On behalf of the Office of Academic Affairs, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, I am pleased to announce the fourth annual call for proposals by the Villanova University Undergraduate Student Collaborative Research Program. Undergraduates from all of the Colleges may apply for funding to undertake a scholarly research project with a Faculty Sponsor.

The program has been established on the premise that active, independent research experience helps student scholars develop important skills in proposal writing, obtaining research funding, carrying out a project and reporting the results. When students work with faculty sponsors, the intellectual culture that continues to mature only through the production of new knowledge becomes a more meaningful and enriched experience for both partners of the collaborative projects.

Research projects may be conducted during the fall or spring semesters, or over the summer. Students funded by the program will receive a stipend of $1,000 for fall or spring projects, and $3,500 for summer projects. (The Office of Financial Assistance will treat student stipends as earned income for purposes of determining impact on need-based financial aid.)

A limited number of on-campus housing accommodations for the summer are available for students whose research requires ready access to campus resources: you may indicate your need for on-campus housing within your proposed budget. The Undergraduate Research Program also will provide funding support for travel, equipment and supplies, and other expenses related to conducting research, and travel, registration fees, and lodging expenses associated with presenting papers at undergraduate and professional conferences.

 
Please note the following:
1) Students must be enrolled as full-time undergraduates during the period of their funded activities.
2) Research projects directly associated with academic course credit are not eligible for funding; however, projects may occasion additional for-credit research, or be occasioned by previous coursework, such as with senior thesis research projects. However, all funded projects must be documented as substantive developments beyond original work. Students conducting senior-thesis research are eligible for a stipend during the summer prior to their senior year as along as they are not receiving academic credit that summer. Students conducting senior thesis research for credit during the academic year 08-09 are not eligible for stipends during the fall or spring.
3) Collaboration between faculty and student researchers is encouraged, but student authorship within the project must be the core element; projects for which students are serving primarily as research assistants for faculty projects will not be funded.
4) All project proposals must include their intended results--and the venue within which the completed scholarship will be disseminated.

The application deadline is February 26, 2010.
Details of the online application process can be found  here.
Award decisions will be made in mid-March.

Edwin L. Goff, Associate Dean College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Jane Morris, Director, Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships
Co-Chairs, Faculty Council for Undergraduate Research