Research Forms

Instructions

The Undergraduate Student Mentored Research Initiative (SRI) encourages and facilitates empirical research or creative collaborations between faculty and students.  Each collaboration requires the leadership of a faculty member and up to two (2) undergraduate students.  Projects may be initiated by either students or faculty and are expected to apply a methodologically appropriate research design or creative process and achieve a significant level of academic sophistication beyond typical class projects or research papers. Faculty are expected to be active leaders in the ongoing project, and students are expected to be dedicated participants in their assigned roles. The SRI proposals are reviewed by a committee in a juried process. Each faculty mentor of an awarded collaborative will receive $500 while each student member will receive funding from $300-$500 (as designated in the budget) at the conclusion of the project.

Applications must include the Project Narrative and SRI Cover Sheet which follow these instructions.

PRIORITY REVIEW DATE: SEPTEMBER 27, 2024, 11:59 PM CENTRAL

Project Narrative (Parts A-E)

A proposal narrative not exceeding 3 pages (single-spaced, 12-point font) addressing parts A-E as described below.

Part A:  Project Goals and Outcomes

Provide a clear statement of the project goals and outcomes.

• For a research project: Provide a clearly stated purpose and the project outcome(s) or deliverable(s).
• For a creative project: Discuss the scope or project intentions.

Part B: Project Significance

Provide background information or context that explains the research or creative project and the necessity of the project. 

• For research project: Discuss the project’s significance, benefit, or contribution to yourself, to others, and/or to the discipline. Identify the limitations or faultiness of earlier research.
• Provide a brief statement about the relative scholarly and/or artistic merit of the proposed project which may include intellectual contributions to the discipline.
• For creative projects: Discuss the critical influences of earlier works on this project. Include a statement of progression that demonstrates artistic independence and coherent expression of style or vision. 

Part C:  Understanding the Work of Others

Demonstrate a clear understanding of work in the field and how that work informs or influences this project.

• For research projects: Include a literature review and/or analysis of previous work.
• For creative projects: Include citations of influences on your creative work and this creative project.

Part D: Methods and Analysis

Discuss the methods and procedures to be used. 

• For a research project: Describe the methods, procedures, and the process of analysis or evaluation that will be used to draw conclusions.
• For a creative project: Describe the methods, form, content, and techniques to be used.

Part E:  Timeline and Budget

• Provide a timeline for accomplishing various phases of the project and discuss the feasibility of delivering the project’s goals within the stated timeline.
• Summarize project costs (stipend, materials and supplies, equipment, and/or facilities needed and any other expected costs that will be incurred in the process of completing the project) and explain how those costs will be covered.
• Projects requiring the purchase of materials to complete the proposed scope of work can make those acquisitions pre-award upon request. Those materials and estimates must appear in the budget. Otherwise, research awards are disbursed after the project.

All projects must include a faculty mentor and at least one student. The proposal should discuss the role of each member of the collaboration. The narrative should show how the faculty-student interaction develops a deeper understanding of the empirical research process or creative endeavor for the student. The proposal may also include other outlets that the participants have/may seek for their work (research poster sessions, conferences, etc.). Projects that are already funded by other sources must make clear how the SRI proposal contributes to additional research.

One student or set of students will be chosen to participate as DSU’s representatives at the South Dakota Student Research Poster Session in Pierre, SD (travel expenses paid for by Undergraduate Research). The event is on Friday, February 21^st, 2025.

Proposal Evaluation

Each proposal will be evaluated based on the following FIVE criteria:

• A clear statement of the project goals and outcomes, including the scope of a creative project or the purpose of a research project.
• The expression of a clear artistic or creative vision for creative projects or an explicit statement of the project’s significance for research projects.
• A clear understanding of other work in the field and how that work informs or influences this project.
• A clear statement of form and technique for creative projects, or methods, procedures, and analysis to be used for research projects.
• Reasonable and appropriate timeline and budget.

Submission Information

All proposals must be submitted electronically to artsandsciences@dsu.edu. The priority review date is September 27, 2024.

Late proposals and those without a statement of support from a faculty advisor and a signature from the faculty member’s Dean will not be considered for funding. 

Projects will be evaluated by the review committee and the Coordinator of Undergraduate Research.

Post-Award Requirements

Successful applicants will be required to present their work at DSU’s annual Spring Research Symposium via poster session (other formats for presentation are available for creative and digital projects). A poster template will be provided to aid with the process. Additionally, successful applicants will be required to provide the Coordinator of Undergraduate Research with a digital copy of the research poster and complete an exit survey to close the project and receive the stipend.

