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    Russ College of Engineering and Technology
    Stocker Center
    Athens, OH 45701

    Russ Undergraduate Research Fund Guidelines

    Proposal Receipt Deadline:Rolling deadline

    (Proposal is due 1 month before student needs access to funds.)

    Statement of Purpose

    The Russ Vision Undergraduate Research Fund (RVURF) is intended to provide support for research and scholarship by undergraduate students under the guidance of a faculty advisor. The proposal must be prepared and submitted by the undergraduate student that will be completing the project.

    Awards will support the following:

    • Direct project costs (e.g., supplies, materials, research-related travel, etc.) for proposed research activity,
    • Support travel for the students to collect data or to disseminate their work regarding this research activity, and
    • Hourly support for students.  Hourly support (maximum of $12 per hour) cannot be greater than 50% of the total project budget, unless justification provided by Faculty Advisor.

    Funds will be available through the academic year only, therefore, May 15 is the last date available for expenditures.

    The maximum award provided by this program is $2,000.Students may apply for funding in a subsequent year; however, they are not guaranteed funding. Students are not eligible to receive additional funding for more than three consecutive years.

    Eligibility

    Undergraduate students must be enrolled in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology on the Athens campus of Ohio University with a minimum GPA of 3.0 within their academic major. Students must be enrolled and maintain undergraduate student status during the proposed project period.

    Review and Evaluation/Selection Criteria

    The scholarly and technical merit of a proposed project is the primary criterion used by the Assistant Dean for evaluation of proposals. The Assistant Dean may utilize a review committee consisting of research faculty in the Russ College for the review of proposals. Any proposal that has been submitted or written by a faculty advisor will be automatically disqualified from funding.

    Award Requirements

    In order to receive either reimbursements or to purchase materials with the RVURF funds, the students must coordinate with the following individuals in their home department:

    When ordering supplies or reimbursements, the student must provide the individual listed above the funding submission request form (Appendix B) to supplement the receipt for travel or supplies.  The lack of inclusion of this form will void the transaction.

    • All RVURF recipients are required to submit a monthly report describing the progress for the month with a budget tracking chart and a progress tracking chart. The format of the monthly report is provided in Appendix C.  The monthly report must be emailed to the student’s faculty advisor with a copy to the Assistant Dean by 3 pm on the last Friday of the month.  An inability to provide a monthly report will suspend all funding for the project, including hourly support.
    • A final report must be submitted by the end of the proposed project period, or by May 15, whichever is earlier.  The format for the final report is provided in Appendix D. The final report must be emailed to the student’s faculty advisor with a copy to the Assistant Dean. An inability to provide a final report will disqualify the student for future student funding opportunities.
    • All RVURF recipients are encouraged to share their research or scholarly project with the university community at the annual Ohio University Research and Creative Activity Expo.

    Proposal Preparation Guidelines

    Please review these guidelines carefully before submitting a proposal. Very meritorious proposals may not be funded because guidelines are not followed and information needed to make an informed, objective decision is not available. Over time, it has been proven that the care with which a proposal is prepared indicates the care with which the work will be done by the student investigator. The proposal must be conceived and written by the student, with review and approval of the faculty advisor.

    Application Requirements

    The application mustcontain the following:  a (1) cover page, (2) abstract, (3) proposal narrative, (4) bibliography (as needed), (5) budget and (6) faculty advisor’s endorsement letter. The appendix is optional.

    (1) Cover Page

    Complete the cover page (see Appendix A). Signatures mustbe obtained by the applicant and are required on the submitted proposal. The cover page must be the first page of the proposal.

    (2) Abstract

    On a separate page include a 100‐word maximum abstract that is a clear and concise summary of the more detailed proposal. The abstract may be used to publicize awarded proposals and should be a stand‐alone description of the proposed project and written in lay language.

    (3) Project Narrative

    • The project narrative mustbe no more than 10 (10) double-spaced pages with 12-point type (Times New Roman or Arial) that is clear and legible. Figure, charts, tables and figure legends and footnotes may use a smaller font size and may be single-spaced but must be clear and readily legible. Margins mustmeasure one inch (1") or greater on all sides. Please note, any proposal not conforming to the format requirements may be returned without review.
    • The goal of the requirements for type size, spacing, and margins is to provide legible documents of roughly similar length. Please review all electronic attachments before submitting.
    • The project narrative must include the sections listed below (Please use these section headings in the proposal).  Students are encouraged to use the first person narrative style.

