GRANT APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Every year the Dean Rusk International Studies Program, the Abernethy Research Awards, and the
Kemp Scholars Program provide grants to support research, service, and experiential learning abroad. You may
use this form to apply for any of these grants, but each program has its own grant-making committee.
Remember that each program has its own specific mission and may evaluate proposals differently from the
others.
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The George L. Abernethy Endowment supports independent student research in the humanities or
social sciences, either in the United States or abroad AND cross-cultural study opportunities for students
during the academic year or the summer. Grant awards average about $2000.00
Applications should:
o clearly define the research or study plan,
o discuss how the plan builds on previous work in the field, and
o describe the methods and analysis to be used when carrying out the plan.
Submit application electronically to Linda Shoaf, lishoaf@davidson.edu.
Contact Verna Case, Associate Dean of Teaching, Learning, and Research with questions.
The Dean Rusk International Studies Program supports study, research, service and experiential
learning abroad. Grant amounts vary considerably, ranging from $100 to $7,000.
Submit applications electronically to Ivana Masimore, the Dean Rusk Fellow,
ivmasimore@davidson.edu
Contact the Fellow or Chris Alexander, Associate Dean of International Studies, with questions.
The Bank of America/Kemp Scholars Program supports independent study, travel and research. This
grant provides $2,000 in reimbursable expenses to support independent study, travel, and research, plus
an award of $1,000.
Students must be completing their first, sophomore, or junior year.
Applicants agree to participate in the Bank of America/Kemp Scholars seminar during the calendar year
of their award. This carries no academic credit. Applicants also agree to participate in the annual Social
Sciences Poster Fair or Natural Sciences Poster Fair (whichever is most relevant to the topic), held each
spring semester
Submit a hard copy of this application or questions to Prof. Mark C. Foley in the Economics Department
(mafoley@davidson.edu)
The Dean Rusk and Abernethy committees make grants twice each year, and Kemp committee once a
year in the spring. In the fall, the committees review proposals for projects that will take place over winter
break or during the spring semester. In the spring, the committees evaluate proposals for projects that will take
place in the following summer, fall, or full-year.
This document provides general guidelines that will help you prepare stronger proposals for each of
these grant programs. But they are guidelines, not hard and fast rules. As noted above, remember that the
Abernethy, Dean Rusk, and Kemp committees might not emphasize all factors in the same way or to the same
degree when they evaluate proposals. If you have questions about your proposal, please contact the individual
program directors.
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1) START EARLY
The earlier you begin working on your proposal and the more thought you give it, the more likely you
are to have an impressive project planned by the application deadline.
If you’re not exactly sure about what you want to do or how to get started, make an appointment to talk
with the director of the program to which you’re applying. Communicating with the program staff as you
develop your proposal will help you to write a better proposal. It also means that the staff will be wellacquainted with your proposal when the committee considers it. You may also want to look through past
applications to get a better idea of the criteria that the faculty committee uses in selecting grant recipients.
Although all of the plans or logistical arrangements of your proposal may not be finalized by the grant
deadline (i.e. you’ve applied to a program but haven’t heard if you have been accepted or you have set up a
project but haven’t heard from all your contacts), your proposal must be complete when you turn it in. If some
of your plans remain tentative, the committee may make a grant that is contingent on you receiving additional
information that confirms your plans. You are on your honor to use grant money for your approved project; if
your plans change, you must clear them with the granting program before transferring your grant; if your plans
fall through you must return all grant money.
2) MAKE SURE YOUR PROPOSAL IS SPECIFIC, CLEAR, AND FEASIBLE
The application asks for a detailed description of your project. This is your opportunity to tell the
committee why it should fund your project. Clearly describe the specific question you hope to answer, or the
particular issue you propose to explore. Tell the committee why this project is important. Describe the methods
you will use to explore your topic. Describe how you hope to benefit from your project, and discuss how you
will share your project with the Davidson community when you return. Remember that a grant proposal is not
the place to build a dramatic narrative or to show off your rhetorical flair. Clarity and concision are the keys.
