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 Scholar Assistants 2008-2009

ONLINE SUBMISSION BEGINS August 11, 2008
DEADLINE: September 10, 2008
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) Scholar Assistant 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 Scholar Assistant 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. An award of $1,250 will be provided for a single semester (either fall or spring) project and $2,500 for an academic year project. 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 tenure-track or tenured faculty are eligible to apply for this program, including those that have supported an undergraduate through IREU or USA awards during the previous academic year or the ICRU Summer Research Fellows program. Only University of Iowa undergraduates registered as full-time students with a 3.0 GPA may be supported through these awards.  Only one ICRU Scholar Assistant application per faculty member will be awarded and students may only be supported by one ICRU Award a semester.

Proposal Guidelines

Applications are due September 10, 2008, and shall be made online at https://uiris.research.uiowa.edu. This is a secure site. To gain access to it, 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 he/she 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 full academic year ($2500 stipend) or for only the fall or spring semester ($1250 stipend).

Your proposal and a Principle Investigator CV will need to be attached as a single PDF document.

Applications are due September 10, 2008, and must be submitted online by the faculty or staff member.  To access the application:

* Go to https://uiris.research.uiowa.edu/
*  Login using a HawkID and password
*  Select OVPR Internal Funding Initiatives Proposal Submission Form
*  Click on the ICRU Scholar Assistants 2008 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 decisions about awards.

Reporting Requirements

Students supported as ICRU Scholar Assistants 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). The students are also encouraged to present their work at the annual Spring Undergraduate Research Festival held at the Blank Honors Center on April 25, 2009.