Student Research

PNW Undergraduate Research Summer Fellowship applications are due by Friday, April 14, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.  

Objective:  The Office of Research is committed to supporting PNW undergraduates in all aspects of their research endeavors. The objective of the Undergraduate Research Summer Fellowship is to provide a focused and intensive research experience for undergraduate students in all disciplines.  Awardees will receive a $4,000 stipend for an 8-week research project.

Eligibility: 

• To qualify, PNW undergraduate students must meet the following criteria:
  • Be in good academic standing.
  • Plan to enroll in the Fall of 2023.
  • Have a faculty mentor.
• Students graduating in May of 2023 are not eligible to apply.
• Students and faculty mentors must complete the Purdue University’s required CITI RCR Training as well as obtain all regulatory approvals before starting the project.

Award Information: Undergraduate Research Summer Fellows will receive a $4,000 stipend at the beginning of the 8-week project period.

• Project period may range between May 15, 2023, and August 13, 2023. Students will identify the 8 weeks during the application process. Students are expected to commit 20 hours per week to this project during the 8-week period.

Faculty Mentor Role: The role of the faculty mentor is to help the applicant develop a strong project, prepare the application materials, ensure that the application is well written, and mentor the student throughout the 8-week fellowship.  Faculty mentors must submit a brief letter of recommendation/support.  It is expected that faculty mentors will meet with the fellows on a weekly basis.  Faculty mentors must be tenured or tenure-track faculty, complete the RCR requirements prior to the beginning of the project, and obtain all regulatory approvals.

Application Process:  Applications must be submitted by the student via the online application system in consultation with the faculty mentor.  Application formatting instructions and content requirements are detailed in the Required Application Sections.

Application Review and Selection Process: The Undergraduate Research Summer Fellowship proposals will be evaluated by a faculty review committee. You should receive notification of award approximately four weeks after the deadline.

The complete request for proposals, including formatting instructions, required forms, and content requirements, is available for viewing and download here.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Michael I. Zimmer or the Student Research Office

PNW Indiana Space Grant for Undergraduate STEM Research applications are due by Friday, February 10th 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Early submissions are welcomed.

Application Process: Applications must be submitted by students via the InfoReady Online Application system.  The complete request for proposals, including formatting instructions, evaluation criteria, required forms, and content requirements, is available for viewing and download here. Students must coordinate with their faculty mentor to complete the Budget Form and the Certification Form to upload with the application. After the application is submitted, the faculty mentor will receive an email to approve the application in the InfoReady system.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Student Research Office.

Undergraduate Research Grant applications are due by Friday, February 10th 2023 at 11:59 pm EDT. Early submissions are welcomed.

Application Process: Applications must be submitted by students via the InfoReady Online Application system.  The complete request for proposals, including formatting instructions, evaluation criteria, required forms, and content requirements, is available for viewing and download here. Students must coordinate with their faculty mentor to complete the Budget Form and the Certification Form to upload with the application. After the application is submitted, the faculty mentor will receive an email to approve the application in the InfoReady system.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Student Research Office.

Senior Design/Capstone Project Grant applications are due by Friday, February 10th 2023 at 11:59 pm EDT. Early submissions are welcomed.

Application Process: Applications must be submitted by students via the InfoReady Online Application system.  The complete request for proposals, including formatting instructions, evaluation criteria, required forms, and content requirements, is available for viewing and download here. Students must coordinate with their faculty mentor to complete the Budget Form and the Certification Form to upload with the application. After the application is submitted, the faculty mentor will receive an email to approve the application in the InfoReady system.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Student Research Office.

WHEN: TBA – details coming late summer 2023.

WHERE: TBA – details coming late summer 2023.

WHAT: The Writing Center and the Office of Research are collaborating to offer a proposal development workshop for the Undergraduate Research Grant and the Senior Design/Capstone Project Grant. The workshop will include a presentation, followed by an opportunity to ask questions, brainstorm, write, and get feedback on your proposal from Writing Center tutors.  Registration to attend the workshop is required.

Before signing up, please ensure that you have a faculty mentor and read the application requirements.

QUESTIONS: For questions, please contact the Office of Research at sro@pnw.edu or Steffanie Triller Fry, Writing Center.​ Visit the PNW Writing Center website here. View the Spring 2023 Undergraduate Research Grant guidelines here.

In order to receive the grant funds, all students engaged in the project must provide evidence that they completed required Responsible Conduct of Research training.  Evidence may be a copy of the confirmation page after completion.  All submissions will be verified.

Here is the list of RCR modules. The first box includes the ones that undergraduate students have to complete: https://www.purdue.edu/research/regulatory-affairs/docs/PurdueCITI_RCRModulesbyCourse.pdf   (plagiarism, data management, research misconduct, conflicts of interest).

A minimum score of 80% is required to pass the assigned core RCR online course. Materials can be reviewed multiple times and quizzes can be repeated until a passing score is attained.

Detailed guidance for completion of the general online RCR training requirement is available here. Abbreviated versions of the guidance tailored to a researcher’s circumstances are available below.

ONLINE APPLICATION

Downloadable details.

The Student Conference Presentation Grant is available to support graduate and undergraduate students to present their research or projects at conferences or competitions. The maximum funding is $300 for a presentation or competition, subject to funding availability. Students and faculty mentors should read the following guidelines before applying.

• Students must be registered for classes and in good academic standing to apply.
• Only students are eligible for the Student Conference Presentation Grant. Funds cannot be used to support faculty.
• Total grant will not exceed $300 for individual or multi-student presentations.
• The grant will be used to cover conference registration and other eligible expenses incurred by virtual conference attending. The student’s department will work with Business Office regarding the payment and/or reimbursement.  Students will not receive cash.
• Grant funds can be used for the following expenses:
  • Conference registration
  • Materials and supplies necessary for virtual presentation
• Students who receive the grant must agree to present their research at the Days of Discovery held during Spring 2024.
• To apply, please make sure to have the following information ready:

1. First and Last Name
2. PNW Email
3. Are you graduate or undergraduate student?
4. Department and Major
5. Faculty Mentor’s Name and PNW Email
6. Will your mentor also attend the conference?
7. Name, website, and location of the conference, if applicable
8. Dates and Title of your presentation
9. Abstract of the paper/presentation (250 words max)
10. Registration, invitation or presentation acceptance letter has to be attached.
11. Estimated cost broken down by category (e.g. registration, travel, materials)
12. Is your department or college providing any support?
13. Signed email or letter from your faculty mentor supporting your participation at the conference has to be attached.
14. Certification that if awarded, you will participate presenting your research at the Days of Discovery held during Spring 2024.

This grant is funded collaboratively by the PNW Graduate School and the PNW Office of Research – Student Research Office Division.   If you have any questions:

• Graduate students – Please contact Joy Colwell, Director of Graduate Studies at colwell@pnw.edu.
• Undergraduate students – Please contact Michael Zimmer, Student Research Office, at sro@pnw.edu.