University of Wisconsin - Stout

Student Research Fund Grant Proposal Guidelines

General Information

 

General Information

        
Deadlines: Student Research and Dissemination Grant proposals can be submitted at any time throughout the year and are reviewed on a monthly basis until funds are expended.  The deadline for Student Research Fund proposals is the 15th of every month. Proposals that do not meet the deadline will automatically be reviewed the following month. 

Submissions: An electronic copy of the grant proposal, as a Word document, must be sent via email to studentgrants@uwstout.edu.


The subject line of the email must read: Student Research Fund Grant

Proposal.  In addition, a signed paper copy of the application cover sheet must be submitted by the 15th of the month to: Research Services, Room 152 Voc. Rehabilitation Building, UW-Stout, Menomonie, WI 54751.


Please note: The Student Research Fund cannot be used to reimburse funds that have been incurred prior to receiving an award letter and contacting their Department Budget Manager. 
For more information, contact John Sowders, Research Services Graduate Assistant, at studentgrants@uwstout.edu or the Research Services office at 232-2691.

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. 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.
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.  Recipients of research projects funded in amount of $500 or greater are required 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:

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 that have been incurred before the grant is awarded. 

Grant awards will be made up to a maximum of $500 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 can be submitted with the paper copy of the application cover sheet.

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

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.

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.

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.

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Proposal Format
All proposals should be typed in 12-point font and be double spaced.  Approximate lengths for each section are indicated in the proposal format. 
An application cover sheet and a proposal checklist must be included in all proposals. Deliver one signed paper copy of the application cover sheet with a proposal checklist attached by the 15th of the month to:

UW-Stout Research Services
Room 152, Vocational Rehabilitation Building
Menomonie, WI 54751

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

Research Grant Proposal Checklist or Dissemination Grant Proposal Checklist - Complete 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.

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Research Grant Proposal Format

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Dissemination Grant Proposal Format

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Review Criteria


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:

  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:

  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 timeline is realistic and achievable;
  5. the budget detail, narrative, and summary are reasonable and appropriate to reach goals; and
  6. evaluation methods will determine if objectives are met.

Review Process


All proposals submitted to the Research Services office by the 15th of each month will be distributed to the review committee members for evaluation.  Committee members meet at the end of the month to discuss and make decisions on the proposals.  Decisions are disseminated by Research Services via e-mail.  During the first week of the following month, applicants will receive a letter stating that their proposal is awarded, denied, or requested to revise and resubmit.  One resubmission is allowed per project each academic year. 

Resubmissions may be submitted by the 15th of the following month and will be reviewed at that month’s committee meeting.


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.

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Fiscal Administration of the Grant


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 faculty advisor and department budget manager.  Recipients will not be refunded for money spent prior to being awarded the grant. 

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Final Report


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.  An electronic copy of the final report, as a Word document, must be sent via email to studentgrants@uwstout.edu.  The subject line of the email must read: Final Report. 


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Tips for Student Researchers

The Writing Center
UW-Stout Library- Citing Resources
UW-Stout Library- Grants & Scholarships
Student Research and Creative Activity Hub

Quick Facts
In the 2008-2009 academic year, the Student Research Fund:

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