URI offers mini-grants for undergrad research

10/29/09 - The University of Rhode Island's Division of Research and Economic Development along with the Division of Academic Affairs will be offering $40,000 in mini-grants to undergraduate students who propose creative research projects.Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Peter Alfonso, said in past years there was only $10,000 available in mini-grants for undergraduate students. The Division of Research and Economic Development is still offering $10,000 and the other $30,000 will be provided by the Division of Academic Affairs.

With only $10,000 in mini-grants being offered last year, only 23 undergraduate students were awarded, Grants and Contracts Specialist, Jill Diehl said. This year at least twice as many will be awarded, she added.

Diehl said students would receive individual awards up to $800 and at least 50 grants will be given. The university could potentially offer 80 grants, she said.

Students who choose to present their proposal in a group of two will receive up to $1,000, and up to $1,200 for a group of three students.

The money will be awarded to students who submit a proposal that identifies a specific research project related to their field of study. According to the URI Web site, research project proposals should be original, scholarly and creative. Alfonso said this research opportunity is a way for students to gain experience in their desired fields.

"[This is] important because research is at the cutting edge," Alfonso said. "We're trying to enrich the undergraduate experience by involving the research enterprise."

Past award winners used the money for research projects, such as a documentary in Costa Rica, or a project that examined accounting education in Mexico City in comparison to other parts of the United States. Some students used the awarded money for airfare, photocopy costs, equipment costs, or travel costs for conference presentations.

Diehl said the money could only be used for a conference if the student is presenting at the conference. If students choose to use the money for equipment such as a video camera, the item is to be returned to the university upon the project's completion or is to be given to the student's sponsor.

Applicants must have a professor sponsor their research project in order to be considered for the grant. The sponsor is responsible for overseeing the project and supporting it with a letter of recommendation. This letter of recommendation is to be included in the student's application.

The actual proposal portion of the application is supposed to be no more than three pages long and should include the project's objective, procedure, and the results the students are looking to achieve.

A budget form will be attached to the project stating the exact estimates needed for the project and what the money will be used for. This form will also include a list of funding students received from other sources, if applicable. Diehl said if the students have received money from other grants, it shows how serious they are about the project.

Applications are due by Nov. 25 at 4 p.m. and the reviewing process is expected to begin the second week of December.

The Undergraduate Research Initiative Committee is a group of eight members consisting of faculty and students who will evaluate the applications, Diehl said. Applicants will submit eight applications in order for each member of the committee to receive a copy.

The committee will evaluate the applications based on a rating scale from one to four. Diehl said the averages will be totaled and students with the highest scores will be awarded. She said the winners are expected to be notified by the end of the semester, but may not receive the results until January.

Those awarded are obligated to use the money by the end of June, but don't necessarily have to complete their project by that time, Diehl said. Many students tend to do their research projects in the summer, and flights or materials for these projects are to be paid for by the deadline. When projects are completed students must submit a final report, "telling [the committee] what they did with the money and what they learned from the project," Diehl said.

The students have to pay back the university if the final report isn't completed.