SRI Application forms

Application Cover Sheet (PDF)

Project Narrative Template (PDF)

Proposal Scoring Rubric (PDF)

Instructions

The Graduate Student Research Initiative (GRI) supports research endeavors by graduate students. Projects may emerge as class assignments but the submitted proposal should lead to research beyond the classroom toward juried (refereed) presentations and publications. Proposals are expected to apply a methodologically appropriate research design or process and achieve a significant level of academic sophistication beyond typical class projects or research papers. This program does not fund concept papers or literature reviews.  Rather, proposals that address the full scope of empirical research are invited.  The proposals will be reviewed by a cohort of graduate peers in a blind/juried process. Each proposal will receive a maximum of $600 to be used for any activities relevant to the research project or the dissemination of its results which may involve professional conference participation or travel.

Project Narrative (Parts A-E)

A proposal narrative not exceeding 3 pages (single-spaced, pt.12 font) addressing parts A-E as described below should be submitted.

Part A:  Project Goals and Outcomes:

Provide a clear statement of the research project goals and outcomes.  Provide a clearly stated purpose and the project outcome or deliverable.

Part B: Project Significance:

Provide background information or context that explains the research project itself and the necessity of the project. 

• Discuss the project’s significance, benefit or contribution to yourself, to others and/or to the discipline. Identify the limitations or gaps of earlier research.
• Provide a brief statement about the relative scholarship or merit of the proposed project which may include intellectual contributions to discipline.

Part C:  Understanding the Work of Others

Demonstrate a clear understanding of other work in the field and how that work informs or influences this research project.  Include a literature review and/or analysis of previous research.

Part D: Methods and Analysis

Discuss the methods and procedures to be used in the project.  Describe how this research will address its primary questions, what are the methods, procedures, the process of analysis or evaluation that will be used to draw conclusions.

Part E:  Timeline and Completion:

Provide a timeline for accomplishing various phases of the research project and discuss the feasibility of delivering the project’s goals within the stated timeline. 

• Projects requiring the purchase of materials to complete the proposed scope of work can make those acquisitions pre-award. Those materials and estimates must appear in the budget.  Otherwise, research awards are disbursed at the completion of the project.
• Successful applicants will be required to present their work at DSU’s annual Research Symposia on the week of March 17, 2025. The proposal may also identify other outlets that the participants have/may seek for their work (research poster sessions, conferences, etc.). 

Statement of Faculty Support

All research projects must have graduate faculty oversight. The faculty must sign a consent of support on the proposal application cover sheet.  If more than one student or faculty is involved, the proposal should discuss the role of each member of the collaboration.

While ideas may emerge from a faculty participant, the work on the funded project should be the students’ alone.  Faculty should be appropriately credited as co-author, or in a title page by-line.

Proposal Evaluation

Each proposal will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• A clear statement of the project goals and outcomes, including the scope of the research project.
• A clear understanding of other work in the field and how that work informs or influences this project.
• A clear statement of form and technique of methods, procedures and analysis to be used for research projects.
• Reasonable and appropriate timeline that ensures project completion.

An evaluation rubric is provided, so that applicants better understand the review process used in the evaluation of individual projects.

Submission Information

All proposals must be submitted electronically in MS Word to mark.hawkes@dsu.edu by the submission deadline, Oct. 1, 2024.  Late proposals, and those without a statement of support from a faculty advisor and without a signature from the faculty member’s dean, will not be considered for funding.

Projects will be evaluated under the auspices of the Office of Graduate Studies.  Successful applicants will be required to present their work at DSU’s annual Research Symposia on March 19, 2025 via poster session/media slides. A poster template will be provided to aid with the process.  Special arrangements will be considered for remote students unable to travel to the Research Symposia.  Additionally, successful applicants will be required to provide a written summary of their project and findings to the Dean of Graduate Studies at the end of the Spring 2024 term.  This written summary may also include (as appropriate for the project), additional content, such as software or hardware, photographs, manuscripts, etc., as outlined in the proposed deliverables.

DOs and DON’Ts:

• DON’T submit a proposal merely as part of a class assignment.
• DON’T submit a proposal covering themes of a previously funded proposal (if you are a repeat proposer).
• DON’T cut and paste the work of others into your proposal. Your proposal may refer to or account for the work of others, but make sure that information appears in your own words.
• DON’T propose a research project intended to teach you a skill or process. Research should operate from a platform of known data and/or processes and proceed to gather information that benefits the discipline and informs the work of others.
• DO carefully proofread and refine your proposal. The proposal is the only thing reviewers have to judge your project; ensure that it is representative of your very best work.
• DO explain your proposal so that a reviewer from outside the field can understand your project. If you need to use a discipline-specific term, explain it so that reviewers understand its context.

