MANUAL
ACCESS
Even in these tough economic times, students can access grant money from the University to complete research or independent projects
// BEN SULLIVAN
if you're strapped for cash and need to pay for a project you've been dreaming up or want to travel to a conference that pertains to your major, there are several programs across campus that can get you the funds.
The Honors Program offers Undergraduate Research Awards (UGRAs) to undergraduate students who are driven to do independent research in their field, but need help paying for living, travel or material expenses. The awards are given across two six-month periods based on when the research will take place. There are two types of awards. The small award grants up to $750 and the regular award grants up to $2,000.
A UGRA is a simplified grant, essentially a sum of money given to a researcher to carry out a public or academic project. A grant is unlike a loan in that you don't have to pay it back. A student looking for a grant will have to write up a grant proposal, as well as a document including a statement of purpose, the subject of the research or project, a budget, how the prospective grantee intends to carry out the project and why the project is of value.
Mark Daly, an associate director of the Honors Program, advises and runs the UGRA program. Daly says UGRAs were designed to prepare students to apply for future grants while accomplishing academic work. Students don't have to be in the Honors Program to take advantage of the services offered.
After coming up with an idea, Daly says the first step for students is to find a faculty member in their department to help develop the project. A secondary faculty member is helpful to evaluate and provide additional feedback.
Alan Schurle, a Manhattan senior majoring in Chemistry and English, got a UGRA to work on a chemistry research project dealing with the structure of molecules. He says he needed the money to pay for lab materials and travel expenses to attend conferences where he wanted to present his project. Schurle says he tried to write the proposal on his own, but realized the benefits of collaborating with an adviser. "Explainring the project to someone else really helps in clarifying your own thoughts," Schurle says. He says completing the UGRA process helped prepare him for more complex grant proposals later in life.
After working with an adviser, the student's proposal goes to a committee of professors in the respective field of study to evaluate and rank it based on the focus of the study and contribution
the project will have to the field. After being ranked, the proposals are sent back to the Honors Program, where awards are granted based on number of proposals, availability of funding and the quality of the projects. "We strive to help projects that deserve funding. We also try to prevent all the funding from going to one discipline." Daly says.
Daly says having a research project under your belt and developing a close relationship with a professor in your field of interest is great for future opportunities such as getting a job or seeking additional education.
Rebecca Hughey, a December graduate with a degree in linguistics, received a UGRA and is using it this semester to finish her honors project by paying for forms and questionnaires. She also pays time compensation for subject participation in her study. She says she had a lot of consultation with her academic and research advisers to develop the project. She says she already knew her project well, but writing the proposal helped to compact roughly 60 documents and spreadsheets into a four-page paper. When graduate schools wanted writing samples, she used her UGRA proposal.
There are also several travel scholarships available for students who want to attend academic or professional conferences or do research outside of campus. The Honors Program's J. Michael Young scholarship has 20 awards and is open to all students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The School of the Arts also recently announced a program that provides awards to cover travel expenses if a student wants to attend or perform at a conference.
In an attempt to bolster student participations, the Honors Program hosts an undergraduate research symposium in April every year to recognize undergraduate research or creative work at the University. Small prizes are given to the best presentations, and Daly says the banquet has some of the best food of any event.
The awards are an excellent springboard into greater opportunities. Daly says the University is trying to increase the number of students participating in active education or engaged learning. Information on awards and applications is available at www.honors.ku.edu JP
Photo illustration by Valerie Skubal
Rolling in dough. Grant money may be available to students in a wide range of majors to help complete independent projects or undergraduate research.
APPLICATION
EADLINES
1
The spring application for the School of the Arts travel fund was due on February 19th, but students wishing to travel between July 1 and August 1 can apply at any time, though additional funding might not be available.
2
Undergraduate Research Symposium registration is due on March 25th.
3
The application deadline for the second UGRA period is at 4 p.m. on March 30th.
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