Research Office - Incentive Programs

Current Solicitation

Applications are being accepted for Summer term 2011-12

Proposal Submission Deadline: Monday, April 16, 2012

Award Announcement: Approximately Monday, May 7, 2012

**Review Criteria Update: Proposals will be evaluated on their alignment with the OSU Research Agenda.

Description

URISC: Start is a University program designed to engage students in a scholarly/professional relationship with faculty early in their academic careers. As such, the program is targeted toward first year students, sophomores, and students who have recently transferred to OSU from other institutions.

“Scholarly and professional activities” at OSU are interpreted broadly to reflect activities not only in laboratories and field stations, but also in libraries, art studios, and music practice rooms. As such, the Research Office invites early academic career students from all disciplines within the University to apply to the program. Successful applicants to this URISC: Start program must have a faculty mentor who is willing to assume financial responsibility for student research activities if they continue beyond the initial URISC: Start sponsorship.

Eligibility

Only faculty with professorial rank are eligible to serve as Faculty Project Advisor.
This program is open to first-year students and sophomores who at the beginning of the academic year (Fall) had less than 80 OSU credits and transfer students within their first three quarters of matriculation at OSU. Members of underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.

Students are eligible for only a single URISC: Start award.

Students may apply for either the URISC: Start program or the regular URISC program, but not both. Recipients of URISC: Start awards will still be eligible for the regular URISC program in subsequent years.

NOTE: The URISC: Start invites applications from only first-year students, sophomores and students who have recently transferred to OSU. The URISC program invites applications from undergraduates of any year.

Award Information

Students may apply for summer term funding (deadline April 16, 2012). Awards granted from the spring term deadline are for summer projects only.

The maximum award is $2,000 for summer term. Awards must be spent in the term for which the funds were requested.

Applicants will be notified via e-mail of award decisions by the announcement date listed at the top of this page.

Matching Funds

No matching funds are required. However, a financial contribution by the unit does provide evidence of the faculty's level of commitment to the success of the project.

Use of Funds

Awards are made to support scholarly, creative, and research activities. URISC: Start support will not be in lieu of existing grant funds previously budgeted for undergraduate research assistance. Work schedules are to be negotiated between the student and the Faculty Project Advisor.
 

Budget Items ELIGIBLE for Support

• Student salaries, wages and stipends
• Travel to conduct research or visit libraries/archives
• Library costs (i.e. duplication costs, acquisition of reference materials)
• Equipment rental
• Expendable materials and supplies

Budget Items NOT ELIGIBLE for Support

• Faculty, postdoctoral or graduate student travel 
• Equipment purchases 
• Costs to prepare, copy or bind undergraduate theses 
• Travel to meetings or conferences (includes related fees, lodging and travel expenses) 

Research Compliance Requirements (if applicable)

If the proposal would involve active engagement of activities requiring compliance oversight, it is the responsibility of the student and Faculty Project Advisor to obtain approval from the appropriate compliance committee(s) prior to the initiation of the research project.

• Human Subjects: OSU Institutional Review Board (IRB)
• Live Vertebrate Animals: OSU Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
• Recombinant DNA Molecules Transgenic Plants or Animal, and/or Infectious Agents of Plants, Animals, or Humans: OSU Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
• Ionizing Radiation: OSU Radiation Safety Committee (RSC)
• Chemical Carcinogens: OSU Chemical Safety Committee (CSC)
• Scuba Diving, Free Diving, and/or Small Boating Operations:
  OSU Scientific Diving and Small Boating Programs

The review and approval process could require 5 to 10 weeks.

Application Procedure

The URISC: Start application form is available in MS Word format. If you are unable to access this electronic form, contact the Research Office at (541) 737-8390 to request a paper copy. Please allow one week for delivery.

• Complete all sections of the application form.
  • Complete Items 1-9 within the space provided. Proposals must be initiated and written by the student, but should be done in close coordination with the Faculty Project Advisor.
• Attach the following supporting documentation to the end of the proposal packet:
  • Item 10, limit to two additional pages (double-spaced, 12 pt. font).
  • Item 11, student’s resume. The resume should include the student’s academic major, current academic standing, and expected date of graduation.
  • Item 12, transcript (unofficial is acceptable, including GPA).
  • Item 13, letter of support from the Faculty Project Advisor.
  • Item 14, Appendix. Applicants are permitted to provide a one page supplement that describes the proposed methodology (optional). If the proposed methodology involves survey research, a copy of the study instrument must be provided (required).
    
• Obtain Signatures from the student, Faculty Project Advisor and the Faculty Project Advisor’s Department Head/Chair.
• Submit the completed proposal packet electronically.
  • Submit all application materials electronically, including support documentation, as one PDF document to debbie.delmore@oregonstate.edu by the indicated deadline.

Incomplete proposal packets will not be considered for funding.

Deadlines

All application materials, including supporting documentation, must be received electronically as one PDF document to debbie.delmore@oregonstate.edu by 5:00 PM by the deadline indicated at the top of this page.

Review Procedure

The Research Office, Incentive Programs reviews all proposals for eligibility. Requests that qualify are then given to the URISC: Start Review Panel for competitive review and evaluation. The URISC: Start Review Panel will make award decisions based on available funds. OSU expects to make 50 to 75 URISC: Start awards in the 2011-2012 academic year.

Review Criteria

Proposals that describe the research project by providing clear explanations of the purpose, importance and methodologies of the proposed topic, and avoiding the use of jargon and unexplained acronyms, will fare better than those written from a highly focused discipline perspective.

The URISC: Start Review Panel evaluates each proposal using the following criteria (not in order of importance):

Scholarly Merit

• Would funding this project create a professional experience for the student that might not otherwise be accessible? 
• What educational/experiential benefits will the student gain? 
• Is the project interesting? 
• Will the proposed activity significantly expand or diversify the student’s artistic or scholarly base? 

Nature of Proposal

• Does the proposal provide a clear statement of overall project objectives?
• Does the proposal provide a clear statement of the student’s role?
• Does the proposal provide an independent research experience for the student?
• Are the proposed methods appropriate and accurate?
• Does the proposal provide clear and specific budget information? (e.g., itemized list of materials and supplies)
• Is the text of the proposal well written?
• Is the personal data well prepared?

Leverage

• Will the project create opportunities to continue the research/scholarly experience for the student beyond the URISC: Start funding period?
• Will the project help position the student to pursue further scholarly, professional, creative opportunities?

Other Considerations

• Is this a new research experience for the student?
• Transcript and GPA.
• Does the proposed activity support the student’s educational objectives?
• Has the student had previous research experience?
• If provided, does the appendix provide clear information to support the proposed methodology? Also, if a survey is part of the project, is a copy of the study instrument attached?

Other Requirements

Any publications made possible by URISC:Start funding are required to cite URISC: Start support.

Final Reports
Award recipients/students are required to submit a final report at the end of the term(s) for which funds were awarded.

The final report should contain the following three points:

1. How and/or on what were the URISC:Start funds expended?
2. A brief summary of the work conducted; including a discussion of the information gathered, how the data are being analyzed and if you are far enough along, describe how the data collected supports or refutes your original hypothesis or discovery goal.
3. State the benefits from the URISC: Start award; including additional scholarly activities, research progress, collaborative relationships, and any publications or other funding made possible for the student as a result of this award.

Please submit the final report electronically to Debbie Delmore, Research Office, at debbie.delmore@oregonstate.edu

For More Information

Contact Debbie Delmore at:
debbie.delmore@oregonstate.edu | 541-737-8390