Departmental Allocated Research Support (DARS)

Taft provides departments with support funds to enable faculty research on small-dollar projects below $2,000. Where a specific project requires $2,000 or more in financial support, faculty may apply for Research Support.

DARS awards are allocated to each Taft-eligible unit at the start of each fiscal year. Funds are then distributed to faculty members to support individual projects. No application through Taft is required.

DARS awards are allocated to each Taft-eligible unit at the start of each fiscal year. Funds are then distributed to faculty members to support individual projects (see Award Terms for more information). It is incumbent upon the departments and faculty to track their DARS balances and expenditures.

Allowable expenses include:

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

Where the research support required is less than $2,000, faculty must use department allocated research support (DARS) funds, or account for the use of such in the application to Taft. 

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
• Expenses eligible under other Taft programs, irrespective of support limits for these programs, are not eligible expenses under DARS
• DARS funds may not be used to support Departmental Operating Expense
• 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))
• Independent student projects are not eligible expenses under DARS, except where these projects directly support a specific faculty research project
• Each department shall, in a democratic fashion, determine the procedure and distribution of Departmental Allocated Research Support funds
• 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.