-.:vc University Honors College

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1 at Buffalo -.:vc University Honors College Undergraduate Education Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities University Honors College Research and Creativity Fund Application Instructions APPLICATION DEADLINES March 1 st for Fall funding November 1 st for Spring funding ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED ELECTRONICALLY BY TIM MATTHEWS IN THE HONORS COLLEGE (trm7@buffalo.edu) BY 3:00 P.M. ON THE DUE DATE. Financial Aid will be notified of all awards in which a student receives direct funds. In the unlikely event that this award will affect a student s financial aid, the student will be contacted directly. 1. INTRODUCTION The University Honors College Research and Creativity Fund (UHCR&CF) is intended to enable undergraduate Honors students to receive grants which defray expenses directly related to research and other creative activities. This program is supported through funds from the Office of the Provost and administered by the Honors College Research and Creativity Fund Committee. These research and creativity fund grants are available only for University at Buffalo students who are in good standing in the Honors College. The maximum total project funding available is $5,000 per grant (applicants should not request funding beyond this limit). Amounts granted may be less than requested depending upon the availability of funds and necessity of each budgeted item. The majority of funds will be managed and administered through a sub-project with the faculty mentor serving as Principal Investigator (PI). The faculty mentor/pi will be responsible for oversight of the project, including transaction processing, account reconciliations and maintenance of all records for audit purposes. The faculty mentor/pi or their departmental delegate/designee and/or departmental administrative staff will be responsible for processing of all procurement transactions including reimbursements and/or travel arrangements. Upon completion of the project any remaining funds will be returned to the main Award/Project held by the University Honors College for use by other awardees. The faculty mentor must agree to this process, be willing to serve as PI, and obtain appropriate approval from the departmental chair or Dean s offices as required, following all internal protocols for their respective units. Proposals are reviewed by the Honors College Research and Creativity Fund Committee. Details concerning funding decisions: Funding is determined by a majority vote of the Honors College Research and Creativity Fund Committee. i

2 Committee members may not be familiar with the technical terminology associated with the applicant s discipline, often referred to as jargon. Thus, the application should be tailored for a nonexpert colleague. Generally speaking, a funded grant results from a well-organized application that states in plain language what research the applicant plans to do, why this is important, and what resources (equipment, travel, chemicals, etc.) are needed to make that research possible; and is supported by a clear, concise, and well-organized budget. The Honors College Research and Creativity Fund supports projects in various stages of development. Group applications will not be accepted. Each Honors College Scholar working on a project must turn in an individual application. Funding decisions will be made on the individual grant submission. Research is to be completed within 12 calendar months of the award unless a written request for an extension (signed by the student and the faculty mentor) is approved. It is very important to note that this is not prize money, nor wages. It is funding to support a specific piece of research necessary at University at Buffalo. Financial Aid will be notified of all awards in which a student receives direct funds. In the unlikely event that this award will affect a student s financial aid, the student will be contacted directly. You will be required to present your work at an appropriate Honors College and/or UB event. 2. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS Read and follow all instructions carefully to avoid delay, misunderstanding, or rejection of application. Use type no smaller than 12-point font. Number pages consecutively at the bottom throughout the application. Type your Full Name on the bottom of EVERY page of your application (including appendices). Incomplete applications without justification will be denied funding. The application must be submitted electronically, with original signatures, to: trm7@buffalo.edu. A completed application must contain: PART I: PERSONAL INFORMATION (use accompanying form) 1 page PART II: TABLE OF CONTENTS (created by applicant) 1 page PART III: LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM FACULTY ADVISOR (use accompanying form) 1 page PART IV: ABSTRACT and SUMMARY (use accompanying form) 1 page PART V: RESEARCH PLAN DESCRIPTION (created by applicant) 3 page max. PART VI: LITERATURE CITED (created by applicant) 1 page max. PART VII: IMPACT (created by applicant) 2 page max. PART VIII: BUDGET (use accompanying form) 1 page PART IX: BUDGET JUSTIFICATION (created by applicant) 6 page max. PART X: APPENDIX (see below detailing what to include) Additional material pertinent to an application will not be solicited and will not be accepted after the application deadline. Applicants will be informed via concerning the disposition of their application upon completion of the review process. Successful applicants are expected to stay within their approved budget and provide an end of semester financial report each semester (December 1 st and/or May 1 st ) of their project. Additionally a ii

