Summer Student-Faculty Research Projects

MEMORANDUM

TO: Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty

FROM: Chris Carlson, Vice President for Accademic Affairs and Dean of the College

DATE: January 14, 2009

RE: Summer Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Projects

Through the generosity of the Hewlett Foundation and funding through Dimensions and The Berry Center, Cornell College is pleased to announce the availability of funding to support student-faculty collaborative research for the summer of 2009. Awards of $4,500 include a salary stipend of $3,000 for the student research assistant, a faculty stipend of $1,000 and project costs of up to $500. (Alternatively, faculty may elect a stipend of $500 and up to $1,000 in project costs or no stipend and up to $1,500 in project costs.)

The Berry Center supports research projects that relate in a substantial way to economics, business, or public policy.  Public Policy can be defined as the political, economic and social outcomes of governmental decision-making.  Public policy encompasses the study of policy issues in sociology, politics, energy and the environment, health care, education, science and technology, international relations, the arts, and other disciplines and areas of study.  Proposed projects in public policy may or may not have an economics or business component.

Dimensions has funds to support student and faculty research projects that emphasize the cultural and social contexts of health care and scientific problem-solving.

The aim of the program is to fund collaborative research between faculty and students during the summer to support faculty in their research activities and to provide students with a first-hand research experience as undergraduates. The intent is to expose students to the diverse goals, research methods and skills to conduct advanced research in their fields of study, prepare research reports of their findings, and present their conclusions to their peers in classes, a departmental seminar for majors, at the annual Cornell College Student Symposium, or at professional meetings. Collaborative research projects should foster a mentor-apprentice relationship between the faculty member and the student, and expose the student to the processes of scholarly inquiry and discovery that characterize the life of a scholar/teacher. Ideally, the relationship between the student and faculty member will continue following the summer.

General Guidelines:

1) Any tenured or tenure-track faculty member or team of faculty members may apply for one summer student research assistant grant in support of on-going research or in support of a student research project designed in collaboration with the faculty member. Both types of projects should be carried out under the direct supervision of the faculty mentor over a ten week period.

2) Awards are competitive and based on a proposal submitted by the faculty member. Proposals will be considered by the Faculty Development Advisory Committee. Awarded funds are available June 1, 2009. Funds should be expended in full by August 31, 2009.

3) The summer stipend for the student will be paid in three installments of $1,000 unless special arrangements have been made with the Dean of the College. The last installment will be paid once the student turns in the final research report to his or her faculty mentor and to the Office of Academic Affairs.  The faculty stipend will be paid in two equal installments: one in July and one in August.

4)  Funds must be used as proposed and as specified in the award letter.  If a faculty member wishes to use the funds in any other way, he or she must consult with the Dean in advance to seek approval.

5) Expectations of Faculty: The Faculty member is responsible for designing and implementing a meaningful research experience for the student assistant. The project should involve a process whereby the student carries out the research with a solid understanding of the research question, the theory and methodology informing the research, the methods, skills and technical knowledge required to complete the research, the methods and rigor in recording of data and research results, and the writing of a final report.

Prior to starting the research, the faculty member and the student should agree on the expectations of the research experience. During the summer, we also expect the faculty member and the student assistant to be in frequent contact with one another at least several times a week. This close collaboration between the faculty member and student is the foundation for a successful program and a meaningful research experience.

The faculty member will work with the student to arrange a presentation of the research results to the campus through presentations in classes, a departmental seminar for majors, the annual Student Symposium, or at a professional meeting in the discipline (poster session, co-presentation with the faculty member).

The faculty member will submit a written evaluation of the project, the performance of the student assistant, and the accomplishments of the research by August 31, 2009.  The grantee cannot be considered for additional faculty development funding if this report is nto filed.

6) Expectations of the Student Researcher: The student will be expected to work full-time for ten weeks on the proposed research project under the direction of the faculty mentor. If a student works less than ten weeks, the student stipend will be adjusted accordingly.  The student should share the final results of the project with the campus through presentations in classes, a departmental seminar for majors, the annual Student Symposium, or at a professional meeting in the discipline (poster session, co-presentation with the faculty member).

In addition, the student will submit a final research report to the Office of Academic Affairs. The last installment of the student stipend will be released once the Dean has received the final report.

Application Procedure:

The Faculty Development Advisory Committee will evaluate the proposals and make recommendations to the Dean of the College.

1)  Proposals should be clear, complete and concise, and should use terms and language readily understood by the non-specialist. Please limit your proposal to no more than five pages.

2) The proposal should describe the research project and its objectives, the significance of the research problem being studied, the relationship of the project to the student's educational objectives and research interests, the role of each collaborator in the project, and the project's relation to the faculty member's on-going research. If the research is designed by the student, then the project should be described in full and the respective roles of the student and the faculty member delineated.

3) The proposal should describe the research process to be followed by the student assistant in carrying out the research with the faculty member, specifying the theory and methodologies which the student will learn, the research methods and skills being taught to the student (specific library research strategies, use and application of equipment and instruments, bibliographical research, hypothesis testing, etc.) and their importance, the anticipated outcome of the research, and how the research findings will be shared on campus or at a professional meeting.

4) Other sources of funding in support of the summer project should be indicated on the application, i.e. salary, supplies, equipment, materials, etc.

5) A detailed, itemized budget for project costs, with justification for each item.

6) A brief background of the student researcher, including name, grade level, overall grade point average, and a statement of interest in participating in the proposed research.

7) Other information you consider appropriate.

8) Submit the proposal to Nancy Rawson, Office of Academic Affairs, by March 2, 2009. Be sure to receive confirmation that your proposal was received. Retain a copy for your file. Awards will be announced by the end of March 2009.