Student-Faculty Summer Research
Deadline for Summer 2024: March 1, 2024 at 6 PM ET
Purpose: The objective of the summer research fund is to increase the opportunities for faculty and students to work together on research projects in the summer. The project and the proposal should be a collaborative effort of the faculty member and the student. The project should be of value to both the faculty member and the student. The student is expected to have the qualifications to do successful work and a product from the research is expected by the end of the summer.
Eligibility: This fund is open to all full-time continuing faculty members and continuing students. Students who will have graduated by the end of the project are not eligible for this award. Students who are on academic probation or who have incomplete grades in regular semester courses are not eligible for faculty development funding.
Expectations & Rules:
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All applications will be joint student/faculty proposals.
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Awards will be given one to each division (when possible) before a second award is given in any division.
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It is assumed that the students who would be most suitable for these projects will be rising juniors or seniors, because they would have the background necessary for the projects.
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Previous funding for students will be taken into consideration. Priority will be given to students who have had no prior summer funding from the Faculty Development Committee.
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University budget policy states that students may not be employed by DePauw in another position while working under the summer research program in a full-time capacity except in very special circumstances that require prior approval from the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Also, students may not attend classes or be employed on- or off-campus by another employer if either of the activities interferes with time required for research.
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The funding will provide a fellowship grant in the amount of $4400 for the student, a stipend of $2500 for the faculty member, and a project budget of up to $500 per student. These amounts are based on the assumption that the project will last ten weeks and that the student will work full-time and the faculty member will work half-time. For projects of lesser duration, the fellowship grant will be prorated. The project budget covers research-related expenses but not computers.
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It is assumed that the student and the faculty member will work together at the same location for the duration of the project. Dates for the project must fall within student summer housing availability and must occur outside the regular academic year.
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Faculty members may have more than one student working with them in the summer but are limited to $2500 for collaborative research with students (from this or other university funds). If more than one student is needed for the project, please rank the students and explain the need. Faculty members receiving funding from an external source will not be excluded from receiving funding from DePauw; however, priority will be given to those faculty members who have no other funding.
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It is possible for two faculty members to share one student; in that case, the faculty funding will be shared.
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Faculty members considering projects that involve technology should consult with Faculty Instructional Technology Support (FITS) at least two weeks prior to the application deadline.
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Students who receive Student Faculty Summer Research Funds are not eligible to apply for Student Research and Artistic Grants for additional funds for materials for the summer project.
Criteria for Evaluation:
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Completeness and Clarity of the Application: The application should include defined goals and should be written in language understandable to your colleagues on the Faculty Development Committee. It should be detailed and contain a full explanation of the applicants' process and product.
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Scope and Merit of the Project: The Student Faculty Summer Research projects should have sufficient scope to provide educational benefits for the student and advance the faculty member's professional development. In some cases, the product could be a poster submission to a conference or a paper for a professional journal.
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The Applicants' Qualifications: Faculty members should document their expertise in the area of their project. Students should provide information about any experience that would qualify them for the research project.
Procedure for Evaluation:
Proposals will be judged on their merits but all things being equal:
1. Awards may be distributed across disciplines.
2. Priority may be given to applicants who have not received a similar award in recent years and to applicants who have not frequently received grants from Faculty Development Committee in the past.
3. Priority may be given to applications from tenure track and tenured faculty members.
Reporting Process: The reports to the Faculty Development Committee (FDC) are due the following fall semester by the first Thursday in September. Both the faculty member and student will be responsible for providing the FDC with a brief report of the project activities and an analysis of the degree to which the project objectives were met. The two reports should be submitted together. The student’s report should include a narrative explaining the research process. Your report should be addressed to the Faculty Development Committee Chair, and like your proposal, should be readily understandable by colleagues outside your field. A clearly discernible product is expected. Receipts for project expenses should be submitted either before or with the reports. A member of FDC will review and respond to your report.
Please submit your report electronically to Becky Wallace in the form of a WORD or PDF document (facdev@depauw.edu).
Faculty members who fail to submit reports on time will be ineligible for Faculty Development funding until the report(s) have been submitted and approved. Funded proposals, approved reports, and brief responses from the Faculty Development Committee will be placed automatically in a faculty member's personnel file.