SGP/GPSA Proposal Guidelines

The Student Grant Program Committee and the Graduate and Professional Student Association issues this request for proposals to aid graduate, law, and undergraduate students at the University of Idaho in conducting research, scholarly and creative activities. The program’s objectives are to promote research, scholarly and creative activities in all branches of learning that will result in publications, exhibitions and/or performances where appropriate.

Grants will be awarded either for work in a single discipline or for cross-disciplinary scholarly activities. The committee particularly encourages group proposals in the latter category. The funding period is one calendar year from the recipients completion of the required grant traning seminar. Proposal quality is important and the process is highly competitive. It is strongly recommended that you ask a colleague to review your proposal prior to submission. This is the only opportunity to apply until next fall. We are not going to have a spring proposal deadline.

Deadlines: All materials are due by 3pm, February 20, 2009 in the Office of Sponsored Programs, Morrill Hall RM 114. Proposals submitted after 3pm will not be accepted.

Awards: The SGP and GPSA have established the six awards of up to $3,000. Three awards sponsored by the GPSA will go to graduate student applicants. Three awards sponsored by the SGP will go to undergraduate student applicants. Because the GPSA is sponsoring the graduate student funds off-campus graduate students are eligible to apply.

The primary purpose of the Student Grant Program is to promote and support student research, scholarship, and creative activity at the University of Idaho with a program funded by students, administered by students and available to undergraduate, graduate and law students, at the University of Idaho.

The Student Grant Program (SGP) Committee is comprised of ten students representing the ten colleges at the University of Idaho, along with a representative from the University Research Office (URO). The college representatives are chosen by their college and include graduate, law, and undergraduate students. The students are the voting members of the committee; the URO representative advises the committee.

College	Representative Name	Degree Level
Agricultural and Life Sciences	Kellie Grant	Undergraduate
Art and Architecture	Carmen Weber	Undergraduate
Business and Economics	Vacant
Education	Brook Lynn Pauley	Undergraduate
Engineering	Vacant
Graduate Studies	Roger Lew	Graduate
Law	Ruth Coose	Law
Letters, Arts and Soc. Sciences	Justin Smith	Undergraduate
Natural Resources	Melissa Fueling	Undergraduate
Science	Michael Oestergaard	Graduate

2. Allocate such funds as it has at its disposal to eligible graduate, law, and undergraduate students at the University of Idaho for research, scholarly, and creative activities.

Applicants must be a full-time, fee-paying student who is currently enrolled and working toward a graduate, law, or undergraduate degree at the University of Idaho at the time of application may apply for grant funds administered by the Committee. Undergraduate student applicants must be attending the main campus (Moscow, ID) of the University. Because the GPSA is sponsoring the graduate student funds off-campus graduate students are eligible to apply. The committee also encourages interdisciplinary and group projects. An individual student may participate on only one research grant proposal per funding period. A person may apply for a research grant and dissemination funds during the same funding period. Those who have received an SGP award in previous funding periods are eligible to apply as long as all reports for prior awards have been submitted.

In accordance with its purpose and with the procedures and conditions described below, the Committee allocates monies to eligible students within the University for the purpose of conducting research. As defined by the University of Idaho Faculty Staff Handbook, research is “… critical and exhaustive investigation or experimentation having for its aim the discovery of new facts and their correct interpretation, the revision of accepted conclusions, theories, or laws in the light of newly discovered facts, or the practical application of such new or revised conclusions, theories, or laws. . . ." For the purpose of this committee, "research" includes not only the sense of the above definition, but also those investigations, experiments, and creative activities that are characteristic of, and appropriate to, the fine arts.

Research Grants are awarded on a competitive basis for research, production, or exhibition to be conducted or directed by eligible persons. The research should have potential for publication, production, or public exhibition. Monies available under this category are to be used for expenses incurred by the individual in the course of doing research. These include but are not limited to equipment, expendable supplies, computer time, and travel (as allowed by State of Idaho regulations) incurred while the student is performing their research. Students may not request funds for payment to themselves, or to pay University of Idaho tuition. However, funds may be requested to pay for specialized services, such as digital services, media services, etc. The Committee is unlikely to approve proposals for the continuation of projects that it has previously funded, or from investigators who have not completed final reports on previous projects.

1. Proposal Format: The Committee will not consider any proposals that do not conform to the following proposal format. Should an applicant need to deviate from the specified format, a written statement describing the extent of the deviation and giving the reasons for it must accompany the proposal. Use single spacing and a 12 pt. font with one-inch margins. Extra materials will not be considered or evaluated. The following is a checklist of sections that must be provided in the proposal packet:

¨ External Support Form
¨ Cover Page
¨ Cover Letter
¨ Statement of Faculty Support
¨ Abstract (1 page max)
¨ Narrative (6 pages max)
¨ Investigator Information
¨ Additional Information (3 pages max)
¨ Budget (form plus 1 page max)

2. Description of Proposal Sections: All sections should be completed such that the entire packet can be submitted electronically as a PDF file.

