students and facilitates the participation of student groups or committees.

• It shows a relationship with relevant thematic areas of training and teaching in postgraduate programs (specialization, masters or doctorate) at INTEC.

• It is shown feasible and realistic in its work plan including schedule, budget and human resources (researchers, assistants and support staff).

Evaluation criteria: A score will be assigned to each aspect of the project on a cumulative maximum of 20 points. The acceptance or rejection of a project will respond to the accumulation of a score above 15, keeping an order of importance according to the accumulated approach to the maximum of 20. 

Evaluation and selection of proposals: 

The proposals will be subject to review and evaluation (in compliance with the double-blind procedure) by relevant qualified peers selected by the Executive Directorate of Research, Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the list of eligible candidates approved by the Vice-Rector of Research and Liaison. 

Proposals and reports of peer review and evaluation will be submitted to the Research Council. 

The Research Council will have the prerogative of selecting the best projects and allocate stipends according to the submitted budget. 

The Research Council may approve the proposals as they were introduced or conditioned to modifications to be introduced by the proponents and verified by the Executive Direction of Investigations, Entrepreneurship and Innovation. 

Products to be delivered: Researchers whose projects are funded should present the following products: a) a progress report in the middle of the investigation, b) make a public presentation where they present the final results of their research, c) a final report with the results and conclusions of the study and d) a publishable article about the results. 

Amounts to finance: There will be two categories according to the amounts to be financed: 

• Projects of up to two hundred and fifty thousand pesos (RD $ 250,000.00);
• Projects of up to three hundred and fifty thousand pesos (RD $ 350,000.00) as long as the principal investigator secure counterparts for third-party funds not less than thirty (30) percent of the amount to be financed with own funds.

In any of the cases, the amounts corresponding to fees may not be greater than eighty-five percent (85%) of the total budget submitted. 

In very exceptional cases, of high institutional interest, the Research Council, on the recommendation of the Vice-Rector for Investigations and Liaison, will have the prerogative to consider projects that exceed the standard amounts indicated above. 

Duration of the projects: 

Projects of up to 12 months will not require explicit justification of their duration. 

Projects that exceed 12 months may be approved by exception as long as, in addition to the rationality of the presented schedule, a valid justification of the reasons for exceeding said period is included. 

Budget: A budget will be approved specifying the different lines and concepts according to guidelines established for such purposes by the Executive Direction of Investigations, Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Each item of the budget must be duly justified, specifying its nature (fees, current expenses, equipment expenses). 

The Executive Directorate of Investigations, Entrepreneurship and Innovation will establish the procedure and conditions for the acquisition and preservation of expenses related to bibliography, software, laboratory material and other durable supplies that after the investigation will become the property of INTEC and registered among its assets . The current expenses must be supported by their due acceptable invoices according to the administrative procedures and requirements in force at INTEC. 

Disbursements: In general, the disbursements can be scheduled in the following way: a first payment of 25% of the amount approved at the start of the project, a second payment of 35% against delivery of the progress report (which must cover at least half of the objectives to be achieved) and a financial report that includes invoices that justify the expenses made up to that moment, a third and final payment of 40%, upon delivery of the final report and a financial report that includes invoices that justify all the expenses incurred. In any case, with the approval of the proposal, a disbursement program appropriate to the project that will be part of the research contract will be specified. 

Contractual commitments: Each principal investigator will sign a contract with the INTEC, in which the commitments and conditions of both parties will be established to carry out the investigation. Failure to comply with the terms of this contract by the investigator (s) will lead to the suspension of payments and, consequently, to the discontinuation of the investigation. 

Penalties: The contract for the investigation may establish penalties of up to fifteen (15) percent of the fees approved for unjustified delays and not formally authorized by the Executive Directorate for Research, Entrepreneurship and Innovation. 

Format for the design and presentation of the proposals * 

Proposals must have the following format:

• Title of the Research
• Project Manager (Principal Investigator)
• Members (Researchers and assistants)
• Type of project: a) basic or theoretical research, b) applied research, d) technological or experimental development)
• Area in which the project is registered (see alternatives)
• Executive summary (approximate maximum of 500 words)
• Approach to the Problem of the Research and Sub-Problem of Research
• Delimitation of the Research Area (assumptions, limitations, specifications)
• Justification (relevance: a) theoretical b) applied or practical, b) social and institutional)
• Background and review of relevant literature or theoretical or conceptual framework
• Accuracy of state of the art
• Objectives
• Hypothesis (if any)
• Methodology and Design
• Research techniques and procedures
• Treatment and analysis of data
• Results and Expected Products
• Communication strategy of results and products
• Schedule (unit of time: months; justification of the duration of the project if necessary)
• Bibliography
• Budget (See guidelines for budget presentation)
• CVitaes of the researchers (see format).

* The Executive Directorate of Research, Entrepreneurship and Innovation has available for the purpose of presenting projects a Guide for the presentation of research projects, including explanatory notes, general format, format for budget and format for CVitaes). 

Ethical, prudential and legal aspects 

The Executive Directorate of Research, Entrepreneurship and Innovation will present to the proposers the formats related to the presentation of the ethical commitments related to the research activity and the possible implications for human or animal subjects, as well as for the environment. environment and for the anonymity and safeguard of privacy and reputation of individual, organizational or institutional order, according to the principles, codes, regulations and applicable international and national protocols, which must be completed  باحسن نیت by researchers; also with respect to copyright and intellectual property issues and others of a legal and contractual nature. 

Evaluation of progress and final reports: The progress and final reports may be submitted by the Executive Directorate of Investigations, Entrepreneurship and Innovation to the peer evaluation procedure for the purpose of determining its approval, with or without modifications. 

We urge teachers-researchers, school coordinators, teachers and students groups, professors, graduates and graduates in general to formulate and present their research proposals according to the bases of the call. 

1- Institutional research, being also private, takes as its object of study aspects or facets of the institutional environment itself in order to support decision-making in the formulation and / or evaluation of policies, programs or actions and their improvement. 

2- Relevant research to solve a specific problem faced by the company, organization or private client, of a private nature.