CLEC & Seed Grant FAQ
Question: What are the differences between CLEC funding and Seed Grants?
Answer: Both funds are designed to support increased intercultural programming for the campus community. However, there are differences in what can be funded through each fund as well as the amount of funding to be provided. CLEC funding is funded by student activity fees. These funds are audited every year and the use is limited. Proposal decisions are made by a committee of Georgia Southern faculty, staff, and students who review the submission items for each proposal. The maximum award for this funding opportunity is $1,200. Proposals with 30% of needed funds supplied by sources other than CLEC will have priority for review. Lastly, ALL APPLICANTS WITH AN APPROVED PROPOSAL MUST USE EAGLE ENGAGE TO PROMOTE THEIR INITIATIVE. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN A RETROACTIVE PROPOSAL DENIAL.
Seed Grants are funded by the Office of Inclusive Excellence. The maximum award for these proposals is $750. Proposal decisions are made by the office of Inclusive Excellence staff who review the submission items for each proposal. Funding can not be used for paraphernalia, food and other items mentioned in the CLEC- and Seed Grant- instructions.
Question: Who is Eligible for CLEC funding and Seed Grants?
Answer: All faculty, staff, and students are eligible to apply for CLEC Funding and Seed Grants.
Question: What are the deadlines for CLEC funding and Seed Grant Applications?
Answer: There are no deadlines for CLEC funding or Seed Grants. There is a window in which both applications have multiple review periods. The window opens July 1 with the beginning of the fiscal year and closes on the first Monday of April.
There are recommendations on time frames to use when submitting proposals. Preferred submission for Seed Grant applications is one month prior to your event. Preferred submission for CLEC funding is two months prior to your event. This gives us ample time to communicate questions of clarity with proposers and give adequate reviews as well as process funding correctly.
Question: How long after my application begins the reviewing process should I expect a decision on my proposal?
Answer: Decision letters should be received within 2 weeks after they are reviewed. Proposers will get notice of their submission being reviewed at the beginning of the review periods.
Question: How long after I submit my application should I expect a notification that my proposal is under review?
Answer: Proposers will get notice of their submission being reviewed at the beginning of the review periods.
Question: I received my decision letter and I have been approved. Now what?
Answer: All information regarding forward steps in receiving funding requested will be provided in the acceptance letter.
Question: I received my decision letter and I have been denied. Now What?
Answer: Along with the decision letters. All applicants will be able to see the feedback provided by the committee on the rubric submitted to them. This is implemented to allow the applicant an opportunity to understand where they can further enhance their idea. If there is still a desire to have the event, the applicant can submit another application with the advised improvements. However, newly submitted applications will be subject to the following review window.
Question: Am I able to receive funds awarded to my initiative before the event?
Answer: No. CLEC funds are awarded on a reimbursement basis. We are not able to transfer any amount of money unless the vendor(s) for the initiative have been paid or all materials needed have been purchased and we have been presented receipts of the payments made. However, since we can not directly reimburse student organization agency accounts (accounts through Georgia Southern), we are able to directly pay a vendor for the initiative. But, we will not be able to purchase supplies.
Question: What is the role of the CLEC Graduate Assistant?
Answer: The Graduate Assistant that handles the CLEC operations serves as the orchestrator of the committee when transitions are made, the builder of the applications, and the organizer of the meetings and documentation pertaining to CLEC proposals. They collaborate with OIE full-time staff to ensure CLEC alignment with the Office’s goals and objectives, and also serves as the liaison between the CLEC committee and the applicants. The CLEC Graduate Assistant DOES NOT have any voting power in the CLEC process.
Question: What are my CLEC or Seed Grant funds NOT approved for?
Answer: CLEC funds and Seed Grants cannot be used for funding scholarships or making direct payments to faculty, staff, or students engaged in DEI work such as generating Open Educational Resources (OERs) that can be used by students or faculty and staff. The funds can also not be used for self serving items such as organization paraphernalia or food. More information regarding CLEC fund usage can be found in the CLEC Instructional Document and the Seed Grant Instructional Document.
Question: If I have a big project, can myself and my co-proposer, or other initiative partners, apply for funding separately?
Answer: No. There can only be one application submitted per initiative proposal.
Question: What happens if multiple applications are submitted for one proposal?
Answer: If multiple applications are submitted for one proposal, ONLY the first proposal related to that event will be accepted for REVIEW. This does not mean the proposal will be accepted for funding. The committee will use the electronic timestamp recorded by Google to determine which application was submitted first for review.
Question: What happens following the completion of my initiative?
Answer: Before the initiative starts, the primary proposer will be sent a link to a questionnaire to be completed by the audience. After the initiative is completed, the primary proposer will receive a questionnaire evaluating their event and the CLEC process. This will allow the committee and the OIE to be able to decide on if this event should- or could- be awarded in the future if it was proposed again.
Question: How do I join the CLEC review committee?
Answer: Faculty and staff members are either directly nominated to the OIE, or they complete an application for review by the OIE graduate assistant overseeing the committee.
Question: What if my idea proposal does not align with neither CLEC or Seed grant requirements? Can I gain funding from OIE another way?
Answer: No. The OIE only provides funding through either CLEC or Seed grants. CLEC funding and Seed Grants are used as mediums to enhance the culture of Inclusive Excellence throughout the GS community by aiding the implementation of programming that will support Pillar 3 of the University Strategic Plan and the Inclusive Excellence Action Plan.
Last updated: 6/23/2022