Call for Proposals
SUNY New Paltz2018
Summer Undergraduate Research Experience
Please note that the proposal format has been changed. Additionally,SURE participants will be required to attend an orientation on Thursday May 10th.
In an effort to encourage and support the involvement of undergraduate students in a discipline-based high-impact experience, the Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities program encourages faculty mentors to participate in the SUNY New Paltz Undergraduate Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE:( The focus of this program is to encourage student participation in faculty-mentored research, scholarship, or creative activities that generate new knowledge or works.
Funding will support faculty-mentored undergraduate research projects performed over an 8-week period (typically, but not necessarily,May 21-July 13) during summer 2018.Faculty mentors will provide in-person, one-on-one guidance to participating students. The faculty commitment includes providing original signatures on time sheets on alternate weeks (occasional exceptions in instances of faculty conference travel will be allowed). As a goal of this program is to encourage on-going faculty-student collaboration, therefore graduating seniors are given low priority in the funding decision. Students will receive a stipend to work full-time on the project over the 8-week summer period. Early in the fall semester, all SURE students are required to present the results of their work. The date and format of the presentations will be discussed during the summer. Student participants are also encouraged to present their work at appropriate regional and national meetings. SURE awardees are eligible to apply for conference travel funds of up to $750 for students and $500 for mentors (
Mentors-students pairs are required to participate in the SURE assessment process (totaling approximately 10 hours of activity). This assessment program formalizes the mentoring commitment expected of all participating faculty. SURE students will meet with their faculty mentors regularly during the award period to discuss the progress and problems that arise during the course of the research process. This interaction will allow students the opportunity to gain experience in communicating and critically analyzing the research topic. The assessment,“An Innovative Approach to Documenting Growth in Student Content Knowledge, Skills, and Self-Awareness”, is designed with a wide variety of disciplines in mind. Additionally, students will attend workshops on writing and presentation of research results. Mentors and students are expected to be on-campus for in person meetings.
“The model focuses on repeated conversations between the student and mentor in which they both complete identical assessment surveys that address each component of 11 outcome categories (34 components altogether). The surveys are completed before the student research begins, in the middle of the research, and at the end of the research experience. This gives mentors multiple opportunities to review and assess student work and provides time for students to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, so that the evaluation process provides essential information used by both students and faculty to advance learning objectives”.
Schedule for 2018 Submission of Proposals:
Proposals are due Tuesday, March 27th (will be collected 8a on March 28th)and must be submitted to the Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Program at . See details below.
A workshop on proposal preparation will be offered again this year. Both faculty and students should attend the workshop on Wed. March 7, 5:30-6:30p. Anyone interested in attending this workshop should contact Maureen Morrow () by March 5th. This workshop is particularly useful for those who have not applied to the SURE program before. A few example proposals are also available at the SURE web site as a guide. Award announcements will be made on or about April 18, 2018.
Expected Support Available:
-Each student participant will be supported by a stipend of at least $3,400(hourly rate)for the 8-week summer project.
-Each faculty mentor will receive a stipend of $1,200.
-Safety Supplemental Stipend for mentors supervising projects that involve significant safety training (see below)
-Funding for the First Year Student Supplemental SURE award
-As needed, each project will be funded for up to $1,000 for supplies, etc. to carry out the project.
-SURE awardees are eligible to apply for conference travel funds (
Safety Supplemental Stipend
The Safety Supplemental Stipend has been established to recognize the significant time commitment to issues of student safety that is required for some projects (ex. some laboratory,field, studio). While all SURE mentors are expected to contribute to the intellectual and personal development of the student, some mentors must also invest significant and on-going time and effort training students on the best practices for personal safety, maintenance of equipment, etc. Often, SURE projects involve safety and best practice training that is not taught in courses as a regular part of the major requirements.
The Safety Supplemental Stipend ($300)will be added to the regular faculty stipend if the mentor demonstrates that safety and best practices training are: an integral part of the summer experience; involve training that is not taught in courses; requires significant one-on-one interaction with the student throughout the summer; is not provided through on-line or other group training; is not provided through support staff; etc. The request for Safety Supplemental Stipend should be included as clearly labeled additional page with the SURE proposal.
First-year Supplemental SURE award
To provide first year students with research experience opportunities, we will offer a supplemental SURE award. This award will support a rising sophomore who will work with a faculty mentor and upper class SURE student. This second SURE student will also receive a $3,400 stipend (hourly rate) and the mentor, a supplementary stipend of $300. The supplemental award is not a stand-alone award; it must be associated with a funded SURE project
Proposal Evaluation:
All members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities Advisory Board ( are invited to review the proposals.Please see the evaluation sheet that will be used to rank the proposals: Example proposals from various disciplines are provided at this site. We typically receive more proposals than we can fund.
Proposal Format:
The proposal must be submitted as two pdf format documents. The document describing the projects should be named: SURE18facultylastnamestudentlastname.pdf and the document containing the progress report should be named: prstudentlastname.pdf. Mentors should send both documents to with ‘SURE’ in the subject heading.
Proposal pdf (Please see the criteria for evaluation! Link is provided above):
Pages 1-2: (single space, 11pt font minimum) A) Title, B) Summary of the project, including a statement of research hypothesis, developmental objective, creative outcome, or other discipline appropriate goal to be completed within the summer period in the context of the overall project (prepared by the faculty mentor), and C) Tentative schedule of work for the project (indicative of 8 weeks of full-time work) D) Commitment to providing in-person mentoring and participating in assessment.
Extra page (if applicable) a one-paragraph summary of work accomplished with previous RSCA funding (SURE or AYURE) from the past 3 years and information about the post-award accomplishments of the student.
Extra page (if applicable) the Safety Supplement Stipend statement.
Page 3: Student’s statement (one page) as to their anticipated role in the project and commitment to the SURE program (commitment details can be found at:
Page 4: Information sheet (you must cut and paste the cover sheet provide below) with a project title and preliminary supply budget (catalog numbers not necessary) not to exceed $1,000.
Progress report pdf:
Include the student’s progress report (not the transcript). Degreeworks has a save as pdf option.
Please submit proposals in pdf format by March 27th (will be collected 8a on March 28th)to:
with ‘SURE’ in the subject line.
Late submissions will be given low priority.
No revised submissions will be considered.
Proposal check list (Please submit entire proposal as a single .pdf document.)
- Completed information sheet with budget
- Two page summary of project (include title!) and tentative work schedule
- One paragraph summary of previous funding accomplishments (if applicable, may be provided on an additional page)
- Safety Supplemental Stipend statement (if applicable, may be provided on an additional page)
- One page statement from student
- Student’s progress report (submit as a separate pdf)
2018 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Information Sheet
last page of proposal
Faculty Mentor:
Name (and preferred pronoun):
Department (student’s checks will be sent to this department):
Email:
Student:
Name (and preferred pronoun):
Major (minor):
Expected graduation date:
Phone:
Email (this email will be used for all communication throughout the summer):
GPA:
N number:
Expected start date:
Note: this information is needed for budgeting purposes (to enable funding of as many proposals as possible). Provide the most accurate date possible. This information will not affect proposal ranking!
1. Does this work involve human subject?
If yes, has the IRB been notified?
2. Does this work involve recombinant DNA?
If yes, has the IBC been notified?
3. Does this work involve non-human vertebrates?
4. List the faculty mentor’s other funding sources (approved and pending):
5. Preliminary supply budget summary: (cannot exceed $1,000 including delivery fees)
Please provide a general, preliminary list of items and associated costs:
Total amount requested:
Does the requested budget cover all expenses related to the proposed work?
If not, explain the sources of funding that will be used.