Student Grants 2015

[#1]

Student Grants Program Description

(updated February, 2015)

            The Student Grants program encourages professional development and outreach activities, including grant-writing, among chemistry students enrolled at schools in the section.  Undergraduate chemistry, chemical engineering and chemistry education majors from institutions represented in the section will have priority in funding.  A total of $2,000 has been allotted to the program for this year, with $1000 of that total set aside preferentially for outreach-related proposals.  Grants for individual students will generally range from $100 to $300; larger awards may be considered for activities that will affect many students.  Example activities that might be appropriate for support include, but are not limited to,

            *Participation in a workshop (instrumentation short course, topical workshop; e.g., a calculational chemistry short course).

            *Travel to a regional or national meeting such as an American Chemical Society or Council on Undergraduate Research meeting, the Eastern Analytical Symposium, or the National Conference of Undergraduate Research.

            *Sponsoring of a workshop, short course, speaker or meeting at a local institution for the benefit of area undergraduates (e.g., a chromatography short course, a glass-blowing course, a meeting-in-miniature, etc.).

            *Chemical demonstrations or hands-on activities for schools or local community groups.

            The program is administered by a standing Student Grants committee.  The committee for 2015 includes Dr. Kevin Evans at Glenville State College, Mr. Brian Forinash at Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Mark Smith of National Energy Technology Laboratory (unconfirmed) and Dr. Erica Harvey at Fairmont State University.  Proposal closing date for receipt of this round of grants will be Friday, February 27, 2015.  Email submissions are required.  Attach the application as a Word file with the contact person’s name as the filename.  Awards will be announced by March 13, 2015. 

Email proposals to:  erica.harvey@fairmontstate.edu

Application forms are emailed to a faculty representative from each undergraduate institution in the section.  The Student Grants committee has the right to decide how much of the total to award during each portion of the competition.  Evidence of cost-sharing by the awardee(s) or awardee's institution is looked upon favorably.  Travel, registration fees, stipends or honoraria, and expendable supplies are appropriate budget items.  Equipment is not normally supported.  Projects should be completed within 6 months of the award letter; in no case should a project extend more than one year from receipt of award. 

 A final report must be emailed to Dr. Harvey upon completion of the project. 

 Selection Criteria for Undergraduate Student Grant Proposals

1. Completeness and timeliness of application, including resumes for each student and clearly defined budget.
2. Strength of recommendation letter from faculty advisor.
3. Final report submission status for the last grant received by the proposing institution.
4. Length of time since the institution was funded (priority given to institutions that have not been recently supported).
5. Evidence of institutional support and/or cost-sharing.
6. Number of students involved and/or impacted by the proposed activity.
7. Magnitude of impact on student professional development.
8. Magnitude of outreach impact.

Student Grants Program

                                                            Application Form

All parts of the application except the recommendation letter must be sent electronically, preferably as a single Word file with the contact person’s name as the filename. 

1.      Complete address to which correspondence about this proposal should be sent, including the name of the contact person, phone number, regular mail address, and email address:

2.      Name(s) of all student(s) submitting the proposal

3.      Project Title:

4.      Date by which proposed activity will be complete:

5.      Abstract of proposed activity. (Describe who, what, where, when and how, in 100 words or less!)

6.      In a half page or less, explain why the proposed activity is important.  How will completion of this project result in the professional development of one or more students?  For the Outreach-Focused grants, also explain who the audience is, how many people will be affected and what the audience will gain.

7.      In a half page or less, explain your qualifications for accomplishing this project.  What needed assets, skills, background and/or professional goals do you bring to the project?

8.      On a page or less, include an itemized budget for the entire project.  Clearly show the total project cost, the amount requested by the proposal, and how cost-sharing will be accomplished (if necessary).  For example, is your institution or mentor contributing to the project directly (with money) or indirectly (providing facilities or expert assistance free of charge, donating faculty time, providing xeroxing, etc.?)  Are you paying part of the costs out of your own pocket, or finding ways to minimize costs?  Show these as line items.  You can paste a table in from Excel if you find it easier to set up the budget in Excel.  Institutional cost-sharing should be documented with a letter from the administrator or faculty member in charge.  You can write this letter yourself, as long as they are willing to sign it!

9.      The application requires a letter of recommendation from one teacher or supervisor familiar with your abilities and able to assess the likelihood of success for your project.  Recommendation letters should be emailed to Dr. Harvey directly by the faculty recommender.

10.  In addition to the Student Data Section below, each student must provide a current resume (1 page maximum).  For group projects, the student data section and a resume should be sent for each student involved in preparing the proposal. 

Student Data Section (include one copy for each student involved):

Name:

Undergraduate Institution:

Major:

Rank:

Expected date of graduation:

Which of the following courses have you completed?  Include courses in which you are currently enrolled.  Make an X beside all courses completed.

               General Chemistry                            Inorganic Chemistry

               Organic Chemistry                                       Instrumental Analysis

               Analytical Chemistry                        Biochemistry

               Physical Chemistry 

[Ewadert45]

In 2015, student grants played a pivotal role in fostering academic achievements, thanks to the unwavering support of faculty sponsors. This underscores the importance of initiatives like SASSA in empowering students to excel in their educational pursuits.