•If you are a CNR undergraduate you can get up to $400 to support your independent research!
             Deadlines: 25 October 2007 & 25 February 2008

            •If you have done independent undergraduate research you can get up to $400 for travel to a
             professional meeting to present results of your research!
             Deadlines: open application

            •Application packets are available on the CNR web page! If you have questions,
             contact Helga Van Miegroet (helga.vanmiegroet@usu.edu)

Eligibility:  Any registered undergraduate student of at least sophomore rank who is in good academic standing and majoring or minoring in a College of Natural Resources degree program is eligible to apply for a grant to support independent research. Applications from students of sophomore and junior rank will be given preference. Seniors who can show evidence that they can complete the proposed project before graduation will also be considered for funding. Although the Program is administered by the Honors Advisors within the College, the program is not restricted to honors students.

    A student is limited to only a single CNR Undergraduate Research Grant. Any student receiving a Research Grant will, however, still be eligible to receive a Travel Grant from a related CNR program in order to present the results of their research at a local, regional, or national professional meeting.

What Grants Will Support:  Funds may be used to pay the costs of supplies, travel for research purposes, etc. Funds may not be used to provide a stipend for the student or faculty advisor, for travel to meetings, or for the purchase of books or permanent equipment.

Award Size:  CNR Undergraduate Research Grants are limited to $400. Matching funds from Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunity (U.R.C.O.) Grants and from the faculty advisor are not required, but are strongly encouraged.

Application Procedures:  A complete application must include:

1) cover page:  Fill out the enclosed application cover sheet.

2) research proposal: The body of the proposal has an absolute limit of 2 single-spaced pages exclusive of Literature Cited. Proposal must have 1-inch margins on all sides and use a minimum of 11-point font. Include:

a) An Introduction that describes the rational or justification for the research project.

b) A clear statement of the Objectives, Hypotheses, or Questions you will address with your research.

c) A description of the Methods you will use, including a brief indication of how the data will be analyzed.

d) A brief Time Line explaining when the different phases of the project are expected to be conducted (e.g., sample collections, data analysis, report writing, etc.).

e) Literature Cited. An extensive literature review is not necessary, but you will need to include a few citations to support your points. This section may be on a third page.

3) budget page:  Provide a budget detailing the total anticipated costs of the research and the amount requested from the CNR Undergraduate Research Program by category (e.g., travel, supplies, laboratory analyses, etc.). Also indicate the anticipated source of remaining funds (e.g., matching funds from advisor, URCO grant, etc.).

4) letter of support from faculty advisor: Each project must have a faculty advisor. In most cases the advisor will be within the CNR, but in some cases an advisor outside the College may be most appropriate (e.g., Biology). The advisor must provide a letter supporting your application and documenting what assistance she/he will provide (e.g., use of laboratory space, matching funds, use of a field vehicle, assistance with data analysis and interpretation, etc.). The most important part is to document that they support this project and are going to do what it takes to help you succeed.

Application Deadline: Proposal deadlines are 25 October for Fall Semester 2007 and 25 February for Spring Semester 2008.  The committee will consider late proposals submissions only to the extent that funds are still available.

Submission of Proposals:  Proposals should be submitted to Helga Van Miegroet, Department of Wildland Resources , NR 226, 797-3175, helga.vanmiegroet@ usu.edu).  Please submit all materials, including the faculty support letter, electronically – MS Word, WordPerfect or PDF are all acceptable formats.

Evaluation of Proposals:  The evaluation panel consists of the Honors Advisors within the College of Natural Resources (Gene Schupp, Mark Brunson, Helga Van Miegroet, and Wayne Wurtsbaugh). Evaluation criteria include:

    • The strength of the justification – how well did you defend its importance?
    • The likelihood that the project will be a significant learning experience for the student.
    • Evidence of strong support from the faculty advisor.
    • The likelihood that the project will be completed by the deadline.
    • Whether the proposal meets all requirements such as page limits, etc.