c. Cover Letter (1 Page): Provide a cover letter that, at a minimum, concisely states the following:

1) The main goal(s) of your work and your overall methods for accomplishing said goal(s),

2) The importance of your work to your academic career as well as to the university and your field of study, and

3) A statement of need summarizing available funding (or lack thereof) for your work.

d. Statement of Faculty Support: The investigator must have a faculty sponsor for the proposed project. The intent of this requirement is for the investigator to have a faculty sponsor as a mentor, assisting the student in preparing his/her proposal as well as understanding how to proceed once awards are provided. The faculty sponsor must be a full-time or emeritus faculty member, research associate, or person holding faculty rank or faculty equivalence. The faculty sponsor must provide a letter to be included in the proposal that details his/her support of the investigator and specifically addresses whether regulatory committee approvals will be necessary. The letter is not simply a letter of recommendation.

e. Abstract (1 Page): Provide a brief abstract (limited to 200 words) as a non-technical description of the problem, work to be performed, and expected outcome(s). The abstract should serve as a guide to the reader, introduce key concepts and provide the groundwork for understanding key points.

1) Objective- Describe the proposed activity, the overall goal, and your specific objectives and include relevant background information. Cite appropriate sources when necessary. (2 pages max)

2) Importance- Explain how the proposed activity will contribute to the investigator’s academic success as well as to the investigator’s discipline or to other disciplines and the university. Cite appropriate sources where necessary. (1 page max)

3) Methods- Describe in detail the procedures or techniques you plan to use. Cite appropriate sources where necessary. (2 pages max)

4) Timeline- Provide a timeline that demonstrates that you have a realistic understanding of the sequence of events and the amount of time it will take to complete the project within the funding period. (1 page max)

5) Bibliography (if applicable) – Although you may use the format appropriate to your discipline, please remain consistent throughout the Narrative. This section will not be counted towards the 6-page limit.

g. Investigator Information (1 page): For each investigator list degree information such as present academic rank (i.e. Freshman, Graduate, Law, etc.), major, and expected graduation date. Also list publications, exhibitions/performances, awards, and patents during the past five years and any other information that demonstrates you are capable of conducting the activities specified in the proposal. Do not include a full CV or resume.

1) Institutional resources available – This includes resources already available through the university that will aid in the completion of your project (i.e. laboratory/gallery facilities, existing equipment that you will therefore not have to purchase to complete your project, etc).

2) Other sources of funding – If you need additional sources of funding aside from the SGP to complete your project, you need to address in this section of the proposal how you will be obtaining these funds. You also need to address in your budget where/how these funds will be used.

3) Plan to disseminate to the university – As mentioned under “Responsibilities of Grant Recipients”, you will need to present the results of your project to the students of the University of Idaho. Please outline how you intend to fulfill this requirement (i.e. Grad Expo, campus poster session, etc).

4) Regulatory committee approvals – Any research proposal involving controlled substances, radioactive materials, human beings, or animals must be cleared with the appropriate university compliance committee(s) before any funds are released from the SGP. In this section of the proposal, identify whether your project will require approval from any of these committees and how you will address the common concerns of these committees. In addition, projects involving the use of controlled substances must be (co-)sponsored by a permanent faculty member who is properly licensed by the appropriate state/federal agencies and the necessary license information and/or identification must be noted in this section. If you do not need approval from these committees, your faculty sponsor must acknowledge in his/her letter of support that no such approvals are required.

5) Other – Provide any other information that demonstrates you are capable of conducting the activities specified in the proposal

i. Budget: The total project budget may exceed the maximum award amount, but the grant request may not exceed the maximum award amount. The complete budget for the proposal must be provided, as well as justification for items over $100. Should your total requested amount exceed the $3,000 your proposal will be removed from consideration.
(http://www.uro.uidaho.edu/default.aspx?pid=97587)

1) Budget - Complete the Budget page included in this packet, itemizing all expenses to be incurred by the project within the following sections, and note where other sources of funding will be used:

a) Equipment (Capitol Outlay): Any item which will retain its usefulness beyond the grant period is considered capital equipment and will be retained by the university once the project is completed. All equipment, including laptops and desktop computers, must receive a university identification tag.

b) Expendable Supplies and Materials: Include enough supply money for all activities in the project. Include both expendable laboratory supplies and expendable large-quantity office supplies (e.g. stationery, duplicating supplies, typing/computing supplies, and software).

c) Travel Costs: Please refer to the university travel guidelines for appropriate expenditures.

d) Personnel/Services: Identify who is to receive funds and include salaries and fringe benefits (i.e. graduate or undergraduate assistants, digital services, secretarial help, etc). Remember, requests for funds to pay investigators on the grant will not be considered.

e) Other Expenses: List all other expenses not covered under any of the headings above. All items in this section should be described in the Budget Justification.

f) F&A Fee: Facilities & Administration fees traditionally pay for indirect costs of research, such as office and laboratory space, heat and lights, library services, administrative assistance/staff, and other costs. This fee must be included as part of your overall total requested from the SGP. Calculate the amount needed by totaling your budgetary line items (budget sections a-e) and multiplying by 8%. That number must then be added to the total budgetary line items (a-e) for the total amount requested from the SGP.