3 final report or presentation must be completed. All reports should be approved and signed by the faculty mentor and sent to Tim Matthews at by 3:00PM on the deadline. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICATION FORM PART I: PERSONAL INFORMATION AND ADVISOR S ASSURANCE Provide all of the requested information. PART II: TABLE OF CONTENTS Applicant must collate all forms as per the Table of Contents page and fill in appropriate page numbers where indicated. Part III: LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM FACULTY ADVISOR The committee will only grant funds to those projects with clear and strong support from the faculty advisor. PART IV: ABSTRACT AND SUMMARY Provide an abstract of the proposed project stating what you hope to accomplish and how you plan on accomplishing it. If unsure how to compose an acceptable HCR&CF abstract, please consult the HCR&CF Coordinator for clarification or guidance. The Summary is a two or three sentence paragraph, which will serve as a snapshot of your project that clearly states the purpose and desired outcomes of your application. PART V: PLAN FOR RESEARCH INITIATIVES (PLAN FOR CREATIVE INITIATIVES FOUND BELOW) Succinctly describe the research for which you are requesting HCR&CF funding. State the project s objectives and specific aims. Describe concisely the methodology for achieving these goals. Do not exceed three (3) double-spaced typewritten pages. Be specific and informative, but remember that your audience may be unfamiliar with your area of study. Like the Abstract, the research plan must be written so as to be clearly understood by any Honors College Research and Creativity Fund Committee member. The Research Plan Description portion of your application should include sufficient information to facilitate an effective review of your research without the need to refer to any other document or source of information. Please make certain the Honors College Research and Creativity Fund Committee can distinguish between your research and the ongoing research of your advisor and others in your laboratory, or other work group. Your research should be distinct from other research. To ensure completeness please include the following sections in your Research Plan Description: iii

4 a. Specific Aims of the Research. Outline what the proposed research is intended to accomplish. Illustrate how your research will add to your field of study. b. Background and Significance of the Research. Briefly report on the background to the proposal. Place your project in a larger context, critically evaluating existing knowledge, and concisely stating the importance of the proposed research. c. Methods. Provide details of your research plan, including a brief description of the work that you are proposing, the techniques you will use, the kind of data you expect to obtain, and the means by which you plan to analyze or interpret that data in order to accomplish your research objectives. Be specific, but avoid unnecessary technical details or jargon. Provide enough information so that someone not involved in your discipline can follow your approach, and can understand your project. Methods are the most important section of Part IV and no application can be considered complete without it. d. Subjects/Animals/Materials. Provide details concerning the human subjects, animals, materials, supplies, or other resources that will be used in research (this includes facilities and institutions e.g., laboratories, museums, and libraries to which you will need access). Failure to provide this information suggests an incompletely developed methodology. e. Finished Product: What do you plan to do with the finished product. Will you present the information in a journal or do a poster session, or prepare a presentation of your research to an audience? How will you share this new information? When and where will you present your work to Honors College and/or the wider UB community? PART V: PLAN FOR CREATIVE INITIATIVES Succinctly describe the creative activity for which you are requesting HCR&CF funding. Do not exceed three (3) double-spaced typewritten pages. Be specific and informative, but remember that your audience may be unfamiliar with your area of study. Like the Abstract, the research plan must be written so as to be clearly understood by any Honors College Research and Creativity Fund Committee member. The Creative Activity Plan Description of your application should include sufficient information to facilitate an effective review of your creative activity without the need to refer to any other document or source of information. To ensure completeness please include the following sections in your Creative Activity Plan Description: f. Specific Aims of the Creative Activity. Outline what the proposed creative activity is intended to accomplish. Illustrate how your creative activity makes a meaningful contribution within you field (e.g., advances an art form or mode of exhibition). g. Background and Significance of the Creative activity. Briefly report on the background to the proposal. Place your project in a larger context, critically evaluating existing knowledge, and concisely stating the importance of the proposed creative activity. Explain how your work will be original or innovative. h. Methods. Provide details of your creative activity plan, including a brief description of the work that you are proposing and the techniques you will use. This is your opportunity to illustrate how well iv

