The Project Review Committee invites proposals to develop new services or capabilities in the Libraries. Our goal is encouraging the development of new projects by harnessing the creativity of the MIT Libraries' staff. Proposals are welcomed from any member of the staff.
A project should meet at least one of the following criteria:
- requires input and buy-in beyond the originating unit.
- requires time beyond the usual work of affected staff. [Marlene will wordsmith this part]
- costs exceed what can be supported by existing local or central budget lines.
Process
1. Submitter fills out the brief proposal form (add link) [process: submitter gets auto=reply: "thanks for submission, we will get back to you within 30 days..."]
2. The committee reviews the submissions and contacts the submitter if clarification is needed.
3. The committee will approve proposals that seem worth further development and also forward copies to Steering Committee. (link to something about our criteria here) Proposals that are not approved will be returned to submitters with reasons and also advice on potential changes or alternate routes for the idea.
4. Submitters of approved proposals will then fill out the full proposal form. (add link to form and instructions, see notes below) A small pool of expert staff will be designated to help proposers flesh out their full proposal form. Submit the full template to the committee.
5. The committee will review the full proposal submissions and will be in touch if clarification or more information is needed.
6. These full proposals will be forwarded to Steering Committee for final approval and funding prioritization. Funded projects will be overseen by a standard project management process.
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NOTES:
Below are some things I didn't want to lose track of that were in the original process, but I think would go better in the Full Template.
1. Proposals should be specific about who supports the project (e.g. faculty, donors, senior managers, outside agencies). Letters of support will be encouraged to demonstrate support for ideas, although they are not required.
2. Full proposals should include an estimated budget, a timeline, suggested staffing resources needed, and an assessment plan.