Technology Immersion Award
Call for applications is now open.
Deadline for application submission with all supporting documentation is
May 15, 2009
Announcement
The National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Middle Atlantic Region (MAR), is accepting applications from NN/LM MAR members for a Technology Immersion Award for projects that substantially innovate library services using technology. This project should have the capability to scale up for partner library participation and/or result in a report to be distributed to libraries covering all facets of the project in enough detail to enable them to duplicate it in their own library.
The award provides funds for a technologically transformative approach to the provision of library services.
Funds may be used to:
- Plan for and implement new library services based on emerging technologies
- Train staff in new technologies
- Re-think or re-engineer existing library services in light of new technologies
- Select and implement technologies that are robust, scalable and extend library services in new ways
Interest will be given to projects utilizing open source or commonly available software hosted locally or available as web-based applications. Projects that combine services/software in unique configurations to provide services will also be given special consideration.
One award not to exceed $25,000 is available for costs associated with purchasing, installing and/or upgrading technology, as well as training, consulting and planning for technological changes in library services. This award will be funded as a cost reimbursement subcontract. Deadline for submission is May 15, 2009. Award recipient will be notified by July 30 2009.
Possible ideas for projects:
- Applying open source library management software to a single library or library group (e.g. koha, evergreen, LearningAccess)
- Improving communication, internal or external, using available software in a new way (e.g. wikis, blogs, instant messaging, online communities)
- Online education modules using a combination of technologies to enhance the learning experience (e.g. Moodle, ContentDM)
- Enhancing and using digital library collections (e.g. DSpace, Greenstone)
- Federated searching
- Improving remote access to resources
other possibilities? surprise and impress us!
Projects should be completed within 12 months of project award.
Application Submission Instructions/Requirements
Full members of the MAR network are eligible to apply.
The applicant must submit the completed Technology Immersion Award Application along with any supporting materials. The application, along with any attachments, such as resumes, letters of support and equipment quotes, may be sent by fax to 212-263-4258 or attached to an email to rml@med.nyu.edu in PDF format. Please use the title of your project as the subject line of the email. The MAR staff will acknowledge your application when received and notification of awards will be given within by July 30th, 2009.
Cost Instructions
Total cost must not exceed $25,000.
Allowable expenses include:
- Personnel
- Equipment rental or purchase
- Software
- Travel including mileage, tolls, and hotel costs
- Audiovisual costs
- Printing/reproduction/duplication including paper and supplies
- Speaker fees and honoraria
Non-allowable expenses include:
- Indirect costs
- Food or beverages
- Furniture
For IT/Computer Hardware, please include the following as part of your cost proposal:
- For IT/Computer Hardware under $3,000, submit catalog pricing.
- For IT/Computer Hardware of $3,000 or more, submit three (3) vendor quotes (preferably valid for 60 days). Quotes may include General Service Administration (GSA) price lists (Reference: http://www.gsa.gov). Vendor quotes are necessary to determine price reasonableness for purchases. If item is over $3,000 and not competed, then a sole source justification letter is required to indicate why it is the most advantageous purchase.
Please provide the above information via PDF file emailed to rml@med.nyu.edu or fax to 212-263-4258.
Applications/Requests for Personal Appeal Type Items
“Personal Appeal Items” are items used for official duties that could be construed to be used for personal purposes. Examples include items such as cameras, MP3 Players, Smartphones, and laptop computers.
Applications requesting these items must demonstrate that the items will be used for official purposes only, and acknowledge appropriate use of items when acquired with Federal Government funds. The Contractor or Subcontractor work policy should evidence appropriate use of equipment in performance of a Government Contract or Subcontract.
Application Review Process
Proposals are reviewed by the MAR Technology Committee and the National Network Office. Questions and comments from this review body may be sent to the applicant for clarification and revision of the proposal. The merits of each proposal will be carefully evaluated, based on responsiveness to the criteria and the thoroughness and feasibility of the technical approach proposed. Applicants must submit information sufficient to evaluate their proposals based on the criteria listed below. Applicants will be notified about the awards by July 30, 2009.
All projects must be completed within 12 months of the award date.
Evaluation Criteria
IDENTIFICATION OF NEED
Application describes why the technology is needed and how it will substantially impact library services. Application provides a comparison between existing services and intended new services.
35 points
METHODOLOGY and TECHNICAL APPROACH
Methods are logical and demonstrate an innovative approach to library services and a reasonable approach to implementing technology.
40points
EVALUATION
Plans are described to evaluate outcomes objectives and to monitor extent and quality of project activities, services, or products. Plans include identification of indicators, data sources, and data collection timelines.
15 points
EXPERIENCE OF RESPONDENT AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Adequate evidence is provided about the qualifications of the personnel and organizational resources available to assure successful completion of the project. Documentation includes resumes, letters of support and equipment quotes.
10 points
Total Possible Points: 100
Reporting Requirements
- Quarterly progress reports must be submitted to MAR.
- Quarterly invoices must be submitted to MAR for cost reimbursement.
- A financial report with all receipts and invoices must be submitted within thirty (30) days of completion of the project.
- A blog/newsletter article for posting to the MARquee must be submitted in electronic format within thirty (30) days of completion of the project.
- A final report evaluating the success of the project must be submitted to the RML within three (3) months of completion of the project. Reporting guidelines will be submitted to the recipient at the time the award is made.
- A final report covering all facets of the project is to be created to be distributed to libraries in the region and beyond. This report should cover all facets of the project from inception to completion with enough detail to allow any library to recreate this project based on the information provided. The library report should be completed with three (3) months of project completion.
All reports must be submitted in electronic format: MS Word, PDF or within an email for publication on the NN/LM website. Recipients will be asked to allow the NN/LM MAR to republish reports and materials.
Complete reporting guidelines will be provided to the recipient at the time the award is made.
If this project results in a manuscript that will be submitted for publication, in accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy, project directors are asked to submit voluntarily to the NIH manuscript submission (NIHMS) system at PubMed Central (PMC) the author's final manuscript upon acceptance for publication, resulting from activities and/or research supported in whole or in part with direct costs from this award. PMC is the NIH digital repository of full-text, peer-reviewed biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research journals. It is a publicly-accessible, permanent, and searchable electronic archive available on the Internet at http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/.
The award recipient shall acknowledge the support of the National Library of Medicine whenever publicizing the work under this contract in any media by including an acknowledgment substantially as follows:
This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health,
Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. N01-LM-6-3501 under the New York University Medical Center Library.
Website Compliance
If a website is developed under this award, the website must adhere to Section 508 compliance. Resources for this compliance include the National Library of Medicine Web Applications/Site Development Guidelines and Summary of Section 508 Standards.
Contact for Questions
If you have questions or require assistance, contact Gregg Headrick at MAR at 1-800-338-7657 or email Gregg.Headrick@med.nyu.edu. Awards will be announced on both the MAR Listserv and on the MAR newsletter, The MARquee.