Project Duration:  The project must be completed and a report submitted to the CNR Undergraduate Research Grant Program within 1 year of the awarding of the grant or, if graduating in less than one year from the award date, by graduation. Guidelines for a final report will be provided with the notification of grant approval. Reports should be submitted to Gene Schupp in electronic format.

Academic Credit:  Students receiving grants must sign up for a minimum of 1 credit of Undergraduate Research in the student's Department. It is strongly recommended that the student and faculty advisor agree in writing on specific expectations for the awarding of academic credit and grading before registration for credit is complete.

Fund Administration:  Funds must be administered in accordance with general University procedures. In addition to the final report, an accounting report including all receipts must be completed and turned into the CNR Business Services Office and the Office of the Associate Dean of the College of Natural Resources. Detailed instructions will be provided with the notification of grant approval.
Application Form

Eligibility:  Any registered undergraduate student of at least sophomore rank who is in good academic standing and majoring or minoring in a College of Natural Resources degree program is eligible to apply for a grant to support travel to a local, regional, or national professional meeting in order to present results of the student's research. The presentation may be in either an oral or poster format. Applications from students of junior and senior rank will be given preference, but in some cases applications from sophomores may be funded. Students are eligible for travel support to participate in meetings that occur within 6 months of graduation (e.g., graduate in May and attend Ecological Society of America in August). Although the Program is administered by the Honors Advisors within the College, it is not restricted to honors students.

    A student is limited to only a single CNR Undergraduate Travel Grant. Previous award of a Research Grant from the related CNR program will neither help nor harm the chances of obtaining a travel grant – all undergraduate students who wish to present results of their independent research at a professional meeting are encouraged to apply whether or not the research was supported by a CNR Undergraduate Research Grant.

What Grants Will Support:  Funds may be used to pay the costs of registration fees, air or ground transportation, lodging, and/or food at a professional meeting.

Award Size:  CNR Undergraduate Travel Grants are limited to $400. Because the cost of attending a meeting is generally slightly to substantially greater than this, matching funds from a faculty advisor are encouraged.

Application Procedures:  A complete application must include:

1) abstract: A final or draft abstract of the presentation. Please refer to guidelines of the particular Society for information on format. Include a copy of the guidelines with your application. Although brief, the abstract must be detailed enough to demonstrate that it will be a scientifically sound presentation. Although grants may be temporarily awarded earlier, funds will not be released until a final abstract and an official acceptance of the abstract are submitted to the review panel.
2) budget page: A brief budget with total estimated cost of registration, travel, and per diem (lodging and meals) and the amount in each category requested from the CNR Undergraduate Travel Program. Also indicate the anticipated source of remaining funds (e.g., matching funds from advisor, out of your pocket, etc.). Also include information from the meeting announcement documenting registration and housing costs – this is generally available to download from a website.

3) letter of support from faculty advisor: A letter from the faculty research advisor verifying that she/he is sufficiently aware of the research to confirm that it is scientifically sound and that the experience will be beneficial to the student.

Application Deadline: Open.

Submission of Proposals:  Proposals should be submitted to Helga Van Miegroet, Department of Wildland Resources, NR 226, 797-3175, helga.vanmiegroet@ usu.edu).  Please submit all materials, including the faculty support letter, electronically – MS Word, WordPerfect or PDF are all acceptable formats.

Evaluation of Proposals:  The evaluation panel consists of the Honors Advisors within the College of Natural Resources (Gene Schupp, Mark Brunson, Wayne Wurtsbaugh, and Helga Van Miegroet). Evaluation criteria include:

• Likelihood the presentation and meeting attendance will be a significant learning experience for the student.
• The soundness of the research based on the abstract.
    • Evidence of strong support from the faculty advisor.
    • Whether the proposal is complete and meets all requirements.

Fund Administration:  Funds must be administered in accordance with general University procedures. Registration, travel costs, and lodging are fully reimbursable with receipts. Meals can be reimbursed at the University per diem rate ($28/day for most U.S. locations). All travel will be done on a University Travel Authorization administered by the CNR Dean's Office. Receipts must be presented for registration, travel, and lodging. Detailed instructions will be provided with the notification of grant approval.
Application Form