UGRC Student Research Summer Grants
Summer 2009

Christopher Newport University 's Undergraduate/Graduate Research Council (UGRC) is pleased to announce that it has limited funds available in support of student research for Summer 2009. In particular, any CNU student conducting or presenting research supervised by a faculty member that requires funds for materials, travel, registration fees, etc. is eligible to apply. Please note that these awards are primarily designed to support independent research projects inspired by a class (or any other student/faculty interaction), but not research projects required for a specific class; research projects connected to an independent study will be considered.

Purpose:
To provide undergraduates at Christopher Newport University the opportunity to engage in scholarly or creative research of their own design.

Eligibility:
Current CNU freshmen, sophomores, juniors are eligible to apply for this grant.

Activities:

• Projects may take place on or off campus. All projects using human or animal participants must be approved by the CNU Board for the Protection of Human Subjects or the IACUC before funding will be dispensed.
• Projects are to be the student's idea. Internships and work on faculty members' projects will not be funded.
• Projects must have a CNU faculty sponsor who will support the research plan and the student during the project, and a letter of endorsement from that faculty member for the grant application. A faculty sponsor/mentor may not sponsor more than two students under this program.
• Students who are awarded this grant are expected to present the results of this work to the CNU, scientific or artistic community in fall 2009 or the spring 2010 term.
• Projects should include schedules or other forms of documentation specifying how and when students will report to their faculty mentors regarding progress, preliminary findings, issues etc. A final report detailing project outcomes and use of funds is due within 30 days of completion.

Awards:
Each sponsored project will include a $500-$850 stipend for the student researcher and a $200-$400 stipend for the faculty sponsor/mentor. (Final grant amounts subject to availability of funds.) Materials, travel, or other costs associated with this research that are not covered by this grant should be covered by the student or some other source. Mentors' academic departments are encouraged to support the research projects and assist in covering any additional costs. All information concerning materials and costs must be listed in the proposal and is to be shared with the mentor's academic department.

The Undergraduate and Graduate Research Council will evaluate the grants and make award decisions.

Application:
The application must include a cover sheet (Word or PDF)and the following parts. Each part must be clearly labeled.

• A full description of the proposed project. The project's purpose, methodology, and significance for the student and the student's discipline should be clearly explained.
• Documentation that the student has the ability and academic background to do the proposed project (e.g., transcripts showing appropriate course work has been completed, listing of similar activities or projects the student has already completed, explanation of how some previous experience prepared the student for this type of project).
• A full description of the faculty sponsor's exact role in the project.
• A brief statement concerning the faculty mentor's credentials to supervise the student's project in the topic area.
• A description of the expected product of the research (e.g., an academic paper, an exhibit).
• A timetable with specific dates for completion of key parts of the project, for completion of the project, and for presentation of the project to the CNU, scientific or artistic community.
• The faculty mentor's letter of endorsement that includes an assessment of the student's abilities to effectively carry out the project and an assessment of the feasibility and significance of the project.
• Bibliography: attach if appropriate

Deadline for Submission:

Completed applications should be emailed to Carol Safko ( IRAR@cnu.edu ) by 5 PM on Friday, March 6, 2009 . Questions should be addressed to UGRC chairs Dr. John M. Thompson ( john.thompson@cnu.edu ) or Prof. Gregg Lloyd
( glloyd@cnu.edu ).

Applications will be judged on the following criteria:

• Is the project feasible in scope and likely to be completed in the timeframe outlined?
• Is the project proposal clear, cohesive, and well-written?
• Does the project proposal address the points articulated above?
• To what extent is the project original and/or creative?