Mills College Undergraduate Research Opportunity
Application Package 2015–2016
How we define research…
“Scientific, scholarly, or artistic work that leads to the production of new knowledge; to increased problem solving
capabilities; to critical or historical theory and interpretation; or to the production of art or artistic performance.” 1
Who is eligible?
All undergraduates currently enrolled at Mills College.
What can grants pay for?
Typical expenses associated with carrying out and presenting research and creative work including materials and supplies
specific to the project, transportation, lodging, conference fees, professional services, and printing. UROP typically does
not fund general supplies, such as photocopying and paper, equipment, or conference attendance without
presentation of scholarly work. Students who need equipment such as cameras or specialized software should check with
AV or Academic Computing and see what is available. UROP may cover rental fees for equipment not available on
campus if it is essential to the project.
How do I submit my application?
Email your completed application to the UROP committee chair, Elizabeth Wade at ewade@mills.edu. The title of your
email should be worded “UROP”.
How do I get the funds?
Except in exceptional circumstances, grants are reimbursements for out of pocket expenses. Submit receipts to
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program office using the format described under “Submitting Receipts.”
Mini-grant Deadlines for 2015 - 2016 are:
Deadline
October 19th
November 20th
Award Notifications
November 9th
December 4th
Deadline
February 19th
March 28th
Award Notifications
March 4th
April 11th
Grant recipients are expected to submit a brief project report to the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program
Committee. The promised date and form of report must be specified in the application.
Funding Limits
Only one award will be made in any fiscal year (June 1 - May 31). UROP Mini-grants are up to $500 and are based on
quality of application and availability of funds. Funding amounts are not expected to cover all costs for every project; it is
the applicant’s responsibility to secure additional funding from other sources.
Selection Criteria: Awards will be based on evidence of quality of application, faculty support, previous work,
and other support if necessary.
1
Adapted from definition used by Carnegie Mellon University Undergraduate Research Initiative (http://www.cmu.edu/adm/uri/general/faq.html).
1
Sample Cover Sheets and Budgets
Cover Sheet for an Imaginary Project
Evaluating a Chemical Test for Art Appreciation
Janice Jones
Working under the supervision of
Professor A. Witherspoon
Abstract
Researchers have developed many chemical tests for psycho-emotional states in
the last ten years. This project is an attempt to extend previous work by
Professor Alice Witherspoon on chemical tests for political attitudes to the realm
of art appreciation. I will use a modified form of the devices Professor
Witherspoon has developed in conjunction with standard verbal tests of art
appreciation to determine whether an appreciation of art can be chemically
detected. Research subjects will be selected from the Mills undergraduate
population and the Mills College Art Gallery will be used as a research site.
Time frame: Nov 99 – Mar 00
Amount Requested: $349.00
Budget and Budget Narrative for Another Imaginary Project
Budget
Item
1
2
3
4
Description
Cost
24 cassette tapes @ 8 for $10.99
Rental of transcription machine
Roundtrip bus fare to research site (20 trips @ $2.50)
Postage for introduction letters and thank you letters
$22.97
$150.00
$50.00
$24.75
$247.72
Total
Budget Narrative
Cassette Tapes
90 minute micro cassettes for taping interviews. Price estimated from Office Products catalog.
Transcription Machine
To make interview transcription easier I plan to rent a transcription machine from ACME business
products in Oakland. The price is $50 per month and I expect to keep the machine for three months
(January, February, and March).
Transportation
All of my subjects reside in the Alfalfaville neighborhood in South Palmville. I will make the trip
from Mills to the site using public transportation. Roundtrip bus fare to research site is $2.50 and I
expect to make 20 trips.
Postage
Postage for introduction letters and thank you letters. I will eventually interview 24 subjects but I
anticipate having to draw these from a pool of approximately 50 people. Thus, I expect to mail ~50
introduction letters and 25 thank you letters. Amount requested is (50 + 25) x .33 = $24.75
2
The Project Description is a very important part of your application. The Project
Description lets the UROP Committee know what your proposed project is, how you plan
to carry it out, and why it is important. The Project Description includes five different
sections, and altogether should not exceed 3-4 double-spaced pages. You should work
with your faculty supervisor to develop a strong project and application. The following
guidelines will also help you to think about your project, identify areas that need more
reflection and development, and guide you on what the UROP Committee will want to
see in your application. Even if you are applying to UROP because you are presenting at
a conference, you should focus the Project Description on the project itself. In addition,
include a paragraph describing the name of the conference where you will be presenting,
where it will be held, and the nature of your presentation (e.g., oral or poster).
