GSA Scholarship - Request for Proposal

The UAA Graduate Student Association (GSA) requests proposals each spring and fall for awards to assist advanced level studies and research at the University of Alaska Anchorage.  Awards of up to $1000 are available. Preference will be given to graduate students, however, all UAA students who meet the eligibility requirements may apply.

Scholarship Details

Eligibility:

• Applicants must be enrolled in at least 3 credits or 1 continuing education graduate student credit during the semester of application.
• Students must be in good disciplinary standing at UAA.
• If good disciplinary standing is lost during the semester of award, the scholarship is forfeit.
  
• Students must be in good academic standing at UAA.
• Graduate students must have a GPA of 3.0 or better, undergraduate students mush have a GPA of 2.5 or better.
  
• Students must be in good financial standing at UAA.
• No holds may be on a students account, including tuition, fees, library fines or parking permit or fine fees.
  
• Students awarded this scholarship in the previous semester are not eligible to apply.
• Distance Education students who have not paid UAA student government fees during the application semester are ineligible for this award.
• Student in joint UAA-UAF programs are eligible to apply IF they have paid UAA Student Government Fees for this semester.
• If you are unsure if you have paid these fees, you can review your fee assessment for the semester on UAOnline.
  

Funding priorities:

• Scholarship proposals may be written to support the following:
• Research (e.g., supplies, printing compensation, participant compensation, etc.)
• Travel to professional conferences to present academic research
• Travel to professional conferences related to student's academic development.

Important scholarship information:

• GSA Scholarship funds are NOT awarded for tuition, student fees, the applicants' salary or any other basic costs of attending school.
• Preference will be given to support students in completing their research or capstone project, followed by funding for students to travel to present at professional conferences, and finally for travel to attend professional conferences.
• Need, as defined by a lack of outside funding, will not be a consideration for awarding funds.
• If awarded the scholarship will be applied to the students UAOnline account. It is not a reimbursement.
• International Students should be aware that this scholarship is taxable in accordance to your country of origin taxation agreement.
  
• The request for proposal must be submitted electronically to UAA_GSA@uaa.alaska.edu

Awardee Requirements

• Recipients are REQUIRED to give a presentation of their work at the GSA/ENRI Graduate Studies and Research Symposium that is held on campus each spring semester. 
• Recipients are REQUIRED to participate as a GSA Scholarship Review Committee member in the semester following their award.
• Recipients are REQUIRED to submit a one page project to report to the GSA in regard to use of scholarship funds to the GSA. This can be submitted via email to UAA_GSA@uaa.alaska.edu
• Failure to fulfill these requirements will result in ineligibility for future scholarships or funding opportunities through the GSA.
  

Submission Instructions

Please submit your GSA Scholarship proposal and Email of Support using the following guidelines:

Technical Guidelines

Proposal:

• Submit proposal via email as one PDF document.
• Use this document naming protocol: 8-digit UA ID number_GSA_Scholarship_Proposal_F2011
• ex: 30xxxxxx_GSA_Scholarship_Proposal_F2011
• Proposal should follow this GSA Scholarship Template
• Name and other identifying information are ONLY allowed on the proposal cover sheet.
• Proposal must include electronic/scanned versions of all supporting documentation such as flight reservations, or conference registration confirmation, if applicable
• NOTE: YOU ARE REQUIRED TO REMOVE ALL IDENTIFYING INFORMATION FROM SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS. If identifying information is found within the proposal, it will be disqualified. (You may print and white out names, scan and attach, or use electronic means to remove information from attachments).
• Proposals that do not follow the technical guidelines can be disqualified. If you have technical questions email them to UAA_GSA@uaa.alaska.edu

Email of Support from faculty member:

• Request, from your adviser or research sponsor, a short email to the GSA Scholarship Committee covering the following information:
• Support of your research project
• Budget review and approval
• Email to: UAA_GSA@uaa.alaska.edu
• Proposals will not be reviewed without the email of support.
  

Format and Length:

• Do not exceed 4 pages of text, excluding cover sheet, supporting documentation and literature cited.
• Double-spaced
• 0.5 inch margins, minimum
• 12 point Times New Roman or similar font
• Add your personal eight-digit UA ID number in footer, right corner, this will be used as your unique identifier for review purposes.
• Page numbers
• The scholarship template provides bullet points that specify what to include in each section, write the proposal in narrative format (i.e., do not retain the bullet points, but address each point in clear narrative format.)
  

Proposals should include the following information, written for a general audience, please use the GSA Proposal Template:

• Cover page:
• Name, email, program/department, degree in progress, year in degree program, major supervisor
• Description of your research project:
• Personal area of study/project title
• Project summary (include proposed methodology, if applicable).
• Benefits
• Of the funding to your project
• Of the funding to your personal and professional development
• Of the project to UAA and the greater community
• Budget
• Description of how requested funds will be used.
• Itemized description of budget, include other funding sources used.
• References/Works Cited in format appropriate to your discipline.
• Additional Documents (attach the following budget documentation).
• Supporting documentation detailing costs of goods or services for which funding is requested.
• Proof of acceptance to present at a conference, if applicable.
• Flight reservations, if applicable.

GSA Scholarship Review Committee Information

All proposals will be ranked in the following five categories by UAA graduate students and faculty from various disciplines:

• Quality of research/project description. (e.g., clear articulation of project purpose, methods if applicable, proper spelling and grammar).
• Justification of benefits (e.g., of the funding to your project, of the funding to your personal and professional development and of the project to UAA and the greater community).
• Detail and quality of budget information
• References and works cited
• Preference will be given to graduate research proposals, followed by travel related to research or research presentations.

Submission Deadline

All proposals and faculty emails of support should be submitted via email to UAA_GSA@uaa.alaska.edu no later than 

5pm, February 27, 2012

An important not regarding taxation: A scholarship award may be considered taxable income, refer to your tax adviser for additional information.

For more information on the RFP and/or review process please email UAA_GSA@uaa.alaska.edu

A request for proposals will be sent out each year in the Fall and possibly in the Spring, depending on funding. To receive information about future funding opportunities register for the GSA listserve by completing the form at