Tell your reader quickly what you plan to do and where you plan to do it. Then you can talk about why the
project is important and how you plan to execute it.
You must show a workable plan to accomplish your project. This entails making sure that your project is
feasible and appropriate not only for the money you are requesting but also the time frame you are proposing.
Provide details showing that you have worked out a proposal that you can realistically accomplish. Thus if you
are proposing to work with an organization, can you provide communication between yourself and the
organization? If you plan to study at a library, can you verify that you actually will have access to resources
when you arrive in your country of study?
Grants are not a way of paying for your vacation. Your project ought to be fun, but it should also have
merit (and the committee can usually see through attempts to fake the latter). Do research, find out what you
can reasonably expect to accomplish and how much you should expect it to cost (if you’re going to India,
estimating $30/day as living expenses is excessive; if you’re going to Sweden, it may be entirely realistic) and
then make your budget as specific as possible. If you are unsure of how well your proposal answers these
questions or whether it is sufficiently detailed, ask for suggestions.
Remember that your proposal is your chance to show the committee that you are serious about your
project and able to complete it. Use this chance wisely!
3) REQUEST A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND LOOK FOR OUTSIDE FUNDING
Although committees do take financial need into account, grants are not primarily financial aid. They
are merit-based, so the better your proposal the better your chances of receiving a grant. Grant requests always
exceed available funds, so remember that it is highly unlikely that we will fund the entire cost of your project.
Look for alternative sources of money. You can talk to someone at the program or a professor who helped you
design your proposal for ideas. Try your local Rotary Club or church, get a job, and do whatever you need to do
Updated 08/2014
to indicate to the committee that you are committed to your project (as opposed to having a “sure, if it’s free I’ll
go” attitude). If you make a sincere effort to help pay for it, we will take your proposal more seriously.
4) EDIT, EDIT, EDIT
Read and re-read your application before you hand it in. Make sure that your document is
understandable, that your commas are in the right place, and that spell-check didn’t miss anything. Please
follow the formatting guidelines indicated on the application. Make a good impression; it shows that your
project is important to you.
5) SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION ON TIME
The application deadline is non-negotiable and late proposals will not be accepted for any reason.
6) SUBMISSION FORMAT
When submitting your application, delete these instructional pages. Include all remaining portions of the
application in one MS Word document and save the file with the label “Last name, First name”. Language
evaluation forms may be submitted separately.
7) REQUIREMENTS
If you accept a grant, you will be required to sign an acceptance form in which you will make the
following agreements:
a) To use the funds for the proposed project, abide by any additional requirements mandated by the
Dean Rusk Faculty Advisory Committee (FAC), the Student, Study and Research Committee (SS&R) or
Bank of America/Kemp Scholars Committee stated in the grant notification letter, and to contact the
program for approval of any changes to the trip before they occur.
b) To collect receipts totaling the amount of the grant or greater. If you receive funds through multiple
grants on campus you must present different receipts for each of the funds used, and a full-budget ledger
accounting for all funds granted and used. Students must repay the difference between the grant sum
and the total of receipts submitted.
c) To share your experiences with other students through talks, participation in panels, visits to schools,
etc. at the request of granting program, and agree to any additional reporting conditions mandated by the
committee as communicated to you by the program.
d) You may be required to repay a portion of your grant if you choose to terminate the proposed trip
early. The program staff retains the authority to determine the sum of such a reimbursement. This does
not apply to cases in which early termination results from developments beyond your control.
Updated 08/2014
DAVIDSON COLLEGE COMMON GRANT APPLICATION
Please indicate which program(s) you’re applying for: □Dean Rusk
□Abernethy
□Kemp
All information must be included.
Please submit application electronically before 5:00 pm.
