September 2009
UNDERGRADUATE SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES IN ARTISTRY
AND RESEARCH (USOAR) AWARDS FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2009-2010
To: Academic Deans, Curricular Deans, Advising Deans,
Department Chairs, and Directors of Student Support Units
From: Earl J. Seaver, Vice Provost
The Committee on the Undergraduate Academic Environment (CUAE) is seeking proposals from undergraduate students for projects which will involve them in independent artistry or research, under the supervision of members of the faculty and staff at NIU. The President has approved the allocation of $50,000, derived from the University’s funds, to support such activities. Funds may be requested to support independent artistry and research carried out during part or all of the period March 1, 2010 - February 28, 2011. The deadline for students to submit their proposals to the appropriate college office is December 2, 2009. The Deadline for Submission to the Vice Provost is January 21, 2010. The CUAE will recommend funding of up to $2500 for successful student proposals.
If a specific opportunity for student artistry or research arises after the December 2, 2009 deadline, then proposals may be submitted at a later time. Such proposals may be considered if funding permits, but this cannot be guaranteed.
All proposals should be submitted using the guidelines which are described here, and not using the guidelines from any previous year.
Each proposal should be submitted to a single college. Normally, students should submit their proposals through the college of their major or minor. Students with a double major involving work in two different colleges may only submit their proposal through one college. In the event that a joint proposal is being submitted by students with majors in two different colleges, it is expected that they will submit to only one of the colleges. Students who are undecided as to the college of their major will select a primary supervisor, and the proposal will be assigned to the college with which that person is affiliated. It is generally expected that the primary supervisor will be a member of the regular faculty, but the college of the student’s major may determine that other staff members with appropriate expertise can serve in this role.
Each of the six undergraduate degree-granting colleges will establish a process, coordinated by the Dean’s office, for receiving proposals from students according to the guidelines recorded above. Each college will develop a process for a faculty group to rank the submitted proposals, and will forward all eligible proposals, with a ranking and analysis, to the Vice Provost.
A central feature of all proposals submitted should be a clear description of a problem, question, or issue, relevant to the student’s undergraduate academic experience, which will be addressed by the independent artistry or research which the student has planned. In preparing their proposals, students should explicitly cite direct quotes from other sources (see the “Academic Integrity” section of the Undergraduate Catalog). In addition, students are encouraged to list appropriate references in the literature of their area of artistry or research.
The proposal should be accompanied by a reasonably detailed statement of support from the faculty or staff member who is supervising the activity, and by the student’s current transcript. The statement from the faculty or staff supervisor should speak directly to the student’s ability to carry out the proposed artistry or research. Students should be aware that faculty members, in general, need at least two weeks to write a detailed letter of support.
A proposal may relate to an independent study experience which carries academic credit, such as a capstone project, an internship, or a special topics course which involves intensive one-on-one work with a faculty or staff member. However, a proposal need not involve any academic credit, as long as the research or artistry involved will be under the direct supervision of a faculty or staff member. The following RESTRICTIONS should be noted:
Undergraduate students are encouraged to be creative in their proposals. Grants are intended to support a wide range of appropriate activities, including visits to archaeological sites, libraries, museums, and other locations, in this country and overseas, where they would enhance their knowledge through research activities or artistic participation. Available funds (up to a maximum of $2500 per student) depend on the quality of the project and the nature of the proposed expenses.
During academic year 2008-2009, 16 projects involving 23 undergraduate students have been provided with USOAR Awards. Interested students may consult the USOAR website at www.niu.edu/usoar/ for examples of successful project proposals.
Joint proposals by two or more students with similar interests in artistry and research will be considered. However, each student must develop a clear statement of the particular issue which he or she individually wishes to address in carrying out the project.
Proposals will be reviewed by a special committee appointed for this purpose by the CUAE. This Committee will in turn recommend proposals for funding to the CUAE, which will have the authority to make final decisions in the matter. Under normal circumstances the rankings assigned by the individual colleges will be respected. Priority will be given to those proposals which:
In order to be eligible for an award the student must NOT be on academic probation. The student’s complete academic record may be considered in determining whether his/her proposal should be funded.
Senior students who will be graduating in May are not eligible to submit a USOAR proposal unless they are returning to Northern Illinois University for graduate school the immediate following fall semester; senior students who will be graduating in December must complete USOAR projects and submit a final report before they graduate in December.
If the student’s research will involve the collection of data from human subjects, then NIU’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) will need to approve the activity. Information about IRB procedures can be found at http://www.grad.niu.edu/orc/irb.htm.
Each grant recipient will be expected to file a final report describing the creation and results of the project within six weeks of the completion of the project or the end of the funding period. The report must be signed by both the student and the faculty or staff supervisor. If a student fails to submit a final report, he/she will be billed for any award monies received and will be ineligible to apply for a future grant. Each recipient must also submit a detailed expense report with original invoices attached. The expense report can be found at www.niu.edu/usoar.
Questions concerning the nature or scope of the proposals may be directed to the Vice Provost, (753-0494). Ten copies of each proposal recommended for funding are due to the appropriate college office by December 2, 2009. The college offices will then submit their recommendations to the Vice Provost by January 21, 2010. The results will be announced in March 2010.
The Provost’s office will make every effort to inform undergraduate students of the existence of these awards. This will include announcements in the Northern Star, placement of information on the student webpage, and distribution of flyers to the various departmental offices. Assistance in notifying undergraduate students of this opportunity to pursue independent artistry or research in the context of their own baccalaureate experience will be greatly appreciated.