Undergraduate Research Fellowships - Spring

Due: February 12, 2010
Each year the Wyoming Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) awards fellowships to undergraduate students attending the University of Wyoming or one of Wyoming's community colleges to provide the student with the opportunity to do "real" research. Undergraduates who are interested in science, math, engineering and technology careers gain valuable experience participating in research projects, while non-science majors broaden their educations with a research experience. The principle objective of the program is to provide students with a positive and rewarding research experience. Research projects can be conducted during the academic year, summer, or both. Women and students from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

ELIGIBILITY

• Student should be enrolled and in good standing at the University of Wyoming or one of Wyoming's community colleges.
• Students must be U.S. Citizens.
• Faculty supervisor must have active status and/or plan to be on-site and readily available to the student.
• The faculty advisor may apply on behalf of a student. A student does not have to be identified in the proposal, but will have to be approved by WSGC and meet all of the above eligibility criteria.

AWARD

• The maximum funding request is $5000.
• Funding is intended to be used for student hourly wages at a rate of $8.75/hour while working on the research project (timesheets will be submitted). It is critical that the hours projected for student work are realistic considering other commitments the student might have.
• If the full $5000 is not needed for hourly wages, then funding for supplies or travel necessary for the project can be requested. However, applicants are encouraged to seek matching funds to cover necessary expenditures in these categories.
• Funding cannot be used for: tuition to attend special institutes or off-campus programs, international travel, advisor salary, page charges, or equipment purchases costing more than $1000.
• Projects may begin in May and must must be completed by the end of April of the following year (unless other arrangements are made in advance). Any amount of money that remains unspent by the end of April of the following year will be relinquished.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Completed applications must be submitted to wsgc@uwyo.edu by the deadline.  There are three parts required for a complete application:

1. Undergraduate Application Form - Application Form
2. Proposal Document - Instructions
3. Letter of recommendation - Submitted by the advisor

You should receive an e-mail confirming receipt of your application within two business days, if you do not receive this confirmation please contact our office.

Letter of Support from Faculty Research Advisor

The faculty advisor will need to e-mail a letter directly to wsgc@uwyo.edu before the application deadline. Letters must come directly from the advisor.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION FOR PROPOSALS WITH NO STUDENT IDENTIFIED

Advisors may submit a proposal in order to get a student involved with their research project -- the student does not have to be identified in the proposal. Students may be selected after the award has been offered, however the student will need to meet the eligibility criteria for the fellowship and be approved by WSGC. Advisors who will be submitting this type of proposal (no student identified) will need to make the following adjustments to the above application procedure:

• On the application form: fill out only the information pertaining to the advisor and the proposal itself -- fill in "TBD" as the student name and leave the student personal information sections blank. Once the student is selected we will need to receive the application form with all fields completed before the award can be issued.
• In the Proposal Document: on the cover page indicate that the student has not been selected yet. We will need to receive copies of transcripts once the student has been identified before the award can be issued.
• In the letter of recommendation: please address the benefits the student will receive working on this project. You may also consider addressing how you will go about identifying a student to work on the project.

AWARD SELECTION CRITERIA

Awards are based on:

• View the Reviewer Grade Sheet
• Proposals must be well written and include the following elements:
  1. strong scientific justification;
  2. a clear set of goals
  3. an evaluation mechanism which determines successful completion of the goals
  4. a detailed time-line for achieving the goals outlined
  5. expected duties/responsibilities of the student
  6. an outlined budget for the project
• Letter of recommendation
• Proposals that include matching by non-federal funds that can be documented are given priority

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• Proposals for research in any science, technology, engineering, or math field will be accepted.
• In the event of a reviewer tie, proposals with goals that are aligned with NASA's National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program objectives, and/or the strategic missions of one or more of NASA's Mission Directorates may be given preference over those with no NASA relevance. Info on these goals can be found using the following web links:
  • 2002-2006 National Space Grant Strategic Plan
  • NASA's Direction for 2005 and Beyond (PDF)
  • The Vision for Space Exploration
  • Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate - Enable a safer, more secure, efficient, and environmentally friendly air transportation system.
  • Science Mission Directorate Strategic Plan, and Roadmaps - Exploring the Earth-Sun system, our own solar system, and the universe beyond.
  • Science Program for NASA's Astronomy and Physics Division 2006 (PDF)
     
  • Summary of the Science Plan for NASA's Science Mission Directorate 2007-2016 (PDF)
  • Explorations Systems Mission Directorate - Direct the identification, development, and validation of exploration systems and technologies.
  • Space Operations Mission Directorate - Extend the duration and boundaries of human space flight to create new opportunities for exploration and discovery.

EXPECTATIONS

• Fellowship recipients are expected to keep WSGC informed of their progress.
• A written FINAL REPORT is required and must be submitted in a timely manner following the completion of the fellowship.
• The student awardee should participate in publication of any research results. WSGC must be informed of any publications resulting from our funding.
• The student should plan on giving a public presentation on their fellowship project. This can include a presentation at the UW Undergraduate Research Day in late Spring semester.  Participation in professional scientific meetings is also strongly encouraged.
• Students must participate in a minimum of 5 hours of public science outreach activities during the fellowship year. This can include activities like: Science Fair Judging, volunteering for Women in Science, mentoring students, helping with summer science camps, etc.

Past Recipients

 

This page was last updated Tuesday, November 03, 2009 01:06 PM