    Project Description

    Describe the proposed research or creative project. What do you intend to do?  What will this research or creative activity accomplish? Avoid jargon or terms unique to the discipline. If you must use such terms, please define them so the reviewers can understand your proposal.

    Background

    Describe previous research or scholarly activities as related to your proposed project. What have other researchers done that could be improved upon?  What completed research has led you to follow the path for this project? Generally this section will require references to be included in the bibliography.

    Methods

    Describe the methods you will use to accomplish the research work.  How will the work be accomplished?  The method discussion should relate to one of two major traditions: quantitative and qualitative.

    • For quantitative approaches, it may be helpful to discuss: hypotheses or research questions, operationalization and instrumentation, research sites or context, research design, data collection, and data analysis.
    • For qualitative approaches, it may be helpful to discuss: research objectives or questions, instrumentation (e.g., interview schedules, observation instruments), research design (e.g., ethnography, case study, or in-depth interviewing), the relationship of research design to research objectives, data collection, and data analysis.

    Timelines

    Provide an expected timetable for the research activity (e.g., when major activities will start, how long they will take, when they will be completed) and estimated hours you will devote to the project.

    Student’s Role

    Describe your role on the project: from conception to implementation to dissemination.  If you are working with other students or on a larger project, detail your contribution.  If applicable, describe specifically how your project fits within or is distinguishable from your faculty advisor’s research.

    Significance

    Describe the significance of your research project. Why is it important to the discipline? Also include a statement of the broader impacts of the research/scholarly activity (e.g., why is it important to other disciplines or to the general public).

    (4) Bibliography

    The bibliography mustbe no more than two (2) single-spaced pages.

    Literature cited in or used to inform the Project Description or Background sections should be included in the bibliography.

    A short bibliography should be presented whenever appropriate for the proposed activity. A carefully selected bibliography can strengthen a proposal by indicating to the reviewer that the applicant is aware of significant and current literature in the field.

    (5) Budget

    This section is limited to one (1) page and must utilize the RVURF_Budget Form in MS Excel.

    Budget expenditures encumbered before the award date will not be reimbursed.

    Funding is provided to cover the cost of items that are necessary to conduct the project and may include supplies, materials, and travel for research and/or dissemination of results. Hourly support for the students is $12 per hourand the total salary and benefits (if applicable) cannot be greater than 50% of the total project budget, unless justification provided by the Faculty Advisor.

    Please note:

    • If you request funds to purchase expensive equipment, such as computers, hardware, printers, cameras, etc., you must justify that the equipment does not exist elsewhere on campus for your use. Any equipment purchased with RCURF funding is the property of Ohio University and must be turned over to the Russ College at the end of the project.
    • If you request funds for travel to present your research, indicate the name and date of the conference, and provide specific travel plans in the comments section of the Budget Form.
    • Note, RCURF funding for hotel accommodations is only guaranteed for one night.
    • All travel rates must comply with Ohio University accepted rates as indicated by the Finance Department .

    (6) Faculty Advisor's Endorsement

    The advisor’s endorsement letter must not exceed one (1) page and may be single-spaced.  The advisor may email the letter separately from the application.  The letter must be received prior to the deadline and the student should note in the application that the letter will be emailed separately.  

    The endorsement must include: (1) an assessment of the student’s interest and preparation in relationship to the proposed project, (2) the perceived benefit of the research activity to the professional development of the student and (3) a description of his/her advisor’s role in the project.

    Advisors with multiple students applying in a single cycle should be cognizant that if funding is limited, only one student will be funded.  Therefore, in the advisor’s letter, it would be beneficial for the advisor to indicate the order in which student applications should be considered.

    Appendices

    This section is limited to two (2) pages and may be single-spaced. All appended materials must be submitted electronically as part of a single .pdf file unless otherwise approved prior to submission.  Appended materials are limited to the following: a letter of collaboration or financial support.

    Proposal Submission

    The student must submit one copy of the proposal (with required signatures) either electronically* or hard copy to the Assistant Dean, Paula Linscott ( linscop1@ohio.edu , Stocker 121) prior to the deadline.

    IRB and IACUC Approval

    To ensure that the University is in compliance with all federal regulations, you must indicate that you have complied with IRB and IACUC guidelines. Note: your proposal can be approved prior to IRB or IACUC approval (put “pending” or “to be submitted” instead of approval number), but funding will be withheld until notification of approval or exemption.

    Office of Research Compliance Policy
    Using Human Subjects in Research (including surveys, interviews, educational interventions):
    Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval #:
    Expiration Date:    		 19.052
    Using Animal Species in Research:
    Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) 
    Approval #:
    Expiration Date:    		 19.049
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