Big Chico Creek
Ecological Reserve
Student Research Grants
Request for Proposals
I.
Program
Description
The goal of the student research grant program is to promote
undergraduate and graduate student research projects on the BCCER. Awards up to
$3,000 will assist students with project costs, equipment, transportation, printing,
and other expenses directly related to the project. The student must have a
faculty advisor assisting with the design, development, and implementation of
the project. All projects must conform to
the BCCER’s research protocol which may be found on
the BCCER website at www.csuchico.edu\bccer The funds for this
program are generated through donations from the
II.
Application
Guidelines
Who may apply?
All graduate and undergraduate students enrolled
in any program on campus that has faculty support. Graduate students are eligible for a $1000 award,
as part of the $3,000 maximum grant, to assist with travel, conferences, or
other support toward their project. Undergraduates
are eligible for a $500 award. Students
may submit an application as a group but the project will only be funded up to
the maximum amount.
What types of proposals are
funded?
Research projects that assist with mission
of the BCCER are encouraged but all applications will be considered. Listed below is an example of some of the
study areas on the BCCER that relate to our mission:
·
Fire Ecology: plant and
animal responses to fire, fire history, fire plans, fire mapping
·
Vegetation Management: vegetative
mapping, vegetative treatments, non native plants, native grass propagation, valley and blue oak regeneration
·
Plant and wildlife surveys:
wildlife population studies
·
Fisheries studies:
steelhead population assessment, salmon and other native fish studies
·
Cultural resource surveys:
historical surveys of native people, early settlers
·
Geological surveys: mapping, relationship to plant communities
·
Hydrological studies: water
recharge, erosion, springs as they correspond to geologic structure
Please note that all equipment purchased with grant
funds will become the property of the BCCER when the project concludes.
What are the dates of the funding
cycle?
The funding cycle for projects is for
academic year 2007/08. Funds allocated
in June must be
spent within two years. The project
duration cannot exceed two years; however applicants may reapply for the subsequent
funding cycle.
How much money is available?
The program will allocate up to a total of $12,000 per
year for grant awards. The maximum grant for individual projects is $3,000,
including the $1000 award for graduate students and $500 for undergraduates. The funds can be used for items that are
needed to conduct research on the BCCER, including equipment, supplies,
publications, consumables, etc. Indirect
charges will be assessed on cash matches from external funding sources
following the Office of Sponsored Programs guidelines.
Is a match required?
No, projects are not required to have a cash
match from external sources, the colleges, and/or departments.
What are the selection criteria?
Grants will be awarded based on the
following criteria:
·
Relevancy to the BCCER’s
mission (see BCCER management plan on website)
www.csuchico.edu/bccer
·
Merit of the proposed activities
·
Demonstrated support from a faculty member
·
Applicant’s commitment in completing the project
Who evaluates the proposals?
Proposals will be evaluated by the BCCER Technical
Advisory Committee.
When
are proposals due?
Applications
are due to Jeff Mott’s office,
When
will awards be announced?
Awards will be
announced by
Instructions for Proposal Submissions
Applications are due to BCCER by
Be sure to complete the application following the guidelines and
instructions. This will ensure that your
proposal is not disqualified prior to
review because general format and content instructions were not
followed.
Final proposals must include completely
executed sections in the following order:
·
Proposal narrative, double spaced, including timelines to
achieve goals throughout the project.
·
Budget
·
Match verification letters from Deans/Chairs, or external
sources, if applicable
·
Abbreviated CVs
·
Appendices (limited to 2 pages)
Final proposals must use the following
formatting requirements:
·
Submit entire proposal as a Word file, except for the
budget, which may be submitted in an Excel file
·
No more than 5 double-spaced pages for proposal narrative
·
Readable font size equivalent to Times New Roman 12 point
·
1 inch margins - top, bottom, left and right
·
Footer on each page with applicant’s last name(s),
submission date and page number
Contact Information:
Jeff Mott
Phone:
Email: jmott@csuchico.edu
Big
Application Form
I.
