Questions

1. What types of research can be affiliated with RSI?
2. How are research projects affiliated with RSI?
3. How do I tell whether my current grant or contract is affiliated with RSI?
4. What are the benefits of affiliating a research project with RSI?

Answers

1. What types of research can be affiliated with RSI?
   RSI defines the term remote sensing as broadly as possible, in order to maximize the potential for collaborative research within RSI. The following text, taken from the RSI Charter's description of RSI's scope, indicates the range of topics that can fall within RSI.

   Remote sensing refers to detection and measurement from a distance. The scope of the Remote Sensing Institute (RSI) includes the science, technology and engineering underlying remote sensing and the application of remote sensing. In addition, since the application of remote sensing requires an understanding of the medium sensed through, RSI's focus includes earth and planetary sciences related to the atmosphere, surface water, and the earth's subsurface. In the past, RSI members have collaborated on projects involving imaging science, atmospheric sciences, data and signal processing, data visualization, instrumentation development, earth system and global change sciences, ecosystem studies, limnology, oceanography, land use and land cover change studies, subsurface imaging, extraterrestrial imaging, and other fields.

   The following general categories fall within RSI's scope.

   • Remote sensing physics;
   • Imaging sciences;
   • Development and application of remotely deployed sensors;
   • Space and planetary sciences and their applications; and
   • Environmental and ecosystem science applications of remote sensing and earth and planetary sciences.

   RSI was originally developed to foster the development of interdisciplinary and cross-departmental research in these fields, and that remains RSI's main purpose and a guiding principle when deciding whether a particular project should fall within RSI.

2. How are research projects affiliated with RSI?
   Research projects are affiliated with RSI at the time the corresponding grant proposal is submitted. Obtaining RSI affiliation involves the following steps, which should not make proposal submission any more difficult or time-consuming.
   1. The PI should be a member of RSI. Anyone who is interested in the topics covered by RSI is welcome to become a member; information on how to do so is posted at the main RSI web page.
   2. Ensure that the topic of the proposal is appropriate for RSI. It should be related to remote sensing, imaging science, space and planetary science, or applications of these sciences, including environmental and ecosystem science.
   3. Under Dept./Center/Institute on the MTU research transmittal form, enter the name of the home department and RSI (e.g., CEE/RSI).
   4. Send the proposal to Research Services just as you normally would. They will fax the cover sheet and summary to the RSI director for approval of RSI affiliation.

   (In addition, it may be possible to have a pending research grant affiliated with RSI, even if RSI affiliation was not indicated on the Research Transmittal Sheet, if this is requested before the grant is funded. Contact the RSI Director.)

3. How do I tell whether my current grant or contract is affiliated with RSI?
   You can tell whether your current project is counted as RSI-affiliated by looking at the project title in Banner printouts: if it is, then the title will include RSI after the agency in the title. (e.g., NSF-RSI/Title).

4. What are the benefits of affiliating a research project with RSI?
   There are several benefits of formally affiliating research projects with RSI (as appropriate given the research topics). These include the following.
   • This will classify you as a research-active RSI member, with the result that you and your students will receive priority for many of the RSI Internal Grants and will be urged to participate in the development of additional interdisciplinary research, as desired.
   • Overhead return on your research project will be used to help develop and expand interdisciplinary and inter-departmental research at Michigan Tech: RSI will receive incentive funding at the rate of 25.7% of the overhead generated. RSI's budget plans call for 80% of RSI's funding to be used for direct research support, visits by seminar speakers/research collaborators, and computing support. (For more details see the planned spending breakdown of RSI's budget plans).
   • Incentive return from your research activities will help you support your research development needs: your incentive account will be credited with 12% of the overhead that your project generates, rather than the normal 6%.
   • Incentive return from your project will help your department: your department's incentive account will be credited with 15%, rather than the usual 12%, of the overhead amount your project generates.