University of Wisconsin Stout | Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

Deadlines: One date each semester is selected as the proposal submission due date. 

Just In Time (JIT) Funds may be available (depending on budget) to support proposals for activities that arise outside the normal grant cycle. These proposals are accepted on an ongoing basis and must follow the established guidelines for traditional grants. JIT proposals are due to Research Services at least 4 weeks before the activity. Award notification will be prior to the proposal start date and will be the same as for traditional grants.

Submissions: An electronic copy of the grant proposal, as a Word document, must be sent via email to studentgrants@uwstout.edu. with a subject line of: Student Research Grant Fund Proposal.

In addition, a signed paper copy of the application cover sheet, along with the advisor checklist and the appropriate proposal checklist, must be submitted by the submission deadline to Research Services.

Please note: The Student Research Fund cannot be used to reimburse funds for expense(s) incurred prior to receiving an award letter and contacting the Department Budget Manager. 

Purpose of the Student Research Fund
The purpose of the UW-Stout Student Research Fund is to provide undergraduate and graduate students with funds to support research and the dissemination of research. Research is broadly defined as a systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge. This includes the creative pursuits that are characteristic of the arts and humanities. It is expected that this research will be conducted by a student or a group of students, with the guidance of a member of the faculty/academic staff of UW-Stout.
The Student Research Fund is supported by the Student Access to Learning Fee. The intent is to support strong student research proposals and grow the student research enterprise at UW-Stout. Interdisciplinary research (research across departments) is encouraged. Student Research Fund award recipients are requested to participate in UW-Stout's Research Day, attend a spring research recognition ceremony, and to submit their research for publication in the University of Wisconsin-Stout Journal of Student Research.

Grant Opportunities
There are two types of grants funded through the Student Research Fund:

Student Research Grants
Grants will be awarded up to a maximum of $2,000.  Research grant funds may be used towards supplies, services, small items of equipment, and travel that are required to complete the research project. 
The budget and expenditures must follow UW fiscal policies. The Student Research Fund will not fund salaries, word processing of research papers, or refreshments and follows the UW administrative policies in regards to prizes, awards, and gifts. In accordance with university policies, the Student Research Fund cannot reimburse students for expenses incurred before the grant is awarded. See Budget Format.

Student Dissemination Grants
Grant awards will be made up to a maximum of $1000 for Dissemination Grants. These funds support publication and travel costs to present the results of research that is already completed. Obtaining official confirmation of acceptance to present at an event or conference prior to applying for a Dissemination Grant is strongly encouraged and should be submitted with the paper copy of the application cover sheet. However, you can apply for a dissemination grant prior to acceptance but awards will be contingent on acceptance. Additional information is required if you apply prior to acceptance. Higher amounts may be considered for prestigious discipline-specific events.

The budget and expenditures must follow UW fiscal policies. Travel, which must follow UW travel policies may include transportation fares, lodging, and registration fees.

Eligibility
All UW-Stout undergraduate and graduate students pursuing research are eligible to apply to the Student Research Fund. All students pursuing funding must be advised by a member of the UW-Stout faculty/academic staff. All applications for the Student Research Fund must be reviewed and approved by the advisor who is providing guidance on the research project.

• What if I am working with a group of students?

Students often work on research projects as a group. Groups of students may apply to the Student Research Fund. However, each research project is eligible to receive one research grant and one dissemination grant.  Therefore, a group of students working on one project must submit one proposal. Please list the group project leader as the first name on the application cover sheet. This person will serve as the main contact for the purpose of the grant proposal.

• Can I apply for more than one grant in an academic year?

Each research project is eligible to receive one research grant and one dissemination grant.  An individual student involved in multiple research projects may apply for more than one research grant or dissemination grant per year. Please note that in the case of comparably scored proposals, preference may be given to the proposer who has not received recent funding.

All proposals should be a maximum of 5 pages (not counting Budget and Budget narrative), typed in 12-point Cambria font, be single-spaced with 1" margins. Approximate lengths are indicated in the Proposal Format for Research Grants and the Proposal Format for Dissemination Grants.

