Student Grant Program for Research & Creative Activity

Applications are accepted to support (I) independent/original student projects with faculty mentorship, and (II) faculty research teams. See details and application guidelines below.

Traditional Track General Guidelines

Student and Faculty Sponsor Eligibility and Expectations:

• All applicants must be full- or part-time SUNY Oneonta students during the period that the proposed work is to be conducted, as indicated in the project description (no retroactive funding allowed).
• Primary faculty sponsors must be SUNY Oneonta academic or professional staff employees. Part-time faculty do qualify as a sponsor if they have a current contract and expect to have a spring 2024 semester contract.
• The program’s priority is to fund undergraduate students; however, graduate students may apply. (Approximately 10% of the total funding allocated for a given year will be awarded to graduate applicants.) Links are provided below for separate application materials for undergraduate and graduate students.
• A single faculty member may sponsor or co-sponsor up to two [2] Independent Projects with Faculty Mentorship (see I below) OR one [1] Research Team application (see II below) per grant submission cycle.
• Student and faculty grant recipients will be required to address applicable compliance issues prior to accessing funds. This includes the campus requirement for all external and internal grant awardees of research-related projects to complete applicable Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training prior to accessing awarded funds.

General Budget Considerations:

• Budgets will be scrutinized carefully and must be well documented, justified with expenses that are clearly required to conduct the proposed project, and align with the Committee's sustainability statement. Budgets will be reduced if not well justified.
• Do not request more than the maximum allowed. The cost of conducting the project may be significantly less; only expenses required should be requested. Some projects may not require a budget for any project-related expenses, but awardees will be eligible for fellowship/stipend funding (see below).
• Student grant awardees and faculty mentors will be eligible for fellowships, as specified in the guidelines below for Independent Project and Research Team application, after the awarded project/program has been presented at a SUNY Oneonta Student Research & Creative Activity (SRCA) showcase. Fellowships should not to be requested or included as part of the project budget included with the application.
• Requests for general-purpose equipment (to be dedicated to the project) such as laptops, tablets, digital recorders, cameras, GPS systems, etc. must be explicitly justified as to its specific need to conduct the project, including a statement that similar resources are not available.
• Maintenance costs of equipment previously acquired for faculty/departmental use may not be requested.
• Non-consumable items and general-purpose equipment purchased with grant funds become the property of the faculty sponsor(s)’s department(s) upon completion of the project.

This program does NOT fund:

• Projects that are part of a regular course (independent study or internship projects are eligible).
• Training courses, workshops, lessons (private or otherwise), etc. or travel to attend and/or present at conferences/meetings/performances/exhibits, etc. (only travel to conduct the proposed research/creative activity is allowed). Funding to attend conferences (including virtually) is available through the D'Antonio Travel for Excellence Fund and the Student Travel for Excellence Program (STEP).
• Work that has been completed prior to award notification. (Grants will be awarded only for work that is to be undertaken during the timeline period specified in the Project Description.)
• Proposals that do not specifically follow the instructions and format described in the Guidelines/Application Instructions.

Other Considerations:

• Applicants are advised to carefully proofread their proposal prior to submission; applications with excessive typos, grammatical errors, etc. will not be competitive.
• The Committee on Research reserves the right to contact student or faculty applicants with questions regarding the contents of applications prior to award decision.
• Successful applicants and their faculty sponsors accept fiscal responsibility for awards, including addressing all compliance issues prior to accessing awarded funds.
• Grant awards are not transferable to students other than those named in an application without approval of the Committee on Research.
• Publication/presentation of the work must carry the names of both the student awardee(s)/participant(s) and faculty sponsor(s), and acknowledge the grant program and support from the SUNY Oneonta Foundation and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association.