Date:
Name:
Davidson Campus Mailbox:
Contact Phone Number:
Davidson College ID: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Expected Graduation Year ____________
Declared Major/Minor:
A. Where the project will take place:
B. One sentence description of project:
C. When grant is to be used (month/year)
and approximate duration of project: ________Week(s)
Note: A grant recipient may be required to repay a portion of his/her grant if the trip is terminated early. The granting program staff retains the
authority to determine the sum of such a reimbursement. This does not apply to cases in which early termination results from developments beyond
the grant recipient’s control.
$__________________
D. Total amount project is expected to cost:
E. Please indicate all other potential or actual sources of funding for this project
(Including other grants, personal savings, family contribution, Davidson College scholarships for summer travel/research etc.).
You may apply for full funding from both programs, but your total sum from both will not exceed the amount your project is expected to cost.
(_)
(_)
(_)
(_)
(_)
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(_)
Personal Savings
Family Contribution
Abernethy
Dean Rusk
Kemp
McCall (Chaplain’s)
Staley (Chaplain’s)
Warner Hall
Community Service
Other (please describe below)*
Amount Requested/Anticipated
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
F. Have you had previous experience abroad? If so, please describe briefly.
(_)
No
(_)
Yes
G. Have you received any previous grants? (_)No (_)Yes (complete below - attach additional sheet if necessary)
Date _______________ Amount $_____________ From______________ Trip__________________
Date _______________ Amount $_____________ From______________ Trip__________________
H. Have you already, or do you plan to study abroad while at Davidson? If so, when?
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I.
What effect would lack of a grant or an amount less than requested have on your travel plans?
(_)
No effect
(_)
Some effect
(_)
Significant effect
(_)
Cancellation of plans
For your Abernethy application to be considered, you must request that a Davidson faculty member submit a letter of
recommendation and support. The letter should also indicate that the faculty member has reviewed your proposal and
agrees to mentor your project. Note this is a change from past years and faculty will now receive a stipend for
supporting Abernethy projects. Please name your faculty reference below and attach his/her letter to your proposal.
For your Dean Rusk application to be considered, you must have a one paragraph statement of support from a current
Davidson College faculty member. The statement should simply state that the faculty member has reviewed your
proposal and found it to be a worthy and feasible project. This statement is not meant to serve as a letter of
recommendation for the applicant or to bind the faculty member to direct any research within the proposal. Please
name your faculty reference below and attach his/her statement to your proposal.
Faculty Reference_______________________________Department_____________________________
For your Kemp application to be considered, you must include a reference list of proposed readings and include how one
or more of them relates to your proposal. In addition, you must provide the name of a current Davidson College faculty
member, who commits to supervising your proposal, if accepted. This person receives a stipend for their involvement as
your Kemp adviser for the calendar year, so they must be on campus.
Faculty Reference_______________________________Department_____________________________
J. Please provide a budget for your project. Use as much detail as possible.
Note: Grant funds may NOT BE USED for the purchase of technological items that will have a useful life beyond your trip abroad such as
cameras or tape recorders. Do not include these items in your project budget. If you have questions about whether or not a particular item falls into
this category, ask before you submit your proposal.
K. Please provide a description of your proposed project (or study abroad experience) and how a grant would be used.
Explain in as much detail as possible what you plan to do, why you want to do it, and what you think the project will
allow you to contribute to the Davidson community.
NOTE: NEW ESSAY FORMAT REQUIREMENTS:
2-4 Pages, Double-Spaced
Font size 11-12
1” margins
Include Header with Last Name, Page Number
L. Signature/Pledge:______________________________________________________________________
Grant Application Deadline is
5:00 PM Friday October 24, 2014
NO LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED
Updated 08/2014
ADDITIONAL REQUIRED FORMS
If your project involves using a foreign language in your independent project (conducting interviews in
another language and/or reading materials printed in another language), then you must ask a language
instructor to complete a Foreign Language Proficiency Evaluation Form.
Your evaluators should return their completed forms to you in sealed envelopes. You should turn in these
envelopes with the rest of your application.
