Undergraduate Research Grants

Undergraduate Research Grant recipient Tobias Schwoerer stands with his mentor Economics professor Gunnar Knapp.

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship offers several competitive Undergraduate Research Grants each year to support undergraduate research and creative activity. Proposals are solicited in the fall and spring semesters.

The award funds the actual costs of the project up to $2,000 plus a $500 student stipend.

Deadline: NEW!  This year there are two independent grant review cycles per semester.  The Spring 2012 deadlines are 5pm on February 28 and April 30.  Funding decisions for proposals submitted by February 28 will be made by March 27.

Eligibility: Students must be accepted in an associate or baccalaureate degree program at the University of Alaska Anchorage (any campus) and must be enrolled in at least three credits each semester for the duration of the research (with the exception of the summer semester). Students in all disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Proposal Guidelines

Research Proposal: The project should reflect an original idea or creative endeavor that will extend knowledge in your area of interest. Your proposal should consist of the nine (9) items listed below. Please include page numbers.

1.  OURS Cover sheet* – Include the project title, student’s name, and student’s signature. The faculty advisor’s name and signature should be included, certifying that they have reviewed the proposal for content and that the student is capable of performing the research or creative endeavor, and that the faculty member agrees to mentor the student for the project. The cover sheet includes a Research Integrity and Compliance checklist, which must also be completed prior to submission.  For more information on Research Integrity and Compliance at UAA, please visit www.uaa.alaska.edu/research/ric.

*Projects with more than one student investigator must complete the Application Cover Sheet for Group Projects. Projects with more than one student investigator should identify one student as the principal investigator who will take primary responsibility for overseeing the project.

2.  Abstract and Specific Aims (approx 1 page) – A one paragraph summary of the project proposal, and a one paragraph summary of the project goals.

3.  Introduction (1-2 pages) – A review of the literature that supports the need for your research or creative endeavor.

4.  Experimental/Project Design* (1-2 pages)

• Natural and Social Science proposals should include a detailed description of how the research project will be completed including (a) a sampling protocol and/or design plan; (b) the methods and/or procedures to be used; (c) the data reduction and statistical analysis to be conducted or a description of the final form of the product.
• Arts and Humanities proposals should include a detailed description of the final form of the scholarly or creative work, and how the project will be completed including resources and methodology.

*Projects with more than one student investigator should provide a breakdown and description of duties and indicate which student is responsible for each part

5.  Anticipated Results (1 page) – Provide the reviewers with a list of the results expected.

• Scholarly proposals should include an interpretation and explanation of results as related to hypothesis tested. Also, you may want to discuss or suggest further work that may help address the problem you are trying to solve.
• Creative proposals should include an analysis of the expected impact of the scholarly or creative work on the audience. Also discuss any problems that could hinder your creative endeavor.

6.  Project Budget (allow one page for the budget and one page for budget justification) – Include the cost of personnel, supplies, equipment and travel, and a brief justification for each item. Please note the following:

• The student stipend should not be included in the project budget.
• Travel will be allowed only if it falls within the same academic year(s) as your research and there is a direct relationship between the research and the travel being proposed (e.g. for the purposes of conducting research, or to present results at a conference). Funding for travel to a conference will be granted only if the student(s) is accepted to present at that conference.
• • Travel associated with the project should not normally be submitted under another OURS grant request.  If travel is planned as part of the project, please submit the travel expenses under the budget in this proposal process.
• Expenses that will not be allowed include:
• • Compensation for the student’s time
  • Tuition to get credit for the project
  • Amounts for supplies or equipment that exceed reasonable and customary expenses
  • Per Diem
• Equipment purchased with the grant will belong to UAA after the research is concluded.
• Proposed expenses must be in accordance with UA Policy and Regulation, and funds must be expended as specified in the proposal.
• For this reason, please be as accurate as possible in estimating your expenses. Do not over-inflate your budget; conversely, do not underestimate what your actual costs will be.
• If the project has funding from an external source outside of OURS include an appendix with information about the funding (e.g. grant proposal, contract, etc.), a short narrative that explains how the proposed project meshes with the external source, and a budget that shows what will be funded by the OURS grant and the external source.

7.  Project References (1-2 pages) – Use the standard convention of discipline including the author, title of article, journal title, volume, pages, and date.

8.  Project Timeline – Outline the anticipated dates of completion of various stages of project. For example: When do you anticipate completing background research, fieldwork, lab work, budget expenditures, etc. Be sure to include in this timeline the following dates (for proposals submitted during fall semester 2011):

1. • Mid-April 2012 – Presentation at the Undergraduate Research and Discovery Symposium
   • May 15, 2012 – Expenditure deadline
   • May 30, 2012 – Final written report deadline

9.  Appendix (up to 2 pages) – student’s résumé. (If the project has more than one student investigator, please include a résumé for each applicant.)

Visit the Success Stories Website to view the proposals from previous winners. 

Instructions for Completing the Cover Sheet:

1. Download the interactive .pdf file.
2. Complete the cover sheet electronically or by hand.
3. Print cover sheet and collect necessary signatures.
4. Either (a) submit the completed cover sheet and additional application materials to the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (RH 115) or (b) scan signed cover sheet and email all materials to ayresearch@uaa.alaska.edu.

Download:

Undergraduate Research Grant Announcement
Undergraduate Research Grant Cover Sheet for Individual Projects
Undergraduate Research Grant Cover Sheet for Group Projects

If you have questions about the Undergraduate Research Grant or the application and review process, please contact the Honors College and Office of Undergraduate Research at uaa_research@uaa.alaska.edu or 907-786-1086