What's New This Year?

PI or Co-Investigator salary support is not an allowable cost for BSFP, MPSFP, or SSFP. Grant guidelines have been revised to encourage and promote more timely applications for external grants. Conflict of interest guidelines have been revised to allow more researchers at the University to assist with the review of internal funding initiatives. Importantly, an applicant’s departmental colleagues are no longer automatically ineligible to review the proposal.

New Conflict of Interest Policy

Deadlines

None

ICRU Research Fellows 2009-2010 (formerly the ICRU Scholar Assistant Award)

ONLINE SUBMISSION BEGINS January 26, 2009

Summer DEADLINE: March 5, 2009

Academic Year DEADLINE: April 2, 2009

Submissions may be made online at https://uiris.research.uiowa.edu

Introduction

The University of Iowa strives to provide a high-quality educational experience for its students. Participation in research and scholarly activities represents an opportunity, uniquely available at research universities, to enhance the overall undergraduate experience. The Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (ICRU) Research Fellows program encourages the direct involvement of undergraduate students in the scholarly efforts of faculty by providing financial support for a student involved in research.

 

Objectives

Faculty members in all disciplines are encouraged to consider involving an undergraduate in their research projects. Proposals that seek to involve students in intellectual scholarly work, experimental and laboratory-based research, and/or creative work in the arts are eligible. Applications that fully engage the student in the work, from contemplation of the work, through analysis and presentation of results, are of most interest. Work that can lead to an honors thesis, publication, or other form of recognition for the student is encouraged and is given high priority. Proposals that involve a student in only a limited aspect of a project, such as retrieving references or assaying samples, will not receive priority but may be funded. Regular opportunities for the student to interact with and be mentored by the sponsoring faculty is crucial in all cases.

 

Type of Award

The ICRU Research Fellow program is a student support award. A stipend of $1,250 per semester is awarded with the expectation that a student will spend approximately 10 hours per week in work associated with the identified project. Students are paid a stipend of $1250 per fall or spring semester and $2500 for academic year or summer research and work at least 10 hours per week during the school year and 20 hours per week in the summer. The award must be used to pay for involvement of the student and is not meant as a prize, honor, or reward for work already completed. 

 

Eligibility

All Faculty or Professional and Scientific Staff are eligible to apply for this program, including those that have supported an undergraduate through ICRU or IREU awards during the previous semesters. Only University of Iowa undergraduates registered as full-time students with a 3.0 GPA may be supported through these awards.  Only one ICRU Research Fellow application per faculty member per semester will be awarded and students may only be supported by one ICRU Award a semester.

 

Eligible Expenses

Travel/Supplies may be necessary for the student to complete the research. If so, the students stipend ($2500 or $1250) is reduced by the amount of travel/supplies requested.  (Academic Year and Summer awards have $300, $400, or $500 available for travel/supplies Semester awards have $150, $200 and $250 available for travel/supplies.) Funds requested for travel/supplies must be directly related to the performance of the studies. Supply funds must "make the difference" in terms of whether the student can be involved in the project. Typically, supply expenses are for consumables and not for new equipment or other resources that the project should already have available. Justification for the travel/supply purchases must be explained on the budget page of the application.

 

Proposal Guidelines

Summer applications are due March 5, 2009 and Academic Year applications are due April 2, 2009. Applications are submitted online at https://uiris.research.uiowa.edu. This is a secure site. To gain access, you must use your HawkID and password. Complete all sections of the OVPR Internal Funding Initiatives Proposal Submission. Attach the proposal which may be no more than one page (single-spaced, no less than 11 pt. Times font, with margins at least 0.75 inches). It should address the six points listed below and be written for an audience of professionals outside of the investigator's field of study.  

1.     Provide a short descriptive summary of the research project or scholarly activity that includes evidence of an established, ongoing project or activity. This should be limited to 4 to 5 sentences so the proposal can focus on the student experience.

2.     Description of the work that the student will perform. The specific student to be supported by the proposal must be identified.

3.     Level of the student’s involvement in the overall project; how will the student be integrated into all aspects of the research project and the regular, day-to-day activity with other project personnel and the principal investigator?

4.     Benefit to the student; this may include the opportunity to graduate with honors, impact on other studies, and preparation for graduate or professional work.

5.     Provide a timeline for the work, showing as appropriate the student’s preparation, involvement, and follow-up activities.

6.     Identify if a student will be working with you for the summer or full academic year ($2500 stipend) or only the fall or spring semester ($1250 stipend).

 

Your Proposal and a Principal Investigator CV will need to be attached as two separate PDF documents.

Summer Applications are due March 5, 2009.

 Academic Year Applications are due April 2, 2009

All applications must be submitted online by the faculty or staff member.  To access the application:

1. Go to https://uiris.research.uiowa.edu/

2. Login using a HawkID and password

3. Select OVPR Internal Funding Initiatives Proposal Submission Form

4. Click on the ICRU Research Fellows 09-10 Funding Program 

 

 

Review Criteria

The peer review of proposals will consist of assessment of:

1.     Responses to points 2-6 described above. Funding decisions will focus on the quality of the student's involvement in the proposal.

2.     Existence of a suitable context for involvement of an undergraduate in a research project or scholarly activity.

3.     Prospect for a meaningful student experience.  Upon completion of its review, the committee will submit recommendations to the director of the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates, who will make final award decisions.

Reporting Requirements

Students supported as ICRU Research Fellows are required to submit a report and final survey to ICRU at the conclusion of their project. These reports can be in simple letter format describing the work done by the student (one paragraph) and should provide an assessment of the value of the experience, including contributions to the sponsoring faculty member’s work (one paragraph) and should highlight any publications, presentations, performances, etc. The students are also encouraged to present their work at the annual Spring Undergraduate Research Festival held at the Blank Honors Center.