Research Grants for the Academic Year

Students can apply for a research grant to offset the costs of conducting research during the fall, spring or summer. Funding can be applied toward supplies, recruiting research subjects or travel for archival work. Other activities may be approved. Students can apply for up to $500 per semester.

Eligibility

1. Any Arts & Sciences undergraduate student is eligible to participate.

2. Each applicant will need to have a faculty member who is willing to supervise his/her project.

3. Projects may range from an idea that the student would like to pursue on his/her own, to a joint student-faculty project in which either student or faculty member is the principal investigator, to a project that is part of the faculty member's ongoing research program.

4. In all cases, however, the project must be one in which the student has significant involvement. The undergraduate research committee does not fund faculty research assistants.

5. If the application is for funding to continue a project previously funded by the undergraduate research committee, no award will be made unless the applicant submits a progress report relating the previous work done to the currently proposed stage of the project.

Examples of Projects

The following list is not intended to be complete, and the order of listing carries no particular significance.

1. Humanistic studies: Research projects in the humanities, including the editing and study of texts, literary history and criticism, linguistic analysis and biography.

2. Creative arts projects: Performances, exhibitions, or specific projects in art, music, writing and theatre.

3. Scientific experimentation and analysis: Research projects in the natural, mathematical and behavioral sciences.

4. Research development: Participation in workshops, seminars, conferences, institutes and symposia not given regularly as courses or programs.

Items That May Be Funded

1. Special equipment, materials and supplies (limited to those items not normally provided by the student's major department).

2. Charges for services not normally supplied by Information Services and the University libraries (e.g., special computer costs, literature searches).

3. Individually initiated travel to special collections, libraries, archives, research facilities, research sites and other special resources. Costs that may be covered include transportation, lodging and meals.

4. Limited photocopying (e.g. surveys to be distributed, limited copies needed for distribution for coders). Photocopying will not be considered an alternative to note taking and must be specifically justified in the proposal.

5. Grants will not be awarded to fund tuition at other educational institutions, domestic or abroad.

Procedures

1. Applications for an undergraduate research grant must be typed on the application form provided for that purpose.

2. Applications must be accompanied by a letter of endorsement by a supervising faculty member.

3. A separate application is required for each project for which a grant is requested.

4. Grants to support research will normally not exceed $500. Larger grants may be considered depending on the quality of the proposed research and the availability of funds. However, a compelling argument must be made in order to justify the need for a larger grant and the committee may not fund the full amount requested.

5. An application may be submitted individually or jointly by two or more eligible students. Students working on the same project who submit separate proposals describing individual contributions may apply for up to $500 each. The budget should clearly indicate the total budget for the project and the amount requested by each student.

6. If a research proposal involves use of animal or human subjects, final approval of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee or Institutional Review Board for Protection of Human Subjects must be obtained before an award will be made.

7. Students must submit the original and seven completed copies of their applications (including accompanying faculty letter – one copy in sealed, signed envelope) to the Associate Dean in the Arts & Sciences Dean's Office. Deadlines are posted for each round of applications. A first round of applications is accepted prior to the start of a semester and, if funds are available, a second round of applications will be considered after the semester has started. A BannerWeb transcript must be included with each proposal. Proposals will not be reviewed if the transcript is not included.

8. Applications are evaluated by the undergraduate research committee composed of the Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences and faculty members representing the broad areas of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences will notify applicants in writing of the committee's decision concerning their application.

9. At the time a grant is made, an expiration date will be established consistent with the projected timetable contained in the application. Extensions beyond the original expiration date may be granted by the committee upon petition by the recipient. To receive consideration, such petitions must be endorsed by the supervising faculty member.

10. Sometimes the committee will feel that a project appears worthy of funding, but will have specific questions regarding the design of the project or particular aspects of the application. In that case, the student will be asked to submit a new application, making special note of the committee's questions or concerns.

11. As a condition of receiving a grant, a student must agree to present his or her research findings at the Student Symposium held in April of each year. Although this is an obligation connected with the grant, it is also an opportunity for the student to receive due recognition.

Disbursement

1. Upon notification by the Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences, the Accounting Office will establish an account in the name of the recipient for the amount of the grant and notify the recipient of the account number. Any deviation in items of expense as stated in the application and approved by the committee must have the approval of the Associate Dean before purchase is made. If the research involves travel, a travel and expense form must be submitted (see "Disbursement" under travel).

2. Direct payment to providers of goods and services can be made by the Accounting Office upon submission of the provider's invoice accompanied by the grant recipient's written request to make payment. Please make sure if receipts total more than the original award, the check request shows only the amount of the award. The supervising faculty member should sign the check request before it is delivered to the Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office for approval. The Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office will then send the request to the Accounts Payable Office. The Accounts Payable Office will not issue reimbursement for any receipts that are over 90 days old. 

3. Advances for expenditures may be obtained by submitting a University advance request form to the Associate Dean, Boatwright Administrative Wing, Room 22. For expenditures for which an advance is made, appropriate original vouchers and receipts must be sent to the Associate Dean within one week following delivery of goods and services.

4. Receipts for reimbursement or to clear an advance must be taped to an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper.

5. Funds will not be available for student use beyond the expiration date established at the time of the award. All funds remaining in the student's account will revert to the University upon the expiration date. The expiration date may be extended upon petition to the undergraduate research committee.

Conditions

1. An applicant may not be reimbursed for an expense before an application is approved.

2. Whenever feasible, equipment, materials, and supplies are to be purchased through the University Purchasing Agent.

3. Special equipment and materials, and unused supplies become the property of the University at the conclusion of the research project and should be included in the regular inventory of the department concerned. Photocopies become the property of the department concerned. Books become the property of the University library.

4. A recipient of a grant who leaves the University or is dropped from a program must return all unexpended funds to the University.

5. Any publication resulting from a project supported by a grant shall include an appropriate acknowledgement of assistance from the University of Richmond and a copy of the publication shall be forwarded to the committee.

6. Grant recipients must agree to submit to the Associate Dean a final report containing: (1) a summary of what was accomplished on the project during the period of the grant, and (2) an itemized list of expenditures. The report is due no later than 30 days after the end of the period for which the grant was given. If a publication or a presentation at a professional meeting resulted from the grant, the report shall be accompanied by a copy of the publication or the program listing the presentation.

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