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2008 Undergraduate Discovery Summer Grants

One of the great advantages Penn State offers to undergraduate students is the opportunity to work with faculty who are on the cutting edge of research and creative endeavors. The Office of Undergraduate Education has created the Undergraduate Discovery Summer Grants program to help students take advantage of Penn State’s research environment. Supported by an endowment from the Penn State Alumni Association and funding from the Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education, the purpose of these grants is to promote faculty/undergraduate collaboration as students engage in original research, scholarship, and creative work during the summer under the direct supervision of a faculty member.

Student-initiated projects in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts are intended to provide experience in all facets of the research, scholarship, or creative processes. This includes conceptualization of a question or focus, proposal writing, identification and implementation of methods, and communication of results (reporting, exhibition, or performance). Projects should be primarily the student’s own work; although the project may be related to the supervising faculty member’s research or scholarly interests, it should not simply provide assistance to faculty work.

Each grant is in the amount of $2,500 and may be used to cover living expenses and project costs (supplies, materials, books, specialized software, travel for the purpose of data collection, etc.). (Note: Funds will be deposited to student accounts and therefore may have an impact on student aid or be applied to outstanding charges.)

Twenty grants are available for summer 2008.

Eligibility

Penn State undergraduate students from all campuses in all fields of study may apply for a grant. Students are eligible for grants in the summer following their first year through the summer before the year in which they will graduate (one grant per student). Recipients must be enrolled at Penn State for at least one semester following the summer work. Students must have a faculty supervisor who is available during the summer to consult with the student and evaluate how the project is conducted. Eligible projects include laboratory and field research, scholarly inquiry, and creative work in music, art, theatre, and other fields. Study abroad, travel unrelated to research, and projects not grounded in an academic discipline are not eligible for Discovery Grant funding.

The Discovery Grants are intended to enable students to immerse themselves in their projects. It is expected that the Discovery project will receive significant student engagement during the summer and will be accorded sufficient hours and effort to produce excellent work. Any summer jobs should be limited to fifteen hours per week.

Grant Requirements

Grant recipients must submit a one-page report on their projects by the end of August. Faculty supervisors must provide a one-page evaluation of the student’s work including how the grant funds were spent, how much time the student spent on the project and how the student engaged in the discovery process, and the nature of the faculty/student interaction.

Grant recipients are expected to present their work at the annual Undergraduate Exhibition the following spring if they are enrolled at Penn State at that time.

Application Requirements

Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Friday, February 8, 2008, to the Office of Undergraduate Education, 417 Old Main. NO LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Required application materials include:

1. Student information form. Complete and submit this form online, print a copy and have it signed by your faculty supervisor, and turn it in to 417 Old Main with your project summary.
2. A two-page summary of the project including the following:
   • The question or goal to be addressed and its relevance to the discipline or field.
   • The methods or processes that will be used to address the question or goal.
   • Why the project is of interest to the student and his or her preparation to complete it (courses, other experiences, etc.).
   • How the supervision by the faculty member will contribute to the project.

The project summary should be single-sided and may be single-spaced, and should include the student's name at the top of each page.

Note: Projects involving human participants, animal subjects, or biohazardous materials require review through the Office for Research Protections and must have the appropriate approval before grant funds are dispersed. Proposals for creative projects should state the academic nature of the work.

In addition, a one-page recommendation must be submitted by the faculty supervisor to the Office of Undergraduate Education. The recommendation should include:

1. name of the student
2. title of the project
3. an evaluation of the proposal and the student’s ability to complete the project

Faculty recommendations may be sent to Mary Beth Crowe, Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education, 417 Old Main, or emailed to mbc5@psu.edu.

Proposal Review and Notification

Proposals will be reviewed by a faculty committee. Students will be notified by March 31 regarding funding decisions. Grant funds will be dispersed to student accounts at the beginning of the first summer session, on or about May 19, 2008.

Questions may be directed to Mary Beth Crowe, Assistant Vice President and Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education (863-1864, mbc5@psu.edu).