An application cover sheet, a proposal checklist and an advisor checklist must be included in all proposals. Deliver one signed paper copy of the application cover sheet, the signed advisor checklist with a proposal checklist attached by the submission due date to Research Services.

Application Cover Sheet
Complete the application cover sheet. This sheet with advisor and student researcher(s) signatures must be on file with Research Services in order to receive an award letter.

• If the research project involves human subjects, attach a copy of each student researcher's certification of completion of human subjects training and documentation of UW-Stout Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval of your research project.
  
• If an official letter of acceptance to present at a professional event has been received, attach this to the application cover sheet of dissemination grant proposals.

Advisor Checklist
Research Grant Proposal Checklist or Dissemination Grant Proposal Checklist both require completion of the checklist. This checklist will ensure that your grant proposal is complete. Attach a paper copy of the checklist to the back of your application cover sheet.

Research Grant Proposal Format

Dissemination Grant Proposal Format

The Student Research Fund grant review committee represents various departments on campus. Therefore, proposals should be written for readers who may not have direct professional knowledge of your academic subject. Proposals should be self-explanatory to an intelligent reader from any discipline and should be a complete document that can stand alone.

Proposals that are incomplete or do not follow the guidelines will be returned without review. Additional attachments to the proposal, such as resumes, letters of recommendation, and appendices, will not be considered in the review. Proposals should include only the required sections. Student Research Fund grant proposals are criterion reviewed.

Research grant proposals will be evaluated on the basis of:

• Substance and organization; and clarity of the following:

1. the abstract provides a brief perspective of the research project;
2. the purpose of the research section defines the significance of the problem and clearly explains what needs to be done and why it should be done;
3. project objectives are clearly stated, appropriate, and measurable;
4. the research methodology is clear and well conceived;
5. the timeline is realistic and achievable;
6. the budget detail, narrative, and summary are reasonable and appropriate to reach goals;
7. the planned dissemination is appropriate to the project; and
8. evaluation methods will determine if objectives are met.

Dissemination grant proposals will be evaluated on the basis of:

• Substance and organization; and clarity of the following:

1. the summary of research clearly explains the research that will be disseminated, the role the applicant played in the research project, and the research findings;
2. the purpose/need for dissemination expresses the importance of the event and explains how the research will be presented;
3. project objectives are clearly stated, appropriate, and measurable;
4. the budget detail, narrative, and summary are reasonable and appropriate to reach goals; and

Review Process
All proposals submitted to the Research Services office by the advertised deadline and including all of the supporting materials will be distributed to the review committee members for evaluation. Committee members then meet to discuss and make decisions on the proposals. Decisions can usually be expected within 3-4 weeks after the proposal submission deadline. Decisions are communicated to the student(s), advisor(s) and department contact by Research Services via email. The letter will state that the proposal is awarded or denied. The committee may request that the proposal be revised and re-submit as a Just In Time proposal. One resubmission is allowed per project each academic year.

NEW: The Student Research Grant Fund committee may request a meeting with the student(s) and advisor(s) prior to making a decision. If a meeting is required, Autumn Marquette of Research Services will contact the student(s) and advisor(s) to make arrangements.

Funds cannot be expended prior to receipt of the award letter and completion of the award conference with the faculty advisor and department budget manager.

Funds allocated to the research project will be monitored by the department of the student's advisor. Grant recipients must contact the faculty advisor and the department budget manager in order to arrange an award conference where the recipients will receive guidelines on the proper use of funds, travel policies and forms, record keeping responsibilities, etc.

IMPORTANT: Funds cannot be expended prior to receipt of the award letter and completion of the award conference with the department budget manager.

Students who receive a grant award will be required to submit a final report to Research Services. The final report should address how the objectives were met and how the funds were expended.  

Reports are due 30 days after the end of the grant period and are to be sent to Research Services.