Allowable expenses include:

• Computer software; and
• Research-related equipment/supplies; and
• Hiring a student research assistant; and
• Membership dues; and
• Other costs directly tied to conducting research, not open to other programs.

DARS funds are decided by each department, as the department sees fit, in accordance with the following guidelines:

• Items that support faculty research only obliquely, e.g. computers, are not an eligible expense under DARS; and
• Expenses eligible under other Taft programs, irrespective of support limits for these programs, are not eligible expenses under DARS; and
• DARS funds may not be used to support Departmental Operating Expense; and
• All grant funds must be expended exclusively in furtherance of the grant and all expenditures of grant funds must comply with university policies relating to financial transactions, including the Code of Conduct and, as discussed in the Code of Conduct, the ethics laws of the state of Ohio which prohibit certain private financial interests in university matters.(University Rule 3361:10-17-03(D); http://www.uc.edu/content/dam/uc/trustees/docs/rules_10/10-17-03.pdf ; and
• Independent student projects are not eligible expenses under DARS, except where these projects directly support a specific faculty research project; and
• Each department shall, in a democratic fashion, determine the procedure and distribution of Departmental Allocated Research Support funds; and
• Publications and creative work generated with the help of Taft grants should acknowledge the Charles Phelps Research Center. Copies of such publications should be sent to the Chair of the Taft Executive Board. 

In the spring of 2015, the Taft Faculty executive board voted to allow the carryover of DARS funds into a second year, and by special permission a third year. Implementing this policy requires that we observe the following rule, stated on a yearly basis to make it clear:

• Year 1: The department is provided with monies from the DARS program.
• Year 2: The department is provided with monies from the DARS program and the previous year's unexpended DARS monies are rolled over to be used within this fiscal year.
• Year 3: The department is provided with monies from the DARS program, the previous year's unexpended DARS monies are rolled over to be used within this fiscal year, and by special permission Year 1 DARS funds may be carried over.
• Year 4: The department is provided with monies from the DARS program, the previous year's unexpended DARS monies are rolled over to be used within this year, and by special permission Year 2 DARS funds may be carried over, though unexpended DARS funds from Year 1 are reallocated and no longer available to the department.

DARS balances will be sent to each department at the start of the fiscal year. It is incumbent upon the departments and faculty to track their DARS balances and expenditures.

As an emergency measure of support in FY21, Taft will double the budget calculations for this category. Please contact Taft Business Manager for specific information.

All applications must be submitted to the Graduate Program Director of your department. The procedures below are used in the Competitive Dissertation Fellowship, and may be used as suggested guidelines for students and departments, but it is up to each department to adopt them entirely, partially or even establish a completely different set of rules for each year’s applications. Taft does not review applications for allocated dissertation fellowships.

Material:

• Research abstract (125 words)
• Project description (5 pages)
• The applicant's grade record - something that shows your grades for the courses you have taken while at UC.
• A letter of support from the applicant’s dissertation advisor detailing the following:
• Progress in the dissertation process by the time of the application, according to the scheduled proposed on the applicant’s dissertation prospectus.
• The applicant's rank among advanced graduate students and the department's applicants, as well as his or her engagement in extra-curricular activities such as organizing events, taking part in committees, volunteering for departmental activities, etc.
• The applicant’s productivity, in terms of academic publications, during his or her years as a UC student. This part should also reference in-review publications as well as creative writing produced during the same period.
• Whether or not all course work and qualifying exams have been completed, and the applicant has advanced to candidacy;
• Expected completion date of doctoral studies;
• Whether or not the applicant was previously a dissertation fellow;
• A letter of support from the applicant’s dissertation advisor detailing the following:
  • Progress in the dissertation process by the time of the application; and
  • The applicant's rank among advanced graduate students and the department's applicants, as well as engagement in extra-curricular activities such as organizing events, taking part in committees, volunteering for departmental activities, etc.; and
  • The applicant’s productivity, in terms of academic publications, during his or her years as a UC student (please reference any in-review publications as well as creative writing produced during the same period); and
  • Whether or not all course work and qualifying exams have been completed, and the applicant has advanced to candidacy; and
  • Expected completion date of doctoral studies; and
  • Whether or not the applicant was previously a dissertation fellow.

The primary prerequisite for serious consideration of all candidates is proof of significant progress toward the degree in the calendar year prior to the submission of the application. For students who are in the second year of dissertation work, this progress is usually established by the letters of recommendation of the student's advisor and other members of the dissertation committee. Such letters should summarize what has been accomplished and what remains to be accomplished before the dissertation is considered completed. For students who are about to begin a dissertation, significant progress toward the degree is established by completion of preliminary examination and by letters of recommendation. In exceptional circumstances, awards may be made contingent on satisfactory completion of Ph.D. examinations by the end of the second (spring) semester. 

Following departmental review and selection, the Graduate Program Director must send to Taft, no later than February 28, a letter detailing:

• The process of selecting the top two or three candidates
• A final ranking of the candidates, along with any information about other fellowships to which any of the candidates have applied (or will apply)
• The selected candidate's M-number, the title of their dissertations and an abstract of their project of no more 250 words.

Candidates who have had or currently have a Taft Dissertation award will not be eligible for another dissertation award unless there are no other qualified candidates within the department, assessed by a two-thirds majority vote of the faculty. In the exceptionally rare case that a candidate is being awarded a Dissertation Fellowship for the second time, the Department must explain this exceptional circumstance and the reasons for it on its report.

Departments should be advised that students who will attain 174 (140 with MA in-hand prior to attending UC) graduate hours during the fellowship year, are not eligible for Graduate Assistant Scholarship (GAS) awards. This fellowship does not require that students receive a GAS award.  

Departments may carry-over their allocated award for up to one year if there is no student that meets department and Taft selection criteria for the Dissertation Fellowship, but may not provide more than two allocated awards in a given academic year.

Awardees agree to the following: 

• Taft Fellows may not engage in any form of paid employment, including teaching, during the period of their fellowship.
• The Taft Dissertation Fellowship is classified as a Graduate Assistant Scholarship (GAS), offered through the home department, which covers an entire academic year, including the summer. This does not include ITIE (technology) fees, insurance, or an international fee, if applicable.
• Taft Dissertation Fellows may be required to attend several meetings throughout the year and present their work publicly at a Taft-approved event, in the spring or following fall. 
• Fellows must maintain residency in close proximity to the university, in order to satisfy the above requirements.
• Failure to meet the necessary obligations of the award may result in the termination of this award.

The following guidelines must be following when awarding enhancements of Graduate Assistantships or Fellowships:

• In making a Graduate Enhancement Award to a student, departments may increase the Graduate Assistantship stipend or supplement stipend funding to meet Graduate School minimums (paid as Graduate Assistantship stipend, through payroll); and
• Departments also use the funds for graduate fellowships, under which the student does not perform teaching or research duties for the department. When an award is made as a fellowship during the fall or Spring semester, the stipend must be at least as large as the minimum Graduate Assistantship stipend set by the Graduate School, for twenty (20) hours of work per week.
• It is inappropriate to use Taft awards to make across-the-board increases to all students.
• A student receiving a Taft award in this manner must receive at least $1,000.

Rollover will be allowed for into a second year, and by special permission, a third year, provided there is justification for the carryover as well as project start and end dates.