Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research Grant Opportunities

Eligibility: Any undergraduate majoring in one of the natural sciences or psychology.

Fall Deadline: September TBA

Spring Deadline: February TBA

Obligations: A final written report and an oral presentation of the research accomplished must be given at the spring undergraduate research symposium held on the Gustavus campus.

Grant Size: The grant request must be supported by a detailed budget. While the committee will entertain any justified request, the usual maximum is $400.00. These funds are expected to be used for supplies; equipment purchases must have a separate justification. Stipends are not allowed.

To Apply:

Each student and faculty advisor should prepare a well written document of two - three pages, containing a description of the background (with references), methodology, time frame for completion of the work, and detailed budget. The document should be typed and the budget should be on a separate page. The actual writing of the proposal should be done by the student but it is quite acceptable to work closely with the faculty supervisor in the early drafts and in the final revision.

The application should name the student(s) applying and the supervisor. In the main body of the proposal explain the proposed work and put it into the context of what is presently known. Tell what experiments you plan to do and what you hope they will show. Do not assume that the evaluators are familiar with your research area. The committee will give priority to those proposals which state a clear research goal, that attempts to answer a question. Proposals seeking funds for repeating the work of others will be funded if the work is appropriate to longer range research projects.

The budget page should be a carefully prepared itemization of the costs you believe will be encountered. Some freedom exists to change budget lines later but you should, in this proposal, defend the estimates you project.

Send five (5) copies of the proposal to: Dr. Larry Potts, Sigma Xi Research Committee, Chemistry Department, or drop them off in NHS 205. The committee will respond as quickly as possible, but no later than two weeks after your submission. Please note that most faculty have some independent study funds available to them, so it is not necessary to wait until a response before beginning your work. Occasionally, proposals will need to be revised and submitted for a second review.