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UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH GRANTS

DOWNLOAD the complete Guidelines for Undergraduate Research Grants.

Undergraduate Research Grant applications provide faculty of the University of Mary Washington with an opportunity to guide degree-seeking, undergraduate students in the skills of conducting a specialized research project or experience and should be treated in that pre-professional learning context. Students are expected to participate significantly in writing the application and the project report.

While grant projects are usually completed within one semester, it is possible to make a request in the Fall semester application period for a project that will be completed by the end of the Spring semester. In such cases, the application submitted in the fall period must clearly indicate the intention to conduct a two-semester project. An interim progress report is required for all approved two-semester projects and is due by the deadline for final reports for fall semester projects (see below under “Required Report”). Failure to submit the required interim report will result in withholding the remaining approved grant funding until the interim report is received.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF AND FOLLOW THE APPLICATION DEADLINES, which are:

• September 12, 2008 (deadline for applications for the FALL funding period)

• January 22, 2009 (deadline for applications for the SPRING funding period)

• April 13, 2009 (deadline for applications for the SUMMER funding period)

Apply for undergraduate research grants in the time period in which the proposed project activity will occur.  For activities occurring between September 16 and December 31, use the Fall application period; between January 1 and May 31, use the Spring application period; between June 1 and September 15, use the Summer application period.  If a proposed project overlaps funding periods, apply for funding in the period in which the project will conclude.

Required Application Materials

Applications must address all points stated on the Undergraduate Research Grant Cover Sheet. Grant applications lacking the necessary signatures on the cover sheet will not be considered.

The application MUST include a description of the proposed activity. This description must outline the goals of the project, present a brief case for the project’s significance, and explain the activity’s relevance to the applicant’s scholarly and professional development. This description should be written clearly and in non-technical, jargon-free language appropriate for a general audience. The application must also indicate the frequency and nature of the interaction during the project between the student and the sponsoring faculty member.

As part of the application, the proposal must include a one-page budget sheet on which all requested funds are listed with costs provided. In the case of requests for travel funds, DO NOT USE the Overnight Travel Form as if it were a budget request sheet. This form should be submitted separately and only after an award has been made.

Finally, the faculty sponsor must provide a short “rationale statement” explaining why the student and the proposed project merit consideration for funding.

Role of the Faculty Sponsor

In addition to working with the student on the supported research project, the faculty sponsor is expected to serve as the student’s main point of contact regarding the procedures required for spending the awarded grant funds. If the grant supports the purchase of research supplies and/or materials, the faculty sponsor should help the student understand required purchasing procedures OR should instruct the student on who to see in the department (e.g. the department secretary) for assistance. If the grant supports travel, the faculty sponsor should assist the student in completing the required Overnight Travel Form and Travel Voucher (the same forms used for faculty travel) OR the sponsor should direct the student to someone in the department (e.g. the department secretary) for assistance. Please do not send the student to the Academic Affairs Office with incomplete travel forms.

Required Report

A brief end-of-semester project report is due in the Office of Academic Affairs by the first day of classes in the semester following the grant period. The report should describe the project’s achieved objectives, summarize the budget expenditures made, and provide brief overall commentary about the outcome of the undergraduate research project. If this project report is not submitted, Undergraduate Research funding will not be awarded to the faculty member and her or his students during the next application period.

These general guidelines apply to decisions on Undergraduate Research Grant Proposals:

1. Applicants for Undergraduate Research Grants must be enrolled as degree-seeking, undergraduate students at the University of Mary Washington during the period in which the grant project is to be initiated and conducted. Non-degree students are ineligible for undergraduate research grants.

2. Undergraduate Research Grants may not be requested for stipends for student researchers or their faculty sponsors.

3. Undergraduate Research Grants may not be requested to cover the costs for a student to take credit-earning courses at UMW or at another college or university.

4. The student(s) must be centrally involved in framing the problem, developing a research strategy, and conducting the project. Undergraduate Research Grants do not support a student’s passive involvement in a faculty member’s project.

5. If a proposal requests funds for travel, the student(s) must either be presenting at a conference, actively engaging in a guided, experiential project, or conducting field and/or specialized library research that is integral to completion of a final, tangible research project the student is preparing (such as an honor’s thesis, directed research project, or similar individual study project). In other words, Undergraduate Research funds are not provided for students to attend meetings as attendees/listeners/observers or for students who wish to attend such meetings for “networking” purposes.

6. Assuming equivalent project quality, funding is more likely for projects involving more students rather than fewer and for less expensive projects as opposed to more costly enterprises.