Application Cover Sheet

PROPOSAL SCORING RUBRIC

Research and Economic Development announces our Faculty Research Initiative (FRI) intended to encourage and facilitate faculty research and creative activity. This year’s competition offers up to $3,000 for individual faculty or up to $5,000 for collaborative faculty teams.

 NOTES on RfP updates:

• Symposium participation can be in the most disciplinarily appropriate format.
• If you plan to submit a FRI linked to any other DSU internal grant proposal, please indicate that in both project narratives.
• New heading required – see section E (it’s brief, promise)
• PRIORITY REVIEW DATE: 23 September 2024, 9PM Central
• This same RfP will be remain open on a first-come, first meritorious proposals served basis. All FRI funding for the current cycle will be committed/encumbered by April 1, 2025.

Eligibility

• Principal Investigators (PIs) may be full-time faculty in any classification.
• The review committee extends priority funding consideration and encouragement to new tenure-track faculty establishing their research agendas. However, all faculty are eligible and encouraged to submit proposals.
• The FRI cannot fund project elements currently funded by other sources; it can, however, be used as matching funding for external grants <$50,000 that require cash match.
• Any faculty member with outstanding deliverables on any internal DSU award in the prior three cycles will be ineligible for this competition.
• Faculty who have garnered prior FRI support must include a section heading describing results from that support and any applicable linkage to new proposed support (see E).

Project Description (Sections A-E)

Please submit a proposal narrative addressing sections A-E as described and applicable below. Label the sections as labeled below. Appendices are prohibited. Required format: 3-page maximum, excluding the cover sheet and bibliography, single-spaced, 12 pt. standard font with 1in. margins. Proposals that fail to comply with the format will be returned without review.

A:  Project Goals and Outcomes

1. If appropriate, provide background information or context needed by reviewers to fully understand the scope of work, including
   1. A brief on the innovations and limitations of scholarship/research/creative activity that has preceded this project (done by the PI/team or someone else), thereby justifying additional activity in this area;
   2. A description of the expected processes and/or methods for the project; and
   3. (optional, space permitting) any other evidence that will help the reviewers better understand the scope of the proposed project.
2. Articulate a clear hypothesis or guiding research question pointing to projected findings/outcomes, regardless of discipline.
3. Describe the project and its goals and outcomes/deliverables, defined broadly to include presentations; manuscripts for publication; works of visual, performing, or literary art; artifacts or other products for dissemination or use in future research. If this is a joint project with another internal grant program or a match for an external program, clearly define the deliverables as they relate to the collaboration/linkage.
4. Include a brief plan for dissemination of the project results, being clear about likeliest format and venue. Reviewers will privilege projects that contribute to a culture of peer-reviewed research and creative activity (e.g. selective conferences; peer-reviewed journals, book publications, and the like; juried exhibitions or performances). All funded projects must participate in the DSU Annual Research Symposium during Research/Doctoral Residency Week (March 17-21, 2025).

B:  Project Significance

1. Explain the intellectual and/or creative merit of the project. What makes it interesting and novel?
2. Describe the value of the scholarship/research/creative activity to the PI/team, to DSU, and to the discipline(s).
3. As applicable, state the value of the project to the greater good, the general public (broader impacts). The committee understands that this is not immediately apparent for many early-stage projects.

C:  Timeline and Budget

1. Provide a timeline for accomplishing various phases of the project.
2. In a detailed project budget, summarize project costs, e.g. materials and supplies, travel, research time, and any other expected costs that will be incurred in the process of completing the project) and provide an explanation of how those costs will be covered. Projects requiring the purchase of materials to complete the proposed scope of work must include estimates in the budget.
   notate bene:

• Do not assume that REDA will automatically calculate the difference between the proposed budget and the maximum award to be used as compensation for faculty time. This is a common error that tends to produce disappointment.
• Do not assume that unspent funds in any category of a FRI award budget can be converted to salary support.

D:  Relationship to PDP

1. Briefly summarize the scholarship/research/creative activity goals from your Professional Development Plan and explain the relationship between this project and relevant goals.
2. Build presenter participation in DSU Research Symposium into your timeline, as it is key to on-campus PD efforts and to building a vibrant intellectual community.
3. NEW! Note in this section the optimal format(s) for sharing results of the work: poster, publication (including type), conference talk – formats specific to researchers’ respective disciplines are welcomed and encouraged.

E (NEW! …and only as applicable): Results from Prior DSU support

1. If you have had any FRI or START support in the prior three years, briefly summarize its intellectual merit, impacts on your research agenda, and results (e.g. presentations, publications, and/or other artefacts/products).
2. If none, simply enter “n/a” on the same line as the heading (to minimize space)

All proposals must be submitted electronically in a single .pdf to Research@dsu.edu by 9/23/24, 9pm for priority consideration. Proposals without a signature from a supervisor/dean, and proposals that do not comply with formatting guidelines will be returned without review (see template). This same RfP will be remain open on a first-come, first meritorious proposals served basis. All FRI funding for the current cycle will be committed/encumbered by April 1, 2025.

