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Undergraduate Research FAQs

Undergraduate Research Grants

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What are Undergraduate Research Grants?
  2. Who is eligible for these awards?
  3. How do I apply for this grant?
  4. When should I apply for this grant?
  5. How can I spend my grant money?
  6. What is expected of me if I accept this grant?
  7. How will my application be judged?
  8. If I plan to use this money to travel, what else will I need to do?
  9. What should my faculty mentor and department know about this grant?

1. What are Undergraduate Research Grants?

The Honors College administers funding for Undergraduate Student Research Grants, which are grants of up to $1,500 each to support student research and creative/performance projects in collaboration with a faculty mentor.

2. Who is eligible for these awards?

Students who meet the following requirements are eligible to apply:

  • Must be a sophomore, junior, or senior (by credit hour) with a college GPA of at least 2.5
  • Must have at least two semesters remaining at WSU, including the semester in which they apply for the grant (i.e, a senior graduating spring 2014 would be eligible to apply in fall 2013).
  • Must be a full-time student with a declared major
  • Must have a faculty research mentor who is willing to submit a statement in support of the project
  • Did not received funds from this program in the past
  • Must present this project at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Forum, held annually in the spring

Note: Preference is given to students whose projects are not currently receiving funding from another source (e.g., faculty mentor grants).

3. How do I apply for a grant?

Applications will be received online. This form cannot be saved, so we suggest you create your proposal in a separate document and then paste this into the application form. You and your faculty mentor will submit any additional documentation necessary to undergraduateresearch@wichita.edu.

The application includes 8 required sections, and 1 supplementary section:

  1. Student Information
  2. Faculty Information
  3. Proposal
  4. Budget Justification
  5. Timeline
  6. Literature Review
  7. Agreements
  8. Faculty Mentor Letter of Support
  9. (Supplementary Documentation for Travel Requests)

Note: The faculty mentor letter of support must be emailed to undergraduateresearch@wichita.edu before your application can be reviewed by the committee. It is your responsibility to ensure that your mentor sends the letter.

4. When should I apply for a grant?

Grants are reviewed on a rolling basis between September 1 and March 15. We suggest that your application be completed 6-8 weeks in advance of when you need to spend the money.

5. How can I spend my grant money?

Up to $1,000 is available. Typically, grants can be used for travel in direct support of the research project (e.g., books, field sites, museums, historic sites), as well as most materials and equipment. When applicable, all purchases (e.g., leftover materials and equipment) must remain at WSU after the project is completed as property of the mentor’s department. Grants may be used for participant incentives with proof of appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Grants MAY NOT be used for stipends.

6. What is expected of me if I accept this award?

If awarded, the student-faculty team agrees to the following:

  1. Funds must be used within one year from the date of the award.
  2. Students will complete the appropriate Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training.
  3. Students will follow all necessary IRB and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) compliance requirements when applicable.
  4. Grant recipients will present or publish the results at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Forum (URCAF), held annually in the spring. Students are encouraged to pursue additional external opportunities as well.
  5. Grant recipients are expected to participate in undergraduate student research workshops and programming whenever possible.
  6. Grant recipients must acknowledge the WSU Undergraduate Student Research Grant in any presentations or publications that result from the research conducted through the grant.

7. How will my application be judged?

The review committee will consider the following during the selection process:

  • Appropriateness of Budget: The requested budget is justified and necessary for the completion of the project.
  • Mentor Support: The mentor endorses the project and assures the reviewers that no other funds exist for parts/all of the project.
  • Strength of Proposal: Proposals must be clear, concise, and understandable for faculty from a wide variety of backgrounds. Strong proposals will also meet the following criteria:
    • Clear focus or central research question: The grant explicitly states what the project will accomplish. There is a clear central idea, hypothesis, or objective.
    • Sound methodology: Methodology clearly conveys how the project will be executed and how data/information will be obtained.
    • Contribution to the field or discussion of potential impact: There is an explanation of (1) the significance or use of the project, (2) the worth of the project and (3) what new knowledge, understanding, or insight will be gained.
  • Timeline/Plan of Work: The student outlines the time necessary to complete the project successfully and the project can be reasonably completed in that time. The timeline also includes the possible publication and presentation opportunities and submission deadlines.

8. If I plan to use the money for travel, what else do I have to do?

You will need to submit your conference acceptance letter via email with your application to undergraduateresearch@wichita.edu. If multiple students are traveling for the same project, fill out one application, and in the supplementary email, include the names of all students presenting and all relevant conference acceptance documentation. While WSU does not have a policy on age restrictions for travel, you should check with your hotel and rental companies to confirm age requirements; some hotels and rental car companies require travelers to be 21 before booking.

If you receive a grant in support of travel, the most common way to receive money is through reimbursement.

9. What should my faculty mentor and department know about this grant?

The Honors College coordinates with the Office of Research and Technology Transfer to generate a new organization and fund number for the grant, assigned to the principal investigator. These numbers will be sent to the department contact for use on purchases or reimbursements. You can find the budget for these accounts in Reporting Services by clicking on Grant-Research Reporting, then the option that is live to date ("LTD") then choosing the appropriate options from the drop down menus.

Reimbursements are handled through each individual department. Travel processes are different depending on if the grant winner is a student employee or not. Non-student employees will be processed using an ICD and student employees will be processed using TEM. When a student wins a grant, we will send further instructions about the reimbursement process to each department.

If the student is participating in a research project that has previously received IRB/IACUC approval, but the student was not listed as a co-investigator, the principal investigator will need to submit an IRB addendum or email proposals@wichita.edu to get the correct forms for IACUC.

If you have questions, please contact undergraduateresearch@wichita.edu.

If you have additional questions, you can direct them to undergraduateresearch@wichita.edu.

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