Summer 2017
Young Scholars Grant Program
Non-Technical Proposal Application
Due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 17, 2017
Student Instructions. Students applying for a Young Scholars grant in a non-technical field must fill out sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 below according to the Guidelines that appear on the Young Scholars website. Once this form is complete, you must save it as a Word document and submit it as an attachment to an e-mail directed to Laura Bru at . You should then receive an email confirming receipt of your proposal; if you do not receive a receipt within 72 hours, please contact Laura Bru at the same email address. Your application will not be considered if it is sent after the due date and time posted above.
Faculty Mentor Instructions. Faculty agreeing to mentor a student must fill out and submit a Mentor Letter of Support (see Guidelines) by the due date and time posted above.
Student Applicant:Student UST ID#:
Student E-Mail: / Campus Mail#
Student Phone:
Student Mailing Address
Undergraduate Major(s)
Expected Semester/Year of Graduation
Title of Proposed Project
Faculty Mentor Name
Faculty Mentor UST ID# / Campus Mail#
Faculty Mentor E-Mail / Phone
Department /Program
An Overview of Your Application:
Please note that a complete proposal consists of the following components and will be assigned up to 450 points by reviewers on the Undergraduate Research Board:
Part 1: Press Summary (150 points)
Reviewers of your application will be asked to measure the extent to which you are able to make your proposed research understandable to a non-specialist – a very important skill! Answer all of the questions as completely as possible, write clearly and concisely, and avoid disciplinary jargon.
Part 2: Project Narrative (300 points – 150 possible points from each of two reviewers)
This component of your proposal consists of six major sections. Make certain that you address all of the sub-questions that appear in each. In this area of your proposal, you will be evaluated on the scientific merit, anticipated impact, and potential for dissemination of your proposed project.
Part 3: Project Timeline
You must include a Timeline of your proposed project as per the Guidelines published on the Grants and Research Office website. Applications missing a Timeline will not be reviewed.
Part 4: Additional Appendices
Additional appendices may include at your discretion:
Glossary of Terms
Supporting Figures
Special Expenses Budget
Treatment of Human and Animal Subjects
External Letters of Support (when appropriate)
Part 5: Transcript of College Grades (Official or Unofficial)
Part 6: Mentor Letter of Support (Electronic or Hardcopy)
This component of your application must be filled out and submitted by your project mentor.
Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 must be submitted as a single PDF by the deadline posted above. For Part 5, you must contact the Registrar’s Office, get a transcript of your college grades (need not be an official transcript), and send those to the Grants and Research Office (AQU 319). For Part 6, the Mentor Letter of Support must be sent separately (to AQU 319) by your mentor. All five parts must be received at the Grants and Research Office by the posted deadline.
Part 1 – PRESS SUMMARY (limit: 400 words – application will be discarded if word count is exceeded)
150 possible points
Describe your proposed research project using language that a non-specialist will be able to understand. You will be evaluated here exclusively on your ability to provide a comprehensive and clear description of your proposed project that someone outside of your field can understand. Avoid disciplinary jargon! Be sure to read the faculty mentor guidelines for assistance in writing this, and all other pieces of your proposal.
Enter your answers to the questions in the text box below each question: any other format of application will be automatically discarded!
Be sure to address all of the following questions:
a. What question(s) are you trying to address?
b. How will you address the question(s) that you pose above in question (a.)? What will your methodology be?
c. How is your project important to your field and the broader community?
d. How will you disseminate the results of your research? If applicable, please describe how your research is part of a broader project designed for publication and/or presentation at a major academic meeting.
e. What do you think will be the impact of your research on your academic and intellectual development? How will conducting this research contribute to your longer-term academic and professional goals?
Part 2 – PROJECT NARRATIVE (limit: 1,200 words – application will be discarded if word count is exceeded)
150 possible points possible from each of two reviewers
Enter your answers to the questions in the text box below each question: any other format of application will be automatically discarded!
1. Research Question(s) (30 points)
What question(s) are you planning to address in your research? Through what academic scholarship will you approach these questions and why?
2. Background and Literature Review (40 points)
What is the background of your project? Why is your project important to your discipline and to the general community? What have scholars written about your project/question(s) in the past? Who are the most important researchers relating to your project? How does your project fit in with the existing literature?
3. Research Design, Methodology, and/or Theoretical Approach (40 points)
How will you address the question(s) that you pose? What methodologies or theoretical approach will you employ?
4. Anticipated Impact (20 points)
What do you think will be the impact of your research on your discipline, the general community, and your own intellectual development?
5. Dissemination Plan (20 points)
How will you share the results of your research? What specific conferences might you attend? What audiences do you hope to reach?
PART 3 – PROJECT TIMELINE (Required)
PART 4 – ADDITIONAL APPENDICES (See Guidelines)
Please briefly answer the following questions (0 points):
1. How did you hear about the Young Scholars Program? (Faculty, peers, information session, tabling, posters, Newsroom, emails, etc. Please include all that apply).
2. What is your favorite part of being a (fill in your major/s) major at UST?
May we publish your answer in our annual publication featuring undergraduate research? Yes No
A photographer will be taking photos during the “Inquiry at UST” event. May we publish your picture in our website and in our research book? Yes No