Important Dates

• Sept. 23, 2024 – Proposal submissions due to Research@dsu.edu
• Week of March 17-22, 2025 – DSU Research Symposium/Doctoral Residency Week

  (participation required for all FRI, SRI, GRI, and START awardees)

• May 26, 2025 – final report due to Research@dsu.edu

Proposal Evaluation

Each project proposal will undergo a two-stage review:

1. Technical review by the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) will ensure format compliance and completeness. Note that OSP will offer optional preliminary reviews up until one week ahead of deadline.
2. Blind peer review using a scoring rubric based on these criteria:

• Project goals and outcomes/deliverables/created works
• Significance, value and/or benefit to the faculty member, DSU and others in the discipline
• Feasibility and ability to deliver project goals within the stated timeline and budget
• Expected findings and plans for dissemination; for creativity activities, work proposed within calendar year 2024 must be completed within spring 2025 Research Symposium deadlines; aspirations for showing/publishing elsewhere should be clear. Work proposed after 1/1/2025 can propose participation in the 2026 Symposium.
• Clear link to the faculty member’s PDP
• Funding consideration for new faculty and/or faculty newly establishing a research agenda at DSU.

Projects will be evaluated under the auspices of the University Research Committee.

Post-Award Requirements

Project management: funded projects will need to work with RED staff to ensure appropriate, steady spend-down and award administration.

Deliverables:

• Successful applicants will be required to present their work at DSU’s annual Research Symposium in March 2025. A poster template will be provided to aid with poster development if applicable. Other presentation formats are most welcome; we encourage faculty to align with the standard practices in their respective fields. Successful applicants must meet all deadlines and adhere to guidelines set forth in Symposium planning communications. These will be detailed in award letters.
• Recipients will further be required to provide RED (research@dsu.edu) with a written summary of their project and findings at the conclusion of the project. This written summary must also include (as appropriate for the project), additional content specs., such as software or hardware, photographs, manuscripts, etc., as outlined by faculty in their proposed deliverables, and a summary of expenditures for each project.

Faculty Research Initiative (FRI) proposals

Proposal Template

Proposal Scoring Rubric (PDF)

With support from Research and Economic Development Affairs, the Office of Sponsored Programs announces the rolling seed grant competition, Supporting Talent for Research Trajectories, or START. We request proposals that will stimulate the growth and/or diversification of Dakota State University’s research portfolio. This program supports faculty efforts to build research capacity and garner external funding. Funds must support preliminary research efforts leading to at least one confirmed proposal submission for $50,000 or more.

The START grant focuses support on new faculty, first-time proposal writers, newly formed research teams, new funding sources, and/or new directions within a PI’s research portfolio. Faculty may be part of one or more START Proposals, but new applicants will receive priority over prior START grantees. Proposals must meet all compliance and assurance requirements, as well as university submission policies and procedures. External proposal submissions must be made through the Office of Sponsored Programs.

Application Window

Review of applications will continue throughout the academic year. Meritorious applications will continue to be funded on a first-come, first-served basis while funds remain available.

Eligibility requirements

• PIs must be full-time, tenure-track faculty.
• Instructors/post-docs may be named as co-PIs/collaborators on proposals with tenure-track PIs.

Funding limits

• Individual PIs may compete for up to $3500
• Collaborative teams may compete for up to $5000
• Allowable expenses will be as flexible as standard fiscal guidelines will permit, but proposals should specify how funds will be used.
• The proposal must be targeted to funding solicitations with deadlines, target dates, or submission dates that fall within 12 months after the submission of the PI’s START Seed Grant proposal.

Format and Submission Guidelines

The title page (will not count against the page limit) should include the following: faculty rank, college, contact info, Dean’s authorization/signature, and project abstract.

3-page limit, inclusive of the following elements:

• Project description, including detailed work plan and clear timeline
• Budget and justification
• Impact statement detailing external funding mechanisms and their deadlines

Bibliographies will not count against the page limit, but applicants should avoid appendices.

Please submit applications and related correspondence to DSU.ResearchAffairs@dsu.edu.

Criteria for review

The committee will evaluate proposals for clarity of purpose; feasibility; and strategic importance to the PI, the College, and the University. PIs and teams must demonstrate that this funding will help them make compelling cases to external funders for additional support of their projects and programs. Allowability of indirect costs with those agencies will be among the criteria for committee consideration, but it will not be a prerequisite for eligibility.

Intent to Propose


Pre-award Procedures Manual (PDF)

Invention Disclosure Form