Indiana Academy of Science

Junior Research Grants Program
 

LINKS TO SECTIONS IN THIS GUIDELINE DOCUMENT

I.   Program Summary

II.  Proposal Format

III.  Review Criteria

IV.  Evaluation Process

V.   Final Report

VI.  Contact and Submission Information

VII. Forms

Junior Research Grant Application Information Form (Downloadable Word .doc format)

Junior Research Grant Final Report Form (Downloadable Word .doc format)

I.Program Summary

The Indiana Academy of Science, with contributions from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, awards Junior Research Grants of up to $300 to support the efforts of secondary school students in grades 9-12 as they design, conduct, and evaluate independent science research projects.
 

To be considered, students must prepare and submit SIX copies of a proposal completed according to the following guidelines.  Proposals for research to be completed within the following 12 months must be mailed with a postmark no later than 1 November to the chair of the I.A.S. Research Grants Committee (RGC) listed at http://www.indianaacademyofscience.org.  See below for details on the applications deadline.  Please address all questions to the chair of the RGC. [top]

 
 

II.Proposal Format

Attach sections in order for every copy.  Sections must have a title and start a new page.  Proposals must be typed (12 point font), double spaced, with one inch margins and page numbers in the upper right corner margin beginning with “Introduction.”   Text, excluding letters of support and appendices, may not exceed eight pages. 
 

1.Research Grant Application Information Page.This form can be accessedhere.Use the file as a template to complete with a word processor or print with black ink.  The first of the six required proposal copies must have original signatures; photocopies of the original form may be used for the other copies.
 

2.Title Page:1 page to include the project title, applicant and sponsor name(s), address(es), phone number(s), electronic mail address(es), proposed project dates, total cost, and one sentence stating the project’s central hypothesis.
 

3.Abstract:1 page with no more than 200 words describing the project.
 

4.Introduction:1-3 page introduction to the subject, including an overview of the problem citing appropriate literature sources.  The introduction should also indicate the applicant’s personal interest in the project and relevant past experiences, as appropriate.End this section with a clearly worded and identified hypothesis statement.
 

5.Methods:1-2 pages detailing how the project will be addressed.Tables, illustrations, and surveys (and other written instruments of evaluation) may be included as appendices.
 

6.Significance:1 page describing anticipated scientific, educational, and personal benefits resulting from the completed project, addressing particularly the impact on the student’s education and future.
 

7.Budget:1 page detailing all requested costs and how prices were determined.  Funds from this program may pay costs related to consumable supplies, non-human test subjects, essential equipment, fuel for travel (reimbursed at the current federal mileage rate for charitable work), literature and photocopies, and essential photography; this program does not support travel room and board, salaries or stipends, or presentation materials.  List needed equipment and supplies provided by the school or host institution at no charge and the source(s) of other funding.  Maximum grant: $300, to be sent to the school and dispersed through the sponsoring teacher.
 

8.Literature cited: 1-2 pages in a suitable format such as CBE or MLA and note that all entries must be cited in the proposal (i.e., this is not a bibliography).
 

9.Appendices
 

a.Previous research.List abstracts for each year of previous work related to this proposal and include the school year or summer in which each phase was performed.
 

b.Surveys.Include a copy of the questions for all planned surveys.
 

c.Human/Animal Subjects and Hazardous Procedures and Materials.Include Scientific Review Committee (SRC) and/or Institutional Review Board (IRB) forms if the project will involve humans, animals, recombinant DNA and/or hazardous procedures or materials. Forms and information are listed at http://www.sciserv.org/isef/students/wizard/index.asp.  Projects must ensure all participants’ well-being as well as confidentiality and/or anonymity for human subjects.  Projects using recombinant DNA, pathogens, vertebrate tissue cultures, radioactivity, controlled substances, firearms, lasers, hazardous equipment and/or hazardous chemicals must receive SRC/IRB approval.  It is the applicant’s responsibility to convince the review committee that all necessary precautions have been considered.
 

d.Extramural Support.  Describe any substantial help expected beyond what the school or family can provide.  This must include a list of individuals consulted whose help is important for the success of the project along with a brief description of their contribution.  Include written confirmation from individuals whose help on site is essential to the completion of the project and their willingness and ability to supply the necessary assistance. [top]

 
 

Review Criteria – OR – Tips to Write a Strong Proposal

It is essential that proposals 
 

·are well written and neat, follow the requested format exactly, and provide all requested information; 

·demonstrate imagination and creativity on the part of the student applicant; 

·illustrate the applicant’s understanding of the logic and history behind the proposal, the proposed methodology, and the significance of anticipated results; 

·describe expected and necessary help while explaining the student’s central role in the design, conduct, and evaluation of the project (students must be the “principle investigator” and any impression that they are simply responding to the directions of others will disqualify the application);

·present a clear budget that describes each requested item, how each is essential to the project, and efforts at economy.Note that industrial or research university laboratories are assumed to have resources of the scale of most secondary school projects and that further funding should not be necessary, so requests for funds to be used in these settings must explain why this assumption is not correct.
 

In addition, reviewers rate favorably those proposals that clearly and completely describe the:
 

·nature and objectives of the proposed project and the hypothesis it will test.

·applicant’s background, and qualifications for and motivating interest behind the project.

·methods/means, project timetable, and needed equipment and facilities.

·budget in detail showing not only all needs but also efforts to economize.

·attention given to rules governing projects involving human or animal subjects and potentially hazardous situations.

·student’s plans to present the results of the project in external venues (e.g., Science Fair, Science Talent Search, I.A.S. Junior Academy) most especially those supported by the I.A.S.  Note that the Academy’s contribution must be mentioned for projects supported with I.A.S. research grant funds.

·educational gain by the student as a result of conducting and completing the project. [top]

 
 

IV.Evaluation Process

Every member of the Research Grants Committee will review every application.  The five Committee members represent a wide range of scientific disciplines, and the results of their discussions determine which requests will be awarded and for what elements of the request.  The Committee chair will inform applicants and their teachers by mail of the Committee’s final decision and will contact the Academy Treasurer who will then mail award checks made out to the student’s school.  The review process is normally completed within six weeks of the application deadline, with every effort made to mail letters before Thanksgiving.  The decision of the Committee is final and all questions concerning awards and the decision process should be directed to the Committee chair. [top]

 
 

V.Final Report

 

Grant awardees must submit a brief final report to the chair of the Research Grants Committee by the end of the academic year unless otherwise requested in the original application.  In no case should the report be received later than 12 months after notification of the award.  Subsequent applications from schools not providing reports may not be reviewed.
 

The report is guided by the Junior Research Grant Final Report Form (download here) which must be completed by the student after the investigation is finished and returned to the chair of the RGC. [top]

 
 

VI.Contact and Submission Information

Applications for Junior Research Grants must be postmarked by November 1 (a day earlier if this date falls on a Sunday), must arrive within three days of this deadline, and will normally be acknowledged by electronic mail within a week of the final deadline date.  Decisions will normally be announced by the committee chair within six weeks of the deadline date.  Applicants whose requests are denied will also be notified on or soon after the corresponding award announcement dates.

 

SIX copies of the application and all questions regarding this program should be addressed to: 

 

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