5 conceived your plan is and how you plan on caring it out. Be specific, but avoid unnecessary technical details or jargon. Provide enough information so that someone not involved in your discipline can follow your approach, and can understand your project. Methods are the most important section of Part IV and no application can be considered complete without it. i. Materials/ Space. Provide details concerning the materials, supplies, or other resources that will be used in creative activity. Be sure to include facilities and institutions such as theatres, rehearsal spaces, and galleries to which you will need access. Failure to provide this information suggests an incompletely developed methodology. j. Finished Product: What do you plan to do with the finished product. Will you present your creative work to an audience? How will you share this new information? When and where will you present your work to Honors College and/or the wider UB community? PART VI: LITERATURE CITED List here all literature cited in the Description and elsewhere in the application. References are expected, so please consult with the HCR&CF Coordinator if you believe them not to be relevant to your application. Follow a bibliographic format appropriate to your discipline that permits the reader to fully identify the referenced material. PART VII: IMPACT OF YOUR WORK What may be the benefits to yourself and/or society as a result of your project? How will your work have an impact in the wider community? Please answer the following questions on a separate enclosure. i. What do you hope to learn from this experience? ii. How does this experience further your academic goals? iii. Why are you interested in this particular field of study? iv. What is the impact of the proposed activity? v. How will you share your work/project with Honors College and the greater UB community? PART VIII: BUDGET You must complete the budget template enumerating each expense. List all project related expenses (including dollar estimates) that applicant expects to incur as a result of the project, whether requesting HCR&CF funding for the costs or not. Indicate all secured resources (e.g., access to equipment, computer, lab, studio or other facilities) available to applicant within your Department at the University or elsewhere which will contribute to the completion of the project. This should include a list of all financial resources you anticipate or are relying on and if they have been secured. If your research cannot be completed without these other (non-honors) funds, please tell us how you will complete your project if they are not secured. v

6 This should include any free items (housing with friends, use of a professor s equipment, etc.) you anticipate or are relying on. Anything you state is necessary for your research should be listed on this page. All funds will be managed and administered through a sub-project with the faculty mentor serving as Principal Investigator (PI). No per diems are issued. If a service is free or can be accomplished by you at no cost, list it as a resource as costing $0. Prioritize your expenses from most important to fund to least important to fund. (1 would be the most important to receive funding). An end of the semester financial reporting will be required by funded individuals. You will be required to submit this report (signed by the faculty member by December 1 and/or May 1). Funds will not be available to you after your degree is conferred. Comments on Common Fundable Items Airline tickets May be purchased prior to the first day of the granting period, in order to take advantage of cheaper fares, and will be reimbursable provided: 1. The proposal is indeed funded by the Honors College Research and Creativity Fund Committee, and 2. The travel takes place during the granting period. THERE WILL BE NO OTHER RETROACTIVE REIMBURSEMENT FOR ANY BUDGETED ITEMS THAT ARE PURCHASED PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF THE GRANTING PERIOD. Equipment Itemize all equipment requested. For the purposes of the Honors College Research Fund, equipment is defined as any item that has a use-life beyond the duration of the grant. Please be sure to include the cost of shipping and handling in your budget. The ultimate fate of all equipment purchased by the grant must be identified. All equipment purchased with the HCR&CF will remain the property of the Honors College who may donate the equipment to the applicable department. Supplies Itemize all supplies and provide Honors College Research and Creativity Fund Committee with precise quantities necessary to complete project. A supply is defined as any item that will be utilized only during the funding period and which would not have a use-life beyond the duration of the grant. Please be sure to include the cost of shipping and handling in your budget. Travel Itemize all travel expenses and provide the Honors College Research and Creativity Fund Committee with precise travel plans necessary to complete the project. Following a Federal Government allowance, HCR&CF currently reimburses at the rate found at for all research-related travel using applicant s vehicle. This reimbursement is for gas and wear on a personal vehicle. Receipts must be submitted to support expenses incurred. vi

