Resources for Faculty
1. FUNDING SOURCES (INTERNAL AND UT SYSTEM)
- Seed Grants
- COS: Amount open-ended; available for individuals or multi-disciplinary teams
- Provost: $5,000 for individual or $10,000 for multi-disciplinary proposals
- Conference Travel
- Faculty Travel Support Program (UTRGV Office of Provost- matching funds up to $800)
- Equipment
- Rising STAR (UT System): Up to $300,000 (limited to expenditures for research equipment and laboratory renovations) for recruitment of promising faculty members.
- 1st step when you want to begin a competitive proposal:
3. GRADUATE STUDENT COSTS & SUPPORT
- Fill out Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) Intent to Submit a Proposal. You will be assigned an OSP staff member to help prepare your proposal. Read OSP Handbook.
- Grant Writing Support
- COS CAREER pathway program: Mentoring program for NSF CAREER proposals
- Writing-Mentoring Program: General grant- or manuscript-writing support
- Costs
- Tuition (excluded from IDC on grants)
- Wages: varies by department and (suggested for TAs and RAs: $15,000/year + fringe)
- Support
- Dept of Biology TAship application
4. UNDERGRADUATES AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Biology undergraduate degree program
- Students may get up to 8 credits doing independent research in a lab. Enroll in BIOL 4X99. Email biology@utrgv.edu with your name, student’s name and ID, and term.
- ESAA (Engaged Scholar and Artist Awards): Funding ($2-$4K) for student wages or travel, allowable materials. Max $500 for faculty mentor travel expenses related to the project. 3 deadlines/year. Max 1 undergraduate student per year per PI.
- Center of Excellence in Stem Education (CSTEM)
- UTRGV High Scholars Program – faculty mentoring of high school students in research every summer (June – July), culminating in poster session, monetary support to faculty is available.
- WISE (Women In Science Network)
- Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE): Offers monthly workshops throughout the year.
- Center for Online Learning & Teaching Technology (COLTT): Individual course designers assist with migrating content in Blackboard, tech expertise in video recording/editing/captioning.
6. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
- Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOP): policies and procedures, governance of UTRGV.
Cost of living (based on bestplaces.net)
Main K12 school districts and community colleges
- South Texas ISD (Edinburg, Weslaco)
- IDEA (across the valley)
- Edinburg Consolidated ISD
- McAllen ISD
- Brownsville ISD
- South Texas College (across the valley)
- Texas Southmost College (shared campus with UTRGV Brownsville campus)
Outdoor recreation & Nature parks (ordered from west to east)
- Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge (spans entire valley)
- Bentsen State Park (Mission)
- National Butterfly Center (Mission)
- Mission Hike and Bike Trail
- Quinta Mazatlan (McAllen)
- McAllen Nature Center
- Edinburg Scenic Wetlands & World Birding Center
- Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge (Alamo)
- Valley Nature Center (Weslaco)
- Estero Llano Grande State Park (Weslaco)
- Hugh Ramsey Nature Park (Harlingen)
- Harlingen Thicket
- Resaca de la Palma State Park (Brownsville)
- Sabal Palm Sanctuary (Brownsville)
- Southmost Preserve (Brownsville)
- Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (Los Fresnos)
- Sea Turtle, Inc. (SPI)
- Laguna Madre Nature Trail (SPI)
- South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center, and Alligator Sanctuary (SPI)
Other main attractions & news
- Gladys Porter Zoo (Brownsville)
- International Museum of Art & Science (McAllen)
- Museum of South Texas History (Edinburg)
- RGVision magazine