Small Grants

Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies Faculty Small Grants Program
(Rolling)

REEES small grants are open on a rolling basis to all Pitt faculty working on topics related to our region. To ensure a balanced distribution of funds throughout the year, the total pool of available funding is divided in two, with one half of the funds made available for successful applications submitted during the first half of the University’s fiscal year (July – December), and the other half available for applications submitted during the second half of the fiscal year (January – June). Applicants submitting proposals after all of the funds earmarked for a given 6-month period have been spent will be offered the opportunity to resubmit during the next 6-month period. Funding for successful proposals submitted in July – December must be spent by the end of the subsequent June. Funding for successful proposals submitted in January – June must be spent by the beginning of the subsequent December.

Applications Submitted & Awarded between: Funds Must be Spent by:
July 1 – December 31 June 15
January 1 – June 30 December 15

 

For more information on eligibility requirements and further details about the application process, please see the full call for proposalsFor any additional information or to submit your application, please contact Zsuzsánna Magdó.

 

Allowable and Non-Allowable Expenses

Allowable Expenses

  • Ground and air transportation to and from partner university.
  • On-campus and on-site research assistance (work study, translator, etc.).
  • Copy and other duplication costs.
  • Books and subscriptions, if justifiably necessary for the research project.
  • Ground and air transportation to and from the conference or workshop site.
  • Visa expenses.
  • Lodging expenses (unless already covered by partner) and meal expenses.
  • Duplication of papers for use at the conference or workshop.
  • Registration fee for conference or workshop.
  • Payment to foreign national firms for services provided outside the United States

Non-allowable Expenses

  • Travel expenses for individuals other than the applicant 
  • Payment to foreign national individuals for services provided outside the United States
  • Equipment
  • Membership fees
  • Any expenses unrelated to the proposed activities

 

Regulations Regarding Travel (Registering Your Travel)

All awards from the REEES are contingent on the US State Department Travel Advisory Level for your destination (country/region/city).  The State Department issues a Travel Advisory for each country of the world. Travel Advisories apply up to four levels of advice, describe the risks, and provide clear actions travellers should take to help ensure their safety. For information on this process, please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/about-our-new-products.html.

Awardees are advised to check the State Department for updates on travel advisories at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html.

Please be aware that for areas classified as Levels 3 & 4, funding eligibility is likely to be impacted.  Per internal UCIS policy, REEES will not fund faculty travel to any Level 4 destination (country/region/city).  To ensure eligibility for funding, REEES recommends selecting alternative countries/regions/cities to do your research that do not fall into Level 4. 

Please note that these restrictions apply to the designation level at the time of travel. As situations around the world can change rapidly, please be sure to stay informed. In addition, should the University issue additional travel restrictions in advance of or during your REEES-funded trip, you will be expected to comply with the new restrictions. Should you have to cancel a trip for which you have already incurred out-of-pocket expenses due to a Unversity-imposed travel restriction, please contact Zsuzsánna Magdó to determine if the expenses can still be reimbursed.

 

If you choose to undertake travel to a Level 4 country or that violates University restrictions, your grant will be revoked and no expenses will be reimbursed.

To help you stay on top of any changes, the University of Pittsburgh strongly encourages faculty to register all trips abroad that are undertaken for University business (including research) through the International SOS MyTrips portal. UCIS and REEES are strong proponents of this practice. To receive this funding you will be required to show proof that you trip has been registered.  For information on how to register, visit the Global Operations Support website.  Once you have completed the travel registration, you can either forward the confirmation email you receive, or send a screenshot of the final screen showing you have completed all of the steps.  This should be emailed to Rebecca Dial before your departure.  Failure to complete this step will jeopardize your funding.

 

IRB Approval

  • All research involving interventions or interactions with individuals or the collection of identifiable private information concerning living individuals requires prospective Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval.
  • Even if the research may qualify as an exempt category, the researcher must obtain an exemption approval from the IRB.
  • Grantees are responsible for obtaining IRB approval when required and must provide documentation of IRB approval before the funds can be disbursed. For further information, check the IRB web site at www.irb.pitt.edu.
     

Required Reporting

REEES requires all faculty grant recipients to submit a report outlining the results of grant-funded activities.  The report should be no more than two pages and is to be submitted within a month of completion of the funded activities.  In lieu of this, you may choose instead to prepare an article based on your research or initiative for the REEES newsletter in the subsequent semester or academic year. 
 

Procedures for Processing Reimbursements

Grant recipients should be in contact with REEES Administrative Assistant Rebecca Dial before departing to determine what will be needed to ensure a smooth processing of any reimbursements.  Failure to produce proper documentation (receipts, original boarding passes) may result in a reduction in funding.