I. Independent/Original Projects With Faculty Mentorship Application Guidelines

• Funding is intended for students to conduct an original research or creative project with faculty sponsorship.
• Independent/original projects are for a single student. Projects with two or more students should be submitted as a Research Team application (see II below).
• Student applicants must write the proposal (with appropriate feedback from the faculty sponsor) and, if awarded: carry out the project, keep records, and present the project at a SRCA Day event.
• Faculty sponsors are expected to help plan the project, review the proposal/provide feedback to the student(s) prior to submission, assure applicable compliance issues are addressed, and assist with progress/completion within the specified time frame.
• The budget may include up to $1,500 (maximum) per project for allowable expenses directly related to the project such as supplies, materials, laboratory expenses (e.g. sample analysis), necessary travel to conduct the research/creative activity, duplicating costs, etc. Funds must be used for expenses related to the work undertaken by the student, not the faculty sponsor.
• Student grant awardees will be considered for fellowships of up to $300, which are not to be requested or included as part of the project budget. Fellowships will be recommended by the faculty sponsor after the project/program has been presented at a SRCA Showcase event. Faculty sponsors will also receive a $300 fellowship for each independent project awarded and presented (maximum of two).
• Applications will be reviewed primarily on:
  • [a] clarity and completeness of the Project Description
  • [b] quality and novelty of the proposed project
  • [c] budget presentation and justification of need
  • [d] potential of the project to be carried out and completed by the student as described by the faculty sponsor
  • [e] evidence of student-authored proposal
  • [f] demonstrated commitment/support of the faculty sponsor
  • [g] the learning experience for the student
  • [h] alignment with sustainability values
  • [i] compliance with guidelines and instructions.
• The student grant awardee(s) is required to present the funded project at a SRCA Showcase event.

How to submit an Independent Project application for funding:

1. Download and complete the required forms:

   Undergraduate Student Application Form (to be submitted by the undergraduate student applicant) or Graduate Student Application Form (to be submitted by the graduate student applicant)

   And

   Faculty Sponsor Form (to be submitted separately by the faculty sponsor) - required for both undergraduate and graduate applications

   Be sure to download the forms for completion

2. Email completed forms to research.comm@oneonta.edu no later than April 8 (Applications received after April 8 will be reviewed in the fall 2024 semester.)

II. Faculty Research Team Application Guidelines

• Funding is intended to support research teams that include faculty/staff and undergraduate students and/or graduate students working on a sustained research program. A research team consists of people working together in a committed way towards a common research goal.
• A minimum of two [2] students (undergraduate and/or graduate) are required to join the research team to be eligible for Research Team funding.
• Individual student team members may work as a research assistant(s) or be responsible for more independent work on the faculty's research program, to be specified in the application.
• The budget may include up to $3,000 (maximum) per team for allowable expenses directly related to the faculty member's research program, including supplies/materials, laboratory expenses, necessary travel to conduct the research program, etc.
• The Faculty team leader and student team members of awarded funds will be considered for fellowships after the project/program has been presented at a SRCA Day event. Faculty will receive a $600 fellowship, and the student team will split a $600 fellowship (total) with amounts for each of the student team presenters recommended by the Faculty Team Leader. Fellowships are not to be requested or included as part of the project budget submitted with the application.
• Applications will be reviewed primarily on:
  1. clarity of the overall research program goals and objectives,
  2. quality of planned activities and outcomes for the funded period,
  3. the learning experience for the student team members,
  4. budget presentation and justification of need,
  5. alignment with sustainability values, and
  6. compliance with guidelines and instructions.
• The student team members are required to present their collective work at a SRCA Showcase event, and the faculty team leader is required to present at a Life of the Mind event.

How to submit a Research Team application for funding:

1. Download and complete the required Research Team Application Form (to be completed and submitted by the Faculty Research Team Leader)
2. Email completed form to research.comm@oneonta.edu no later than April 8. (Applications received after April 8 will be reviewed in the fall 2024 semester.)

Through the “Shadow” Track, faculty will be incentivized to broaden student engagement in scholarly activities, whereby a student with little-to-no experience (primarily freshmen, sophomores, and first-year transfer students, but juniors will also be considered) joins a faculty member’s research/CA endeavor as an observer. This could take the form of a student joining a research team or working with an individual faculty member (sitting in on meetings, observing in the laboratory, conducting background research, for example). It could be a beginning student shadowing/assisting an upperclassman on a funded Student Research/CA Grant or other independent faculty-mentored project, or joining a one-on-one or small group mentoring program with a faculty member whose research/CA agenda may not be conducive to direct student engagement in the activity. (The student participant would benefit from learning first-hand about the process, progress, etc.) This track will help prepare students interested in pursuing an independent research/CA project later in their college experience. It could serve, for instance, as an opportunity for gathering ideas for a research or creative activity project, learning about methodologies, and thinking about realistic time frames. Priority is given to faculty who engage students from traditionally underrepresented groups.