7 Tolls must be budgeted for in the proposal to be claimed. HCR&CF cannot issue funds to students travelling to countries or regions under State Department warning or travel ban. Long Distance Travel Submit estimates for each type of long distance travel, (e.g., air, train, and bus) that will be used. Should applicants wish to drive a personal vehicle and the costs exceed those of the least expensive mode of public transportation, an explanation must be provided in the Budget Justification. Local Travel Travel associated with daily routine activities is NOT fundable. Should the applicants wish to drive a personal vehicle and the costs exceed those of the least expensive mode of public transit, an explanation must be provided in the Budget Justification. Food and Lodging HCR&CF will fund based on the rates laid out by the State Department. These rates can be found at the following website: The Honors College Research and Creativity Fund Committee reserves the right to cap these amounts at their discretion. Human and Laboratory Subject Costs Please supply any and all Human and Laboratory Animal costs. Non-Fundable Items Salaries and/or stipends for applicants will not be funded under any circumstances. You will not be paid to do your project. Typing, data entry or transcription, or similar clerical expenses will not be funded. This includes entering information into a computer. No research assistants will be funded. You cannot use HCR&CF to pay someone to do your project. Equipment or supplies that are normally available to students within a department or within the University will not be funded. You should be careful to explain any item the Committee might judge as ambiguous. Insurance is considered a personal expense and is not covered by HCR&CF. PART IX: BUDGET JUSTIFICATION SECTION A: This section is not to exceed six (6) double-spaced typewritten pages. Number pages consecutively. You must describe expenses to ensure they are clearly identifiable as the items from the Budget Template. You must explain why each requested item is needed. You must explain why the number of items requested is necessary. If, for example, you want 100 grams of a chemical you must state why 100 grams is necessary. If you want 100 subjects, you must explain that you have established a methodology where 100 is the necessary number. Three (3) quotes are required for all budget items, (equipment, supplies, services, etc.). Provide a listing, with live links to the specific items. If you are unable to provide a direct link to the quote you must provide additional documentation of price quotes. vii

8 If you state that multiple price quotes are impossible to obtain because only one company sells a product, be very sure you are correct. If it is necessary to use one particular product only to insure a standard research protocol, explain this fully. SECTION B: Have you requested funding from other sources? Are they secured or requested? If so, please list from where and for how much. Please tell us how you will complete your project if the requested funds are not received. SECTION C: If you are only partially funded for your work through the HCR&CF will you be able to complete this project? PART X: APPENDICES Applicants are encouraged to only include appendices that are relevant to their application. Appendix A: Curriculum Vita (CV)/ Resume/ Statement of Experience (Relevant to ALL applicants) Utilize this section to establish your credibility as a grant applicant. It should be an academic biography that summarizes your education, teaching experience, research experience, and other relevant information. Consider that some of your experiences may not be relevant to this endeavor and therefore do not need to be included. If you require assistance completing this section contact a faculty member in your department or Career Services. No matter what method you choose be sure that it is well organized, clear, concise, consistent and specific. Appendix B: Human Subject Approval Please provide all Human Subject Approvals required for your work. Your faculty advisor will need to guide you through this process. Appendix C: Animal Use Documentation Please provide all Animal Use Documentation for your work. Your faculty advisor will need to guide you through this process. Appendix D: Institutional Review Board Approval for Use of Radioactive Material Attach a copy of approval for use of radioactive materials. Form must have all required signatures. HCR&CF will defer funding of an application until this form is received. Appendix E: Letters of Access viii

