Undergraduate Research Grants Informational Session�

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Originally submitted by Dr. Barb Light, revised by Dr. Sandi King, on behalf of the Undergraduate Research Committee

Your Audience (Grant Decision Makers)

We are curious and interested but not necessarily fluent in the technical language of your field.

We are all professors from different departments across campus.

Therefore, write professionally and for a general academic audience.

Define technical terms if you must use them.

Give us a thorough explanation of your project and why it matters.

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Your Proposal Needs To...

• Contain a professional description of the research project (See example on Slide 5)
• Supply the committee members with a clear picture of your project and share the content areas.
• Contain an in depth discussion on why this topic was chosen; why is this an important topic to conduct research on; how will the conduction of this topic have an overall impact; what evidence-based research exists already (to add relevance to the project), including references within the content and in a references list at the end of the proposal; and how the research will add to or strengthen existing focus on this topic; are there gaps in the literature currently (thus, how will the research benefit the topic area). Overall, what is the relevance of conducting the research?

You Could Think of it in This Manner:

What Do Want to Achieve? Be straightforward and concise in describing the research problem and what

topic you are proposing to study.

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Why Do You Want to Conduct the Research? You must also provide compelling evidence that your selected

topic is worthy of a thorough examination.

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Your Proposal Needs To… (Continued)

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How Are You Going to Conduct the Research? Make sure that your proposed study is doable and provide a clear, coherent set of strategies to complete it.

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1. Specify the problem of the study and provide a more detailed elaboration of the research purpose. This is very important when the research problem is multifaceted or complex.
2. State the rationale of your research proposal and explain, in an engaging way, why it is worthwhile to conduct.
3. Present the core problems or issues that will be addressed. This can be made either in questions or statements.
4. Underscore how your research can build upon existing assumptions about the proposed study’s problem.
5. Elaborate on the details of your methodology to conduct your study, including the key sources, analytical approach, etc.
6. Clearly establish the limits of your proposed study to provide a clear research focus.
7. Provide definitions of key terms or concepts, if necessary.

A Good Proposal Description Example:

(This is not a complete description).

In the wild the main food source of adult salmon are alewives and smelt. These bait fish contain an enzyme called thiaminase that is passed on from mature female salmon to their offspring. Thiaminase degrades an essential growth and developmental vitamin called thiamine (also known as vitamin B1) that without it, salmon fry fail to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is needed throughout all life stages but especially for the growth and developmental stages of fry. This vitamin deficiency has caused a decrease in natural reproduction for all salmon...

Not So Good Proposal Description:

Alewives and smelt contain thiaminase which degrades an essential growth and developmental vitamin called thiamine needed by salmon fry to produce adenosine triphosphate.

Good Reference Examples:

Bakker, M., Schlatter, D., Otto-Hanson, L., and Kinkel, L. 2014. Diffuse symbioses: role of plant-plant, plant-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions in structuring the soil microbiome. Molecular Ecology. 23: 1571-1583

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Dagba, B I; Amakiri, M A; Ikpa, F T. 2011. Effect of Tectona grandis (teak) plantation on soil microorganisms in a ferruginous soil of North Central Nigeria. Global Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 10(2): 127-133

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Fierer, N. 2017. Embracing the unknown: disentangling the complexities of the soil microbiome. Nature Reviews. 1: 1-12

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Gregory, P.J. 2006, Roots, rhizosphere and soil: the route to a better understanding of soil science?. European Journal of Soil Science, 57: 2-12

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Ohtonen, R., Munson, A., & Brand, D. 1992. Soil microbial community response to

silvicultural intervention in coniferous plantation ecosystems. Ecological Applications. 2(4): 363-375

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Waybrant, J and Zorn, T. 2008. Tahquahmenon river assessment. State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division Special Report 45. 1: 1-82

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Timeline Info

• Please share as detailed a timeline as possible, with an explanation of what the data analysis, writing, and presentation looks like for the project.

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• Keep in mind that, should you receive an award, you must request reimbursement one year from the date of receiving your letter.

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• A final report, including project pictures, is due four semesters after award receipt or before graduation, whichever comes first.

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Some Budget Do’s and Don’ts:

• Requests should be specific to either conducting the research or presentation of research findings at a conference.

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• We love to help fund students’ trips to conferences where the student is presenting, not just attending.

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• You must already be accepted to present and show evidence of that.

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• We cannot fund plane tickets, car rental, lodging or food budget--it’s against a lot of rules.

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Please do not include it in your request to us. Conference fees and mileage

reimbursement for project conduction may be considered.

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• Give us specifics in your budget.

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Budget

What we love about this budget:

• It’s detailed
• It’s professional

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• Simple multiplication is completed for the committee.

Budget Justification:

Explain how various elements within the budget will be used and why they matter to your study (this is one more place for you to educate the committee members how well prepared you are to do this research)!

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Be sure to include how the rest of the budget will be paid if your budget is greater than $500.

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A Good Budget Justification Example

The items listed in the budget (zebrafish eggs and ATP assay kit) are the key components to the research findings of this project. Zebrafish are standard models which produce transparent eggs that are ideal for measurement of ova (egg) quality and development. Testing on zebrafish ova allows for replicates, therefore making the data more robust. In order to test mitochondrial function, an ATP assay kit is a required tool to measure and provide a quality read of intracellular ATP production. The use of an ATP assay kit would allow for the determination of how PFAS (PFOA and PFOS) affect mitochondrial function.

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Other Funding Plans:

• Don’t be shy; share with the committee the whole plan.

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• It matters to us to find out that you, and possibly your adviser, are willing to seek out other sources of funding, and that you may even be willing to pitch in yourself. It’s a reflection of your commitment and professionalism.

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Expectations for Successful Award Recipients:

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• Upon award notification, recipients are required to write a letter thanking the donor.

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• Funds will be reimbursed only with appropriate receipts or documentation. Students should submit all receipts to their department for reimbursement. For internal transfers, it is recommended that when a student is awarded the money, the amount would be transferred to the department at the time of the award so that they could reimburse the student directly when the purchases are made and the receipts are turned in.

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• A final report, including project pictures, is due no later than four semesters after award receipt or before graduation, whichever comes first. Yearly progress reports are also expected.

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One More Thought:

Make sure you provide correct information for who your Dean, Chair, and Mentor are on the application.

Questions? Talk to your advisor or reach out to one of the committee members!

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Undergraduate Research Committee Members (URC)

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Sandi King, DNP, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Chair of Undergraduate Research Committee

Janine Murray, Administrative Assistant, Lukenda School of Business, Undergraduate Research Committee Assistant

Megan Butler, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Natural Resources and Environment

Barbara Evans, PhD, Professor, School of Science and Medicine

Russell Searight, PhD, Professor, School of Kinesiology and Behavioral Sciences

Joseph Susi, PhD, Professor, School of Kinesiology and Behavioral Sciences

Jason Swedene, PhD, Professor, School of Arts and Letters

Ralf Wilhems, PhD, Professor, Lukenda School of Business

Masoud Zarepoor, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering and Technology

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