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Research Grants

Deadline to apply for Fall 2008 Research Funds: July 23, 2008 (by 6pm)

**NOTE: Applications are now submitted through the Undergraduate Research BLACKBOARD site. See section below for information and instructions.

Program Description

The Dean of Faculty office offers a number of grants for Dartmouth undergraduates to engage in independent research with a Dartmouth College faculty mentor. Grants are awarded for research during a leave term and/or for research related to a senior honors thesis.

Awards

  • Leave term research (full-time): up to $3,000
  • Residence term research: up to $1,500 per term
    • for Senior Honors thesis research ONLY
    • research must be during the student's senior year except in unusual circumstances (e.g. student is graduating in three years)
  • NOTE: in some cases, larger grants may be possible for projects that require a higher level of funding. Blitz “undergraduate research” to make an appointment if you think your project may qualify for additional funding.

Grants

Note that this list is for informational purposes only. Applicants do not apply for specific grants. The grant review committee will decide on funding sources for selected applications.

  • Paul K. Richter and Evalyn E. Cook Richter Memorial Fund
    • Leave term independent research OR senior honors thesis research during a residence or leave term
  • Kaminsky Family Fund
    • Senior honors thesis research during a residence or leave term
  • Waterhouse Independent Research Grant
    • Leave term independent research
  • Robert G. McGuire III 1958 Memorial Fund
    • Research on the "Black Experience" during a leave term
  • Anna Thompson Burnap Undergraduate Student Research Award
    • Technology-oriented research
  • David C. Hodgson Endowment for Undergraduate Research
    • Research in the field of cognitive neuroscience
  • John L. Murphy Family Fund
    • Research enhancing the excellence and diversity of the Dartmouth community
  • Raynolds International Expedition Grant
    • Study, research or travel abroad for an academic purpose
  • Lucas Family Fund for Undergraduate Research
    • Faculty-mentored research, particularly in the social sciences and humanities, or for interdisciplinary research
  • Denis G. Sullivan Fund for Undergraduate Research
    • Faculty-mentored research in the arts and sciences
  • Leslie Embs Bradford 1977 and Charles C. Bradford Fund for Undergraduate Research
    • Undergraduate research, particularly in the humanities

Eligibility

  • Applicants must have completed one year of coursework.
  • GPA is taken into consideration in awarding grants.
  • Unless research is related to a senior honors thesis, applicants must be enrolled for at least one term after the term of the grant.
  • Applicants can receive a maximum of 2 leave term grants (students are eligible for senior honors thesis grants even if they have received 2 leave term grants)
  • Grants cannot be used for tuition at Dartmouth or to another institution.
  • Grants cannot be awarded for travel to countries on the U.S. State Department travel warning list: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html

Application Checklist

  • Application form (which includes personal information and project information)
  • Budget Form (see budget guidelines below)
  • Research proposal (see research proposal guidelines below)
  • Signed recommendation form AND letter of recommendation from faculty research advisor
  • Consult with your faculty research advisor to determine whether your project needs to be reviewed by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects

Application Process on Blackboard (** NEW AS OF FALL 2007 **)

  • Self-enroll in the "Undergraduate Research Grants" Blackboard site for instructions and forms:
    1. Log into Blackboard in the usual way
    2. On your home page, locate the "Tools" box on the left
    3. Click on "Organization Directory"
    4. Search for "undergraduate"
    5. Click on "enroll" next to the listing for "Undergraduate Research Grants" (on the right of the page)
  • Undergraduate Research Grants should now appear on your Blackboard home page in the box labeled "My Organizations." If it doesn't appear:
    1. Click on the "modify content" button in the upper right corner of your Blackboard home page
    2. Enable "My Organizations" and you should now see "Undergraduate Research Grants"
  • Once you self-enroll, you will not be able to 'un-enroll' on your own -- all students will be unenrolled at the end of each term.
  • The Blackboard site is OPEN until 6pm on July 23.
  • NOTE: self-enrolling in this Blackboard site does NOT obligate you to apply for a grant.