The Five Sections of the Project Description
A. Project Aim(s)/Purpose.
In this section, describe what you hope to accomplish by carrying out your project. This
section should not be more than one paragraph. Be very clear about your goals and
describe the purpose clearly using concrete and specific details rather than vague
generalities. What problems or questions will you explore? What will be the intended
outcome or creative product? If you have more than one goal, state each goal clearly. It is
often useful to number each goal, when appropriate. When you write your proposal, make
sure that the methods that you will use to carry out your project (as described later, in the
Methods section) will be able to accomplish the goals you state in the Project Aim
section. It’s a good idea to go back and revisit and revise this section many times to make
sure that it accurately describes your current thinking about your project.
B. Background
In this section, your task is to explain why your project is needed. In order to do this, you
first need to describe other relevant research and information that is related to your topic
or similar creative project. Explain how your project contributes to these previous efforts
and makes a unique contribution. If you are doing a research project/exploring a certain
topic, you should do a literature review on your topic, so that you can describe the related
research and how this relates to your study. For most research projects, this includes
identifying current gaps in knowledge and unanswered questions that hopefully your
project can help to answer. Explain how your project will be able to address or help
answer some of these questions. In this section, you should be able to identify the unique
and original contributions you will make to the current state of knowledge or creative
efforts in your field. Again, this section needs to be consistent and tie in with the goals
you outlined in the Project Aims. Be sure that you write for a general audience. If you use
technical terms or write about concepts specific to your field, define and explain these
terms and concepts. The UROP Committee is made up of faculty from many different
fields and you will want each of them to fully understand your project and appreciate the
goals that you hope to carry out.
Project Description Instructions
C. Methods
In this section, describe exactly how you are going to carry out your project and achieve
the goals you identified in the Project Aim section. Be very specific. It is not enough to
propose carrying out a project with the expectation that you will “figure out the details”
once you get started. Your proposal should clearly indicate that you have a welldeveloped idea and a detailed plan of how to carry out your project.
If your project includes human participants, identify who the proposed participants will
be, how many, and how they will be selected, contacted and included in the project.
Where will your project take place? For research projects, describe how you will collect,
analyze and interpret the data. Will you use questionnaires, conduct interviews, or
perform an experiment? What will you ask participants to do? How much time will they
spend participating? If you will conduct interviews or are making a questionnaire, this
section should also provide some sample interview questions or questionnaire items. For
a creative project, explain exactly how you will produce or create the product that you
propose doing. Describe any special methods or approaches you will use to complete
your project. Your methods section should be detailed enough that the committee can
“walk through” your project and visualize how you will conduct your project.
A special note: If your project includes human participants, you will probably need to
submit an application to the human subjects committee at Mills and receive human
subjects approval prior to conducting your study. Reimbursement for UROP awards is
made only after human subjects approval is granted for projects requiring human subjects
approval. It is your responsibility to inquire about human subjects requirements as it
pertains to your project.
D. Significance
This section should explain why your project is important to carry out. What will your
project contribute? Who will be interested in your research or creative efforts? Who will
benefit? There may be a larger social or academic significance to your project-- for
example, it may provide new knowledge, help a community, or even the participants in
your project. Explain this. If there is a strong personal significance, for example, career
development, explain.
E. Expected Form of Final Project
This section should describe the form of the final project (e.g., paper, film, art piece,
etc.).
4
Project Description Instructions
You proposal should include the (1) Student Application Form, (2) a Project
Description, (2) the Budget and Budget Narrative, (3) Cover sheet, and (4)
Faculty Supervisor Recommendation Form (this form should be emailed
separately to the UROP committee chair, Elizabeth Wade at
ewade@mills.edu).
5