This program is designed to provide financial support for original research and other creative projects conducted by students under the mentorship of a faculty member. The goals are to enable students to conduct active research and engage in the creative process as a means of developing their critical and creative thinking and communication skills. Grant proposals must be prepared and submitted by the student and approved by the participating faculty sponsor.

• $10,000 is available for 2012-2013.
• Range of Awards is $50 to $750. The committee will not consider individual requests over $750.
• Collaborative proposals (involving 2 or more students) can be funded up to $1,500.
  
  
• Faculty Mentors please note: Faculty mentors are advised that there is a per mentor award cap of $2,000 per academic year.

Proposals must be submitted no later than 5:00 pm on the following dates:

• October 1, 2012
• November 26, 2012
• February 4, 2013
• April 8, 2013

Eligibility

• All currently enrolled and matriculated students are eligible to apply.
• Students receiving previous Undergraduate Research/Creative Grant funding are eligible to apply for subsequent funding, however priority will be given to first-time applicants.
• Students must be working with a Faculty Sponsor on the research or creative project as well as the proposal process. Information on Student and Faculty Responsibilities is available for review.
• The length of the project period can range from 1 - 2 semesters.
• New for 2012-13: Student projects involving any kind of off-campus travel must follow the KSC Student Travel Guidelines, and complete the Student Travel Pre-Approval form. The travel must be approved prior to any grant funds being released.
• Students whose projects involve work with human subjects must work with their faculty mentor to complete and submit an IRB review. Complete information regarding the IRB process can be found at http://www.keene.edu/grants/compliance.cfm.
• All activities must take place after the date of award. Applications for retroactive activities cannot be accepted.

Proposals must be submitted electronically, using the appropriate UG Research Grant Application form or UG Creative Project Grant Application form. These forms are designed to help you provide the necessary information in the required format. Please download the form to your computer before completing the application. If you have questions or difficulty accessing the forms, please contact Susan Ericson-West. Collaborative proposals should be submitted as a single application.

A formal letter of support, speaking to the nature of the project, the qualifications of the student, and the faculty member's role in working with the student must be submitted by the Faculty Sponsor prior to the proposal deadline. Proposals submitted without a faculty endorsement will not be reviewed for consideration.

New for 2012-13: Student projects involving any kind of off-campus travel must follow the KSC Student Travel Guidelines, and complete the Student Travel Pre-Approval form. The travel must be approved prior to any grant funds being released.

Several resources are available to assist students in their proposal preparation. These resources include:

• a 15 minute webinar on how to prepare a competitive URCP proposal
• copies of the Undergraduate Research Review Form and the Undergraduate Creative Project Review Form . These documents will be used by the Committee to review each proposal submitted, and applicants will receive a scored form from the Committee at the end of the review process.
• examples of recent successful grant proposals are also available for review below:
  • Successful UG Research Proposal: Jeffrey Trethewey, November 2009
  • Successful UG Creative Project Proposal: Jessica Yager, February 2010

All proposals must be submitted electronically to Susan Ericson-West, in the Office of Sponsored Projects & Research by 5:00 pm on the deadline date.

Allowable costs are limited to research/project expenses, including supplies, copying, shipping costs, and travel. Travel requests must be directly related to the proposed project or production and necessary for its completion. Travel funds support student travel only. Students who are funded in one funding cycle may submit a proposal in a subsequent funding cycle to support the presentation of their results at a scholarly conference. Equipment needs will normally not be funded but may be considered if affordable and critical to the project. Stipends and salary will not be funded.

Please Note: Requests for conference travel support (not connected to the presentation of project results) should be made through the Student Conference Fund administered by the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Office.

The following resources are available to help students in budget planning:

• Copying Expenses: All copying should be done through the KSC Copy Center, Redball Express
• Travel Expenses: Students are encouraged to check the Purchasing Office's Travel website for current information on mileage rates and travel regulations
• Per diem rates: Information regarding daily meal reimbursement can also be found on the Purchasing Office's website

Six faculty members (two from each academic school), and one dean will review all proposals and make award decisions. The Office of Sponsored Projects & Research will facilitate the review process; OSPR staff will not vote on proposals.

The voting member for 2012-2013 are:

Fitni Destani, Physical Education (8-2804)
Jonathan Gitelson, Art (8-2110)
Jim Kraly, Chemistry (8-2849)
Gordon Leversee, Dean of Sciences & Social Sciences (8-2544)
Jonathan Schwartz, Film Studies (8-2626)
Tanya Sturtz, Education (8-2913)
Donna Viveiros, Psychology (8-2333)

• Award Notification: Award recipients will be notified within 2-3 weeks of application submission. Once awards have been granted, students can access their funds one week from the date of award.
• Dissemination and Accountability: Students receiving an Undergraduate Research or Creative Project grant are expected present at the Academic Excellence Conference in the spring of each year. If the timeline of the award or the project will not allow the student to present at the AEC, the student may present their work in another public forum. The student and faculty sponsor are asked to notify the Office of Sponsored Projects & Research with information regarding the event, date and location of the student presentation.

• 2011-2012 Undergraduate Research & Creative Project Grant Awards & Abstracts
• 2010-2011 Undergraduate Research & Creative Project Grant Awards & Abstracts
• 2009-2010 Undergraduate Research & Creative Project Grant Awards & Abstracts