2) Justification - For all expenses over $100 and those items listed under “Other Expenses”, describe on an additional page the expenses such that reviewers and committee members will be able to immediately recognize the relevance and necessity of the items. For all expenses listed under "Equipment", indicate who will assume responsibility for the equipment once the project has been completed.

One original proposal must be submitted to the Office of Sponsored Programs, Morrill Hall RM. 114, no later than 3pm, February 20, 2009 in order to be considered by the committee. Additionally, an electronic copy must be emailed to the SGP (osp@uidaho.edu) prior to the deadline. Late or incomplete proposals will not be considered. If you are traveling during the time of submission, it is your responsibility to make sure that all materials are submitted prior to travel.

The Committee will meet for a preliminary evaluation of all proposals. Should any additional information be required from the applicant, the applicant will have 5 calendar days from the date of written notification to make those changes and resubmit them to the Office of Sponsored Programs, Morrill Hall RM 114. Only those pages that require revision are to be returned to the Committee. If additional revisions are made, the proposal will be disqualified.

The Student Grant Program Committee reserves the right to disqualify research grant proposals or requests for dissemination funds that do not meet the requirements of these guidelines. All proposals will be considered on a competitive basis.

Research grant proposals will be sent out to at least three external reviewers (one faculty, staff, or professional and two students). Each proposal will be evaluated on the following: merit, significance, overall proposal quality and budget. The external reviewers will assign a score to the proposals on the basis of these criteria.

The Committee will assign a preliminary ranking based upon external reviewer scores. Final funding decisions will be primarily based on proposal ranking; however, the committee reserves the right to include other factors in its funding decisions and to disqualify proposals for poor quality based on the reviewer’s scores. The Committee may require modifications in the budget as a condition of funding. Strong proposals, in terms of the rankings during the evaluation process, will be given greatest consideration for funding.

Applicants for monies allocated by the Committee are expected to adhere to the highest professional and ethical standards in the conduct of their research.

Any equipment, or capital outlay (including but not limited to cameras, printers, or computers) purchased under research grants are the property of University of Idaho unless otherwise stated in the acceptance letter and must be returned upon completion of the project.

Acceptance of the award obligates the applicant to attend an Internal Grants Seminar given by University Research Office personnel upon the committee’s request.

Grant recipients are required to keep the Committee informed of the progress and results of funded research through the submission of abstracts and reports as described below:

1. Reporting. Grant recipients must submit two progress reports during the funding period, as well as a final report. Simple, clear, and non-technical language is required. Progress reports will be due every four months and must include the names of the investigators, the title and award number of the grant, and no more than a two page summary of all work completed and any problems encountered. The final report must be submitted electronically to sgp@uidaho.edu no more than thirty days after the end of the funding period. Thesis/Dissertations are not acceptable as the final report. In the event that a final report is not received, a hold will be placed on the student's records. The final report for the original grant must be submitted efore the grant recipient will be eligible to apply for a new grant.

a. Cover page (1 page): Identify the proposal title, award number, and Investigators’ names.

b. Abstract (1 page): Provide a brief abstract (200 words) that indicates the hypothesis tested or goal(s) of the project and describes the methods/techniques used as well as the results of the project.

c. Discussion of results (3 pages max): Compare the actual results of the project with the expected results from the proposal and note whether the project has generated other research funding as well as the source and amount of that funding.

d. Dissemination summary (1 page, not including attached written materials/photographs): Describe the dissemination of the research to date (meetings, publications, exhibitions, etc). Include copies of any written materials or photographs of artistic creation. If no material is written or public exposure is planned, please explain.

e. Final budget (1 page): submit a final budget that details project expenditures

2. Request for Extension of Time. If a funded project will not be completed by the end of the funding period, the grant recipient(s) must submit a written request for an extension of time through the Office of Sponsored Programs, Morril Hall rm. 114. This request must be submitted 30 days before the end of the funding period and must include: (1) a brief description of the completed work, (2) a brief description of the work yet to be completed, and (3) a new proposed completion date. Requests for extension may be approved by two-thirds vote of the Committee. No funds may be expended after the end date of the funding period, unless a request for an extension of the funding period is submitted and approved.

3. Request for topic or budgetary shift. Any change in topic or budgetary shift of more than 15% requires a formal written request through the Office of Sponsored Programs that includes a full description of the requested changes and reasons for the changes. The request must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Committee.

All grant recipients are required to present their work in a University sponsored symposium (e.g., the GPSA Grad Expo, Engineering Expo, etc).

Grant recipients are required to submit to the Committee one copy of any publication resulting from research funded by the Committee. In addition, any publications, production, or exhibition arising from research conducted with funds awarded by the Committee must carry or display the following acknowledgment:

"This research was (partially) supported by Grant No. ___ from the Student Grant Program at the University of Idaho, Moscow, ID."