Student Research Grant

Deadline: March 18

Purpose

Sargent College students and postdoctoral fellows working with Sargent-primary faculty are eligible for a Student Research Grant. These investigator-initiated awards should be consistent with ongoing research at Sargent, with a preference for proposals that cannot be supported otherwise (e.g., by existing funding in the mentor’s lab).

Funding

The Student Research Grant awards up to $5,000 in support; grants to postdoctoral fellows are awarded up to $2,500 and require a minimum match of $2,500 from the fellow’s mentor.

Eligibility

All Sargent College graduate students are eligible to apply. Interested Sargent-affiliated postdoctoral fellows must provide a letter committing to a 50 percent match of funds from their Sargent College faculty mentor (up to $2,500).

Application Requirements

  1. Project title
  2. A statement of whether IRB or IACUC approval is required and/or pending
  3. A summary of the applicant’s education, awards, papers and/or presentations (see Application Template)
  4. A statement from your mentor outlining the scholarly merit of the project, appropriateness of the budget request, and feasibility of project completion within a 12-month timeframe.
  5. A project proposal, not to exceed 5 single-spaced pages in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. This page limit includes Figures and Tables and excludes references.
    • Summary – a summary of the proposed research in lay terms (not to exceed 200 words).
    • Specific Aims – Describe what the specific research in this application is intended to accomplish (e.g., to test a stated hypothesis, create a novel design, solve a specific problem, or develop new technology) and list its specific objectives.
    • Background and Significance – Briefly develop the background leading to the present application, critically evaluating existing knowledge in the literature and specifically identifying gaps the project is intended to fill. State the significance and relevance of the project described by relating its objectives to the longer-term goals of your research. 
    • Research Design and Methods – Describe the research design and the procedures to be used to accomplish specific aims of this project. Include how the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted. Describe any new methodology and its advantage over existing methodologies. Discuss any anticipated challenges or limitations and describe plans to minimize difficulties. Please include a timetable for the project to demonstrate its feasibility in a 12-month timeframe.
    • Literature Cited – Include a reference list of all literature cited in the application (not counted toward the five-page limit).
    • Itemized Budget – Include a justification for each requested line item. Funding requests may include personnel costs (excluding salary support for the applicant), equipment, supplies, participant costs, data collection, personnel, and research-related travel (e.g., for data collection, conference presentations). Funds should be used within the allocated 12-month time period.

Download the Application Template.

Evaluation Criteria

A review panel will evaluate proposals based on the following criteria:

  1. Significance – potential scientific or clinical impact, training value, and likelihood of a peer-reviewed publication.
  2. Design – Adequacy of the research design and method(s) of the proposed work.
  3. Feasibility – The likelihood of the project’s completion within specified period and budget, the adequacy of the proposed budget, availability of necessary resources (e.g., participants, essential analytic tools). The duration for the proposed project should be 12 months.
  4. Investigator and Mentor Qualifications – The applicant’s training, experience, and accomplishments and the match between the research plan and the mentor’s expertise.
  5. Clarity – The degree of thought and thoroughness exhibited, with attention to the project’s alignment with the specific aims and discussion of how this funding will aid in the applicant’s career development or professional advancement.

            Expected Product/Outcomes

            Awardees must submit a Final Status Report to the Associate Dean for Research, Jana Iverson, by May 31 following the funding period. This report should describe the expected outcomes or product in terms of projected dates of completion/success and an explanation for any unspent funds. Awarded funds cannot be reallocated during or after the proposed budget period. Please explain any unspent funds and request a no-cost extension of up to 6 months for the funds if needed.

            Apply