VAES Guide for Single Project Director (PD) 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-Project Director (PD) Hatch or Hatch Multistate research project. Single PD Hatch projects encompass research activities led by an individual PD and carried out by one or more persons at a State Agricultural Experiment Station such as the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station (VAES). Hatch Multistate research projects involve cooperative, jointly planned multidisciplinary multi-state 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.
New Faculty Process
New faculty in a tenured/tenure-track position are required to develop a single PD Hatch Project. This single PD Hatch project must attain VAES approval and be in the process of obtaining federal approval within 18-months of the faculty member’s start date of joining Virginia Tech (VT). Faculty with a typical August start date should aim for an approved project with USDA NIFA no later than February following their one-year work anniversary. For faculty arriving at a different date than the typical August start date the targeted deadline will be based upon the 18-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 PD Hatch project during a faculty’s first five years of appointment at Virginia Tech.
Unit leaders are encouraged to mentor faculty to maintain, report, complete, and renew both single PD 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 originally required single PD Hatch project, faculty should discuss their next project with the unit leader. Faculty must discuss with their unit leader about joining a Hatch Multistate project, in replacement of the single PD Hatch, to fulfill the VAES requirement. If the unit leader agrees, the unit leader will share this request with the VAES Federal Project Coordinator. 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 PD 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 PD Hatch or Hatch Multistate) shall 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.) shall also be withheld until compliance has been achieved.
Criteria
This guideline applies to all faculty members having a single PD 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 requirement of a single-Project Director (PD) Hatch or Hatch Multistate research project.
- No more than four faculty per department will be allowed to count the same Hatch Multistate project as replacement of their individual single-PD 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 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 annual meetings. Efforts with multiple participants may receive a maximum amount of $3,000/project 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.
- Notice of Multistate annual meeting approval (NIMSS email or screenshot)
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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