Rogers Award Application

Application Deadline: November 30, 2012

Purpose:
Radford University’s 2013 Rogers Undergraduate Research Award for the College of Science and Technology will fund an outstanding undergraduate research project to be conducted during the spring and summer of 2013 and completed during the 2013-2014 academic year.  One award of $500 will be granted on a competitive basis by the College of Science and Technology Scholarship and Awards Committee to a current sophomore or junior undergraduate student enrolled in the College of Science and Technology.  Applicants must be full time Radford University undergraduates and must remain enrolled at Radford University through the completion of their project.

Faculty Supervision:
Working in collaboration with a Radford University College of Science and Technology faculty member, each award recipient will plan and implement a substantial and significant research project.  The student applicant should identify and meet with a faculty sponsor to discuss the proposed project early in the fall semester.  The faculty sponsor will write a letter of support on behalf of the student’s proposal.  The faculty sponsor of a Rogers Undergraduate Research Award winner will submit a narrative assessment of the student’s project upon its completion and no later than April 25, 2014.

Proposing a Project:
Applicants are encouraged to think creatively in designing their research projects.  Proposals focusing on any of the degree programs in the College of Science and Technology will be considered.  The integration of interdisciplinary approaches is encouraged.  Projects may incorporate travel for field work and purchase of laboratory equipment and supplies as appropriate.  A stipend for conducting the research is not permitted as a budget expense.

Final Product:
During the research project, it is expected that the award recipient will create a bibliography of relevant literature, read previous reports to research the topic, formulate an hypothesis if appropriate, establish contacts with professionals in the field as necessary, produce a final product in the form of a professional manuscript or exhibit and present the results of the project at the RU Undergraduate/Graduate Student Engagement Forum in April, 2014.  Presentation of the results at an off-campus professional meeting is highly encouraged.  The Rogers Undergraduate Research Award presented in spring 2013 must be used by the end of March 2014, or the remainder is forfeited.  Final projects in an electronic and printed format must be submitted to the College of Science and Technology Scholarship and Awards Committee by April 25, 2014 along with the faculty sponsor’s assessment and a report from the student accounting for the expenditure of award funds. 



Applying:
Current sophomore and junior undergraduate students who wish to apply must submit five collated sets of the following materials.

1.    Application form

2.    A clear, concise description of the proposed research project (maximum one page, single-spaced, one inch margins, 12 point font).  The applicant should explain what is to be done, where the research will be conducted, and what the final product will be.  The applicant also should indicate what impact the research project will have on his or her intellectual development, current professional research in this discipline and any ongoing research program (such as an Independent Study, Directed Study and Research or Undergraduate Research project).

3.    Undergraduate transcript – a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the major is required

4.    Two letters of recommendation from faculty members are required. One letter of support must be from the student’s project advisor.  The advisor should explain the basis for concluding that the student is capable of completing the project at a high level of quality.

5.    An itemized budget of anticipated expenses, including travel, supplies, equipment and materials as appropriate.

6.    A list of relevant coursework that has been completed by the applicant

7.    Relevant prior experience of the applicant

8.    Project implementation time line