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Printer-Friendly ModeNew program offers funding for research
Student Research and Creativity Institute could provide up to $50,000 per year
September 12, 2005 —
Students who envision a significant project within their own academic disciplines now have a new source of research dollars available from within the university.
The Student Research and Creativity Institute (SRCI) was recently established to provide funding opportunities for all SVSU students. With a maximum of $50,000 available to be awarded per academic year, and up to $10,000 per student (or team of students), the SRCI aims to promote student creativity and original research.
"This represents an incredible opportunity for students," says Frank Dane, the James E. Finkbeiner endowed chair in Ethics. "I know of no other university that is willing to provide up to $10,000 for a student project. It really is an amazing program.
Any undergraduate student enrolled for at least six credits in the fall and winter semesters, and any graduate student enrolled for at least three credits in the fall and winter semesters is eligible to receive a grant from the SRCI. Students will act as the primary investigator for the project, and will be responsible for oversight and the day-to-day workings of the project. The announcement of the SRCI is coming just weeks after the University amended its patent policies, to allow students access to any projects created on-campus.
An application must contain a written explanation of the project's purpose and objectives, as well as an explanation of why the project would be beneficial. The proposal must also show student preparation and ability, and needs to include a letter of support from a faculty member willing to guide the project to fruition. The work will begin in 2006, and progress reports will be due every three months until the project is completed, with a final report due 30 days after completion.
Carlos Ramet, executive assistant to the president, is the coordinator for the advisory committee that oversees the SRCI, which also includes Brooks Byam, Dane, Sally Decker, Diana Lawson, and Cindy Sager. He wants students of all disciplines to feel free to apply for funding, not just students in fields that are traditionally associated with research.
"We will be using a review system to assess proposals objectively in non discipline specific ways," Ramet said. The assessment process will be using several objective criteria, regardless of academic discipline, including the project's contribution to knowledge, feasibility of the proposal's schedule and budget, student preparation, level of faculty support, and value to the University's mission. For instance, if ten engineering students applied to the SRCI, and only one history student applied, the history student would still have the same chances as the engineering students.
"This creates a fair way of assessing projects, regardless of discipline," Ramet said.
While an art project may score highly in one category, a chemistry project may score highly in another, which ultimately should balance out the assessment process. It is expected that the grants will cover most costs associated with research and development, including travel costs and housing needs (if needed).
However, Ramet also said that while $50,000 is the maximum number of dollars to be awarded, the SRCI holds the right to not award any grants if the proposed projects do not meet specifications.
For now, the funds for the SRCI are coming from general funds, but there are plans for it to come through an endowment in future years.
"We want to get this project up and running, so we have allocated money for start-up purposes," Ramet said. Ramet also said that the advisory committee is looking forward to reviewing the proposals.
Request for Proposals (RFPs) are available now throughout campus, and the deadline for them to be returned to the President's Office is 4:00 p.m. Monday, October 31, 2005. Applicants will be notified by December 16, 2005 of their proposal's acceptance status.