If you receive a grant, is also your responsibility to obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for any
project involving human subjects. Projects that involve conducting interviews with people in a foreign country,
administering surveys or questionnaires, and even the use of archival data that originally comes from human
subjects, will all require IRB approval. Many projects that involve minimal risk to participants are exempt from
full IRB review. However, you must complete the necessary form to request an exemption. You can find the
necessary forms and additional information at (http://www3.davidson.edu/cms/x25724.xml). Please feel free to
consult with either Dr. Meghan Griffith (megriffith@davidson.edu) or Ms. Sharon Byrd
(shbyrd@davidson.edu), if you have any questions.
Note about Davidson College Scholarship Money
If you are the recipient of a Davidson College scholarship that includes summer travel funds (e.g. a Belk, Baker
or Terry), please know that you must use those resources before you apply for a Dean Rusk grant. You may
apply for a Dean Rusk grant if you have exhausted those funds or if your project requires a sum that exceeds the
total still available to you from your scholarship. If you will be using scholarship funds along with your Dean
Rusk grant for the same project, include these funds in the “other” category of funding sources on the grant
application.
Updated 08/2014
Foreign Language Proficiency Evaluation
Name of Evaluator: __________________
Department: __________________
Name of Applicant: __________________
Language: __________________
To the applicant: If your project involves research (archival/library research and/or interviews) in a language
other than English, your application must contain a completed evaluation from a faculty member who can attest
to your proficiency. If possible, you should contact a faculty member from whom you have taken at least one
200-level class. Failure to provide this evaluation will result in your application’s disqualification.
You should provide an envelope in which the faculty member will seal your completed form. If you are
applying for a Dean Rusk grant, you must turn in the sealed envelope to Caroline Woodward in the Dean
Rusk Program office by the application due date.
If you are applying for an Abernethy grant, you should turn in your form to Linda Shoaf ( Jackson
Court #6) by the application due date.
To the evaluator: This evaluation helps the Dean Rusk Faculty Advisory Committee ensure that the applicant
has developed the language skills necessary to complete the work outlined in the grant application. Please
discuss the proposed research with the student. Base your evaluation on that discussion rather than on some
general standard of “fluency.” The key question should be: does this student have the language skills necessary
to conduct the research activities required by this project? In answering that question, keep the length of the
trip in mind. A student who will be gone for only one month will need to have strong language skills when they
arrive. A student who will be abroad for several months will have more time to improve their skills. Seal the
completed form in the envelope provided by the student. Return the envelope to the student.
1) How would you rate the student’s ability to read and understand the written materials required for
this project?
Strong (reads easily with minimal resort to a dictionary) ___
Good (reads more slowly, but has solid command of the grammar and vocabulary that s/he will encounter in
this project) ___
Fair (reads slowly and relies heavily on a dictionary. May have difficulty with the grammar and/or vocabulary
involved in this project) ____
Poor (student does not have the skills required for this project) ____
N/A (project does not require reading skills) ___
Comments:
2) Based on your knowledge of the research environment, will the student be able to find/access the
written materials required for this project?
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3) How would you rate the student’s ability to conduct the interviews/conversations required for this
project?
Strong (understands the spoken language very well; formulates questions and spontaneous responses to
conversation partners quickly and accurately) _____
Good (solid comprehension skills; can pose scripted questions easily; may struggle with the local dialect and/or
with spontaneous conversations) _____
Fair (can understand the basic point in a conversation, but will miss some of the details and nuances; will need
to take more extensive notes that include words/phrases to be looked up later in a dictionary; will struggle with
spontaneous conversations)_____
Poor (student does not have the necessary skills to conduct the conversations/interviews required for this
project) _____
Comments:
4) In general, do you believe that this student possesses the language skills necessary for the project they
have described? Feel free to make any additional comments
Evaluator’s Signature: ___________________________ Date: ___________________
Updated 08/2014