Title _________________________________________________________________________
(Provide brief title to
indicate the nature of the project)
II.
Project Dates─ All projects are funded June, 2008-May 31, 2009, but actual project start and end
dates may vary within that time period.
Please indicate the anticipated start and end dates for grant
activities.
Start
date________________________ End
date______________________________
III.
Funding Request
─ Total amount of funding
being requested.
Total BCCER Funding $_______________
Total College/Department Match (optional) $_______________
Total External Match (optional) $_______________
Total Project Amount $_______________
IV.
Project Contact
Information
A. Name of Applicant: ____________________________ ___
Title: ○ Under
graduate student ○ Graduate Student
College/Department Zip
Phone (Office) (Home)
E-mail Address
Signature of Applicant
B. Name of Faculty/Staff Supporting the Applicant: ____________________________
Title: ○ Professor ○ Associate Professor ○ Assistant Professor ○ Lecturer ○ Staff
College/Department Zip
Phone (Office) (Home)
E-mail Address
Signature of Faculty/Staff
Proposal Narrative
Proposal narratives are limited to no more than 5 double-spaced pages (excluding the application form,
budget, match verification, CVs and appendices). The narrative should include:
A. Significance--Describe how your project will
benefit the mission of the BCCER.
B. Project Description--Describe your project in detail with a
statement of purpose, a list of objectives, and a detailed description of project
activities (include what you intend to do, and how and when you
intend to do it. Use a timeline to
indicate anticipated completion dates of project activities.
C. Staffing/Key Personnel--Identify
all personnel who are expected to be involved in the project. Include their
institutional affiliations, position titles, specific expertise, specific
project responsibilities, and time commitment.
D. Anticipated Results--Describe the anticipated results of your
project and report on how your project relates to the mission of the BCCER. Indicate the manner in which the project's
results will be disseminated and evaluated.
E. Budget Narrative--Provide a complete budget
narrative justification for each budget line item. Budgets will be evaluated
based on the relationship between resources requested and work proposed (i.e.,
level of funding requested relative to work performed, appropriateness for
proposed work, and efficient use of funds). To simplify the budget, in-kind matches
from external funders (field assistance from agency
personnel, borrowed equipment, etc) will not be assigned a cash value, but
should be discussed in the budget narrative.
Reporting
Requirements--Eligibility
and access to future BCCER funding is contingent on meeting reporting
requirements. The following are requirements for any project funded by the
BCCER:
·
Annual Update Meetings: All students who receive funding will be asked to attend
an annual meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee. Faculty support personnel are required to
attend this meeting. Students will also
be asked to present their results at the
·
Progress reports: Progress reports should be submitted electronically to the
BCCER biannually (December and May). Data will also be reviewed to assess progress
·
Final presentation: A final presentation of project outcomes is required at a
·
Final Report: Submission of a final report electronically to BCCER
including summary of project activities, all data collected, major
accomplishments, statement of impacts, and financial report. Final reports are due no
later than May 31.
Budget
Use the attached BCCER Budget Templates to communicate your funding needs. BCCER staff is available to assist you with
your budgets as needed. Contact Jeff Mott at jmott@csuchico.edu
and
Match Verification Letters
A verification letter for each source of matching funds is
required, if matching funds are applicable to the project.
Applications must
include a signed letter from supporting faculty and department chairs indicating their support of the proposed
project and verifying the amount of their cash commitment, if applicable.
Verification of in-kind contributions will not
be required. Any in-kind match contributions must be discussed in the budget
narrative, but should not be assigned cash value (i.e.,
Curriculum Vitae
Each
Applicant is required to submit a one-page abbreviated CV. CVs for other
personnel or project participants should not be included.
BCCER Budget Templates
|
Cost Details |
|
|
Award (up to $1000 for graduate
students, $500 for undergrads). Please list how you intend to use the award. i.e. travel,
mileage, conference, additional equipment not funded below, etc.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating Expense—(it is anticipated that most of the
operating expenses will be in terms of equipment, analytical fees, etc. Please list all equipment and other
operating expenses necessary to support the project) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|