9 Applicants working with an agency (e.g., school, hospital, library, museum, or another university) to conduct research, must submit a letter of access signed by an official of the agency which grants permission to access the information necessary to the completion of the research. Applicants who will be interviewing specific individuals must submit a letter of access stating that said individuals agree to be interviewed. If your research hinges on using a piece of equipment or visiting a library collection, you have to demonstrate access. If your advisor has given you free access to an expensive machine; she or he should give you a letter of access. If the facility you plan to use is open to the public you must demonstrate that fact. If the applicant has not yet received letters of access, copies of the letter(s) requesting access must be submitted with the application. HCR&CF will defer funding of an application until response letters are received. Appendix F: Price Quote Documents Include material documenting prices quoted here. This is a listing of the quotes with live links. Any other items that cannot be documented electronically should be attached. Appendix G: Supporting Materials Application may include graphs, diagrams, tables, charts, maps, photographs or slides and/or other relevant supporting material(s) which applicant wishes to present to the Honors College Fellowships and Scholarships Committee. Surveys and interview questionnaires to be used, which are not formally published, need to be included. Additional Appendices Any addition appendix would begin with Appendix H. In most cases, addition appendixes will not be necessary or appropriate. ix

10 1. Title of Research: 2. Name of Applicant (Last, First) University at Buffalo Honors College Research & Creativity Grant Application Form PART I PERSONAL INFORMATION 3. Student Number : 4. Expected Graduation Date: 5. Is this research for a departmental or Honors thesis? YES/NO 6. Is there another Honors student working on this grant with you? YES/ NO If Yes, who: *Each individual applying for HCR&CF must submit an individual application, even if you are working together on the project and must have individual project responsibilities identified. 7. Local/ Campus Address: 8. Cell Phone: 9. Home/ Permanent Address: Faculty Advisor s Name: 12. Academic Department: 13. Applicant s Signature Date 14. Total Amount of Money being Requested: x

11 Part III: LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM FACULTY ADVISOR MANDATORY Applications will not be considered that do not contain a letter of support from the faculty advisor in addition to this form. It is very important that you (the applicant) and your faculty advisor understand that these items are not included as a formality. The person signing off must be your advisor who has read and approves of the proposal. The application should be signed and dated the semester the application is submitted. ADVISOR S ASSURANCE Please write your initials next to each line in the space provided and sign and date at the bottom indicating that the following statements are true. 1. The methodology in this proposal has been developed sufficiently to allow completion of the project as it is written here. 2. Any necessary subjects (human or animal) have been identified in this proposal and permission for their use by the applicant has been secured (or is pending with the appropriate review committee). 3. Any materials requiring special permission to use (e.g., copyrighted materials, or radioactive materials) have been identified in this proposal and permission for their use by the applicant has been secured (or is pending with the appropriate review committee). 4. Budget is accurate and appropriate. 5. I agree to serve as Principal Investigator and will be responsible for both research and financial oversight of this project. I agree that I, serving as the faculty mentor/pi or my departmental delegate/designee or departmental administrative staff will be directly responsible for processing all procurement transactions including reimbursements and/or travel arrangements. I agree to seek any necessary prior approvals to utilize departmental administrative staff from my department Chair or Dean s office as required. 6. I agree that upon completion of the project any remaining funds will be returned to the main Award/Project held by the University Honors College for use by other awardees. 7. I certify that I have read the attached proposal and the preceding statements are all true. I have also provided a letter of support. Advisor s Name: Signature: Date: Advisor s address Office Phone Departmental Chair Name xi

12 Chair Signature Date Departmental Financial Contact who should be copied on correspondence regarding sub-project Name: Phone: Name of Administrative staff who will process transactions: Name: Phone: Faculty advisors are also expected to submit a letter of support. The letter must address the following: 1. How independent is this project? 2. What type of support will you provide to this student throughout the project? 3. The merits of this project. 4. The individuality of the project. 5. What funds you will provide to the student to support this work. xii

13 PART IV: ABSTRACT and SUMMARY ABSTRACT: For this abstract produce a clear and concise summary of your HCR&CF research proposal. State the specific aims of the research, describing the data you will collect, the methods for achieving the stated goal(s), and the resources necessary to accomplish this research. Avoid summaries of past accomplishments and the use of first person. This abstract is meant to serve as a succinct and accurate description of the proposed work when separated from the application. The abstract must be written so as to clearly be understood by any Honors College Research and Creativity Fund Committee member. Type using 12 point or larger font (this is 10-point font). DO NOT use over 250 words. Department: Degree Sought: Title of Research: Abstract word count: xiii

14 SUMMARY: Please produce a two or three sentence paragraph that clearly states the purpose and desired outcomes of your application. xiv