Research Proposal Guidelines

  • state what the project is
  • explain why the project is important (e.g., how the project will contribute to your academic development)
  • describe how your background in academics and/or other areas has prepared you to do this project
  • discuss relevant literature and/or previous work in the area done by you and by others
  • describe the project: what exactly are you planning to do and what is your timetable
  • if you are applying for funding for a leave term project and you do not plan to work on it full time, state this specifically and note the amount of time you intend to devote to the project
  • if you are applying for funding to work on a project overseas, describe your plan for handling any language and/or cultural barriers
  • pages may be clipped together but NOT stapled or bound

Budget Guidelines

On-Campus Leave-Term Expenses

  • Cost of room and board
  • Cost of Dartmouth meal plan

Travel Expenses

  • Travel - airfare, bus, subway, personal vehicle, etc., costs directly associated with your research. Explain why it is necessary to travel as opposed to other alternatives. If your research will take place on campus during a leave term, travel to and from campus at the start and end of the term is NOT covered.
  • Rent - hotel or other accommodations while traveling away from campus (cost of living at home is NOT covered).
  • Food - meals while traveling away from campus (cost of food while living at home is NOT covered).

Supplies/equipment/services

  • Generally covered:
    • tapes and computer disks
    • lab materials (chemicals, test kits, animals, petri dishes, etc.)
    • art and photography supplies
    • long-distance calls related to research
    • photocopying library materials
    • rental equipment
    • fees for translating, coding, interviewing
  • Generally not covered:
    • computer software
    • books
  • NOT covered:
    • purchase of equipment (e.g. computers, tape recorders, cameras, video cameras, cell counters, blood pressure monitors, etc.)
    • retroactive funding for research already completed
    • tuition or living expenses for courses taken on or off campus.

Additional Information

  • Note that the committee will have access to your academic transcript as part of the application process.
  • A final report must be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Research
  • A portion of each award ($100) is withheld pending submission of the final report/thesis.
  • Grants awarded to non-U.S. citizens/residents are taxed 14% prior to payment.
  • Senior Fellows are not eligible for any of these grants during their fellowship year.
  • Mellon-Mays Fellows are not eligible for these grants except in unusual circumstances.
  • Leave term research grants are intended for unpaid research. For example, if your faculty research mentor is paying you hourly wages for the work related to your research, you are not eligible for a leave term research grant unless you have additional expenses not covered by your wages. This must be detailed on the budget form, and your wages must be included in the "additional sources of funding" section.
  • The grant selection committee consists of the associate deans from the four divisions (humanities, international & interdisciplinary, sciences, social sciences). Therefore, your proposal should be written in such a way that it is comprehensible to non-experts in your field.
  • Funding decisions are announced 2 weeks after the application deadline.

Other Sources of Funding for Undergraduate Research

  • ORL's Senior Scholar program: senior honors thesis funding for seniors residing in a college residence hall, academic affinity or special interest house, College-recognized coed, fraternity, or sorority house, or undergraduate or senior society house.
  • Rockefeller Center Senior Honors Thesis Grant: senior honors thesis funding for research in the social sciences.
  • Dickey Center Undergraduate Research Grant: funding for leave term research involving international travel. Research must be related to a project that earns academic credit in a subsequent term (e.g. honors thesis, independent study course, class with a research component).
  • Funds for Eliminating Financial Barriers (Financial Aid office): funding for students who are receiving financial aid from Dartmouth. The funds provide grants to students for to allow them to pursue educational opportunities that would be otherwise unavailable. In the past, the funds have provided grants to cover the cost of travel home because of family emergencies, expenses associated with leave-term internships, fees for physical education and enrichment courses on campus, and replacement of leave-term earnings while students were participating in educationally significant opportunities. Click HERE for information and application form (scroll down the page) or blitz "Financial Aid."

 

Last Updated: 7/24/08