RUI Impact Statement

The principal difference between RUI proposals and "regular" NSF proposals is the additional requirement that RUI proposals must include an RUI Impact Statement that describes the expected effects of the proposed research on the research and educational environment of the institution

Impact Statement. All RUI proposals must include a RUI Impact Statement (maximum length 5 pages). The statement is an opportunity to provide information that a reviewer will find helpful in assessing:

The likely impact of the proposed research activity on the research environment of the predominantlyundergraduate institutions(s), on the career(s) of the faculty participants, and on the ability of the involved department(s) to prepare students for entry into advanced-degree programs and/or careers in science and engineering.

An enhanced departmental environment may be reflected in direct student training in research and in increased involvement of the faculty in competitive research, which in turn leads to improved student preparation.

It may also be reflected in curricular impact and faculty development.

The RUI Impact Statement should highlight the record of the department(s) and institution(s) as follows:

in educating undergraduates for science and engineering careers;
the plans to attract qualified undergraduate students to the project, including the criteria for their selection;
provisions that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in science and engineering;
any plans for measuring the effect of participation in the project on the participating students both during and after their undergraduate years

Also of interest is the anticipated contribution of new research tools (instrumentation, databases, etc.) to both educational and research opportunities for students and faculty.

The Impact Statement may include information on factors affecting research productivity such as teaching loads, availability (or lack) of support personnel, nature of experimental and computational facilities, and features of the student population.

It may also describe institutional support for research activity by faculty and students and the anticipated impact of that support on the proposed project.

FOR EXAMPLES FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS SEARCH : “examples of RUI impact statements”

RUI Impact Statement – POTENTIAL POINTS TO INCLUDE

Institutional Description and Impact (potential language) - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) is a premier metropolitan university located approximately 20 miles for St. Louis, MO.

Laboratory

SIUE has invested $300 million since 2006 modernizing its educational and research spaces and has made additional substantial investments updating educational and research equipment. In that time, SIUE built:

the Biotechnology Laboratory Incubator to support the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Chemistry, and the School of Pharmacy and house SIUE’s Laboratory for Spatial Analysis, which is a unique interdisciplinary resource that provides geographic imaging systems (GIS) capabilities to use in large-scale mapping studies of socioeconomic and environmental factors that impact health and welfare
a new Science Building with labs for biology and chemistry research
new animal care facilities for research in pharmacy, kinesiology, and biology.

One program of note is the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) Program . The URCA Program at SIUE encourages, supports (including financially), and enables students to participate in research and creative activities at the undergraduate level. An undergraduate research or creative activity experience enhances the quality of the baccalaureate experience by giving students opportunities to engage in scholarship, to interact with faculty, and to connect more fully in the educational process of discovering and creating. In cooperation with the academic departments at SIUE, the URCA Program recruits eligible students as URCA Associates and URCA Assistants.

A majority of SIUE faculty members regularly publish with their students in peer-reviewed journals (SIUE is currently in the process of implementing an institution-wide program to help track faculty products that will also include tracking student involvement on the projects).

Department of XXX Impact for Undergraduate Research –

PI Laboratory and Experience in Mentorship -

Project Research and Anticipated Impact for Students –

Institutional Factors affecting Research Productivity (Research at a predominantly undergraduate institution - PUI)–THE POINT ABOVE CAN BE TIED INTO THIS POINT. Few discussion points to use:

Discuss institutional course loads, research, and institutional service – this may tend to be a negative, but think about spinning to how do the expections promote student involvement in research/lab? Talk about unique student profiles in department/unit/region.

Student profile in department/unit (points of pride or make-up – a department of only undergrads/or mentoring GA students). Do undergrads continue education at SIUE for graduate level study? What does the landscape look like for students and educational pursuit beyond SIUE?

How does student participation enhance research and work in favor of student education and faculty research in spite of expectations of high teaching loads, significant service, and research productivity?. How does the teacher/scholar model benefit faculty, students, department, unit, and institution?

What about the department? What organizations/services are available to students for involvement, mentoring, and participation? Has the department received other funding to show institutional infrastructure for administering external funding.

Recruitment Plan and Selection Criteria for Students –

Measuring Student Outcomes –

Anticipated Contributions -