Guidelines and Program Information

• Applications for funding are to be submitted by full- or part-time faculty/professional staff only (no student applications allowed).
• Interested students who need guidance on becoming a research/CA ‘shadow’ student may contact a member of the Committee on Research for assistance.
• The shadow experience must be for a minimum of eight [8] weeks.
• Any given student is limited to one funded shadow experience per application round.
• A faculty member may have no more than two “shadow” students at any given time. *NEW* One survey form can be used to apply for two shadow students if they will have the same shadow experience. Separate forms are to be submitted for each proposed student if their shadow experience will be different.
• Once approved, faculty can re-apply for one additional semester and/or summer experience for any given student.
• Funding requests can include: faculty stipend of $150 per shadow student, stipend of $100 for each shadow student approved, and up to $500 for other related costs for each shadow student approved (must be directly applicable to the student experience, and detailed and justified in the application).
• Faculty awardees will be required to submit a brief assessment at the end of the shadow experience, including a summary of activities, how the experience benefited the student, any specific outcomes, and whether the student is likely to continue work on the grant-sponsored research or creative activity.

Applicants for funding will be asked to review the proposed activity in relation to the five SUNY Criteria for “Approved” Experiential Learning Activities. (Not all activities will meet all criteria; but faculty should strive to design activities that meet the criteria where possible.)

How to submit a 'shadow' track application:

1. Faculty Applicant: Complete the shadow track application survey.

The “Summer Fellowship Track” is intended to assist undergraduate students with costs related to participating in actively mentored summer research and creative activity (CA), including:

• Campus-based research/CA fellowships:
  • Independent project with faculty mentorship (single student) - faculty may apply for a maximum of two [2] independent projects OR
  • Research team program (two or more students) - faculty may apply for one [1] team program
• Approved off-campus research/CA experience mentored by a SUNY Oneonta faculty (e.g., field schools, artist residencies, research at another institution)

Fellowship Details / Eligibility

• The Fellowship experience, whether on- or off-campus, must have an assigned SUNY Oneonta faculty mentor, who submits the application in support of the student(s).
• Fellowships may not be part of a course enrollment; however, independent study and internships are eligible.
• Student applicants must plan to graduate no sooner than August 2024 (students who graduate in May 2024 are not eligible).
• Adjunct faculty mentors must have a fall 2024 contract.
• Student awardees will be eligible for on-campus housing (at no cost to the student), should the project time frame align with housing availability.
• Student fellows and faculty mentors must address applicable compliance issues (Responsible Conduct of Research, human subjects, animal care and use, etc.) prior to commencement of fellowship.
• Following the Summer Fellowship, both a brief report from the faculty mentor and a reflection piece from each Student Fellow will be required to be submitted to the Committee on Research.

Budget Guidelines

• Faculty applicants may apply for funding up to the maximum allowed for the specific type of summer research experience as follows.
• Campus-based fellowship – Single Independent Project (maximum of 2 applications per faculty mentor, to be submitted separately)
  • Student compensation (to be paid as a fellowship/stipend): maximum of $3,000 based on time commitment of the student fellow (estimated at $15/hour x # hours [maximum of ~210 hours])
  • Materials/supplies, travel to conduct the work, analysis fees, etc.: $500 maximum (must be justified)
  • Faculty stipend/fellowship: $300
• Campus-based fellowship – Research Team Program with two or more students (1 application only)
  • Student compensation (to be paid as fellowships/stipends): maximum of $6,000 total to be allocated to team members as recommended by the faculty team leader (and based on relative time commitment)
  • Materials/supplies, travel to conduct the work, analysis fees, etc.: $1,000 maximum (must be justified)
  • Faculty stipend/fellowship: $600
• Off-campus formal research/CA experience at other institutions, external field schools, artist residencies, etc.: maximum of $2,000 for fees, travel, subsistence-related costs (i.e., housing). Note: verification of acceptance into off-campus program will be required prior to receiving funding.

How to submit a summer fellowship application (to be submitted by the faculty mentor by Monday, March 25)

1. Faculty Applicant: Download and complete the required application form.
2. Email completed form to research.comm@oneonta.edu.