VAES Policy on Single PI Hatch and Hatch Multistate Research Projects
Background
All CALS tenured or tenure-track faculty members with 20 percent or more research appointment are required to develop and maintain a single-PI Hatch or Hatch Multistate research project. Single PI Hatch projects encompass research activities led by an individual PI and carried out by one or more persons at a State Agricultural Experiment Station such as the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station (VAES). In contrast, Hatch Multistate research projects involve cooperative, jointly planned multidisciplinary efforts; which focus on high priority topics of concern to several states, in collaboration with the USDA-NIFA and possibly other agencies. The purpose of Hatch Multistate research projects is to promote interdisciplinary work, investigate problems too complex for a single state, and stimulate the exchange of ideas and collaboration among scientists. Several faculty members currently have a single PI Hatch project and participate in one or more Hatch Multistate projects.
Policy
New faculty joining Virginia Tech (VT) in a tenured/tenure-track position are required to develop a single PI Hatch Project. This single PI Hatch project must attain VAES approval and be in the process of obtaining federal approval within 13 months of the faculty member’s start date. Thus, those faculty with a typical August start date should aim for the following September 30 target deadline. For faculty arriving at a different date than the typical August start date the targeted deadline will be based upon the 13-months from the start date standard.
Newly hired faculty may also join a Hatch Multistate Project, as an additional effort to develop multi-institutional collaborations. Please note, joining a Hatch Multistate program does not negate the requirement of a single PI Hatch project during the first five years of appointment at Virginia Tech.
Unit leaders are encouraged to mentor faculty to maintain, report, complete, and renew both single PI Hatch and/or Hatch Multistate projects, to meet VAES and federal timelines. These expectations include avoiding gaps in active project status and/or delays in annual/final project reporting.
Before the expiration of the original, required single PI Hatch project, faculty should discuss their next project with the unit leader. After completion of the first single PI Hatch project, the faculty member could decide to join a Hatch Multistate project to fulfill the VAES requirement. Review of requests will be on a case-by-case basis and subject to the availability of funds and approval by both VAES and unit leaders. Those who wish to maintain a single PI Hatch project instead of joining a Hatch Multistate effort may continue to do so.
Important
Failure to meet the expectation to develop, maintain, and comply with federal reporting requirements (single PI Hatch or Hatch Multistate) could result in no salary increase for faculty at the next review cycle, and potentially subsequent cycles until compliance has been achieved. Other VAES resources (e.g. graduate student funding, equipment, seed grants, etc.) may also be withheld until compliance has been achieved.
Criteria
This policy applies to all faculty members having a single PI Hatch or Hatch Multistate research project with clearly defined objective(s) and contributions to the project.
Both program types have annual reporting requirements.
- Development Committees (DC), Coordinating Committees (CC), Education/Extension and Research Activities (ERA) or Advisory Committees (AC) do not have annual reporting requirements. Therefore, participation in these Committees or activities does not fulfill the Policy expectations.
- No more than four faculty per department will be allowed to count the same Hatch Multistate project as their individual single-PI Hatch research project requirement.
- Faculty involved in more than one Hatch Multistate research project shall report annually on their contributions to each of the projects in which they have committed to.
Faculty members who are official participants of an approved Hatch Multistate research project and have clearly defined objectives for their contribution are eligible to receive up to $1,000 annually in travel grants to participate in approved Multistate research project meetings. Efforts with multiple participants, may receive a maximum amount of $3,000 in travel support annually to support those faculty participating in the approved annual meeting of the same Multistate project.
Travel grants will be awarded based on availability of funds, with priority given to those who chair a Multistate project, host a Multistate project meeting at Virginia Tech, make a presentation, develop collaborations, or network for external grants applications. In addition, individuals with leadership in SDC, ACC, SERA, or SAC may inquire about availability of travel grants for an annual meeting; such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Multistate Travel Grant Request should be submitted at least 6 weeks before the scheduled meeting by email to the VAES Federal Project Coordinator in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Lrasnick@vt.edu).
The request should include the following information:
- Multistate project number and title
- Amount requested
- Name, location and dates of the conference/meeting, and
- Brief (no more than 3-4 lines) information on the purpose of the travel, describing the role of the applicant at the meeting.
Upon approval/disapproval of the funding request, an e-mail will be sent to the applicant, copying the applicant’s department head and CALS Budget Director’s office.
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