The Marshall University Research Corporation is pleased to announce the availability of a funding opportunity to promote undergraduate research and creative discovery.
Made possible by funding provided through the Office of the President, the Undergraduate Creative Discovery and Undergraduate Research Scholar Awards will provide students with an opportunity to pursue original creative work, scholarship or research under the mentorship of a full-time faculty member during summer 2019.
These awards provide a $4,000 stipend for the student. In addition, a $1,000 stipend is provided for the participating faculty mentor. Up to 14 awards will be made.
Eligibility requirements include the following:
- Applicants must be juniors or seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.0;
- Applicants must be enrolled at Marshall University for at least 12 hours during the semester previous to the summer in which the project is funded; and
- Applicants must have a letter of support and sponsorship from a full-time faculty member who is willing to serve as the mentor for the project.
The student’s proposed project can involve research, design, development, field study, creative work or performance. The project should require a total commitment of 200-300 hours of the student’s time (i.e., 20-30 hours per week for 10 weeks) over the summer. The project must be structured so the student can produce creative or scholarly output (e.g. a presentation, publication, exhibit or performance) at the end of the award period.
An important aspect of the program is the engagement of a faculty mentor to oversee the student’s effort. After agreeing on a particular project, the faculty member assists the student in writing and submitting a proposal, supervises the student’s scholarly activity, and assists in the construction of the student’s final project report.
The award is intended to support projects that require both original intellectual and faculty-assisted input from awardees. Students must be eligible for campus employment.
Application Instructions
Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Full details of the application format, submission requirements and the evaluation process are included below.
Review of Proposals
A committee chartered by the provost and composed of a representative from each of the university’s academic colleges will review the proposals as prioritized by the student’s college of origin, and will select the projects to be funded under this program. Recipients will be announced in early April.
Requirements
Proposals should be written with minimal use of jargon. Mentors may provide editorial and revision assistance for student proposals, but they must be primarily the work of student applicants.
The project proposal should not exceed five single-spaced pages. The student’s name, college and project title should appear in the header on each page. The appendices and attachments are not included in the length restriction. A letter of support from the faculty mentor is to be submitted separately from the student application.
The following format should be followed:
- Applicant and Mentor Information. The title of the project, the student’s name, 901#, e-mail address and major should be provided, along with the name, department, e-mail address and phone number of the faculty mentor.
- Project Description. This section should consist of a clear layman’s description of the project and its importance. Since proposals will be reviewed by faculty with subject matter expertise but not necessarily with direct involvement in the student’s proposed area of study, careful consideration should be given to providing a concise description of the “what” and “so what” of the proposal.
- Methodology. Provide a description of how the scholarly/research topic is to be investigated or the creative activity is to be conducted. What steps are involved? What sources and resources will be used?
- Independence of the Project. Describe the independent contribution you will make to the research, creative work or scholarship.
- Outcomes. Provide a description of the anticipated outcomes associated with the project, e.g., a conference paper, report, journal article, exhibition, performance, or Senior Honors Thesis.
- Budget. Include a short paragraph describing how the project funds will be used.
- Appendices, Attachments. If appropriate, the student should include copies of research materials, such as questionnaires, to be used and any other forms as appropriate.
The student application should be submitted as a .PDF by e-mail to plumleya@marshall.edu no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
8. Faculty Mentor’s Letter of Support. The faculty mentor letter of support should be sent by the faculty mentor directly to plumleya@marshall.edu no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. The letter of support should not be included in the application package submitted by the student. The faculty mentor’s letter should include:
- The mentor’s assessment of the feasibility, originality and significance of the project;
- The mentor’s assessment of the student’s ability to conduct the proposed work;
- The time the mentor will make available to work with the student;
- A summary of the mentor’s involvement in the project. For example, the mentor might help plan the project, assist the student with the proposal, and advise along the way in the project’s execution and in development of the deliverable.
Evaluation Criteria
- Creative or scientific significance – 35 points
- Creative or scientific originality -35 points
- Clarity of the proposal and methodology – 15 points
- Likelihood of the proposed work being accomplished in the time described – 15 points
Reporting Requirements
- Successful applicants will be required to submit by Sept. 27, 2019, a no-more-than five-page report describing their accomplishments.