Guidelines

• To learn more, make sure you carefully read all tabbed sections of this page.  Further questions should be directed to undergradresearch@northwestern.edu or 847-467-0499.
• In general, UEGs are intended to fund projects that don’t have other funding sources.  If your project fits into another program, such as the Undergraduate Research Grant program or the Summer Internship Grant Program, you are advised to seek funding there.  UEG projects are those which fall between the cracks of existing programs, and UEG will not fund projects that missed earlier deadlines for more appropriate funding sources.
• Funds may not be used toward tuition, program fees, or expenses normally incurred during regular coursework.  In addition, grants may not be used for the purchase of durable equipment over $100 or for the purchase of books or other materials available from NU libraries or through Interlibrary Loan.
• Undergraduate Engagement Grants are open to all undergraduate students returning to school in the fall following their project.  Students cannot receive UEG funds to participate in projects following graduation from Northwestern.

• UEGs are intended to enhance and facilitate on-going academic and professional training.  Within the application, you must make a clear and compelling argument for the ways in which your project will specifically help to achieve academic goals at Northwestern and future professional aims.
• Group/team projects are welcome to apply.
• You are allowed to combine this grant with other non-Provost Office awards.
• To apply for a UEG, you will need to submit a two-page, single-spaced proposal (details on the Advising/Resources page), complete a detailed budget, and obtain a faculty endorsement.  Once your application is submitted via the online application system, your faculty advisor will be contacted automatically and instructed how to submit her/his endorsement.

• If your project involves human subjects, including interviews, you may need to receive certification from the University's Institutional Review Board (IRB) that no human subject will be put "at risk." It is the student’s responsibility to obtain this approval. There is an education requirement for all NU researchers who wish to use human subjects in research. No one may receive IRB approval without first completing the required training program.  Students are required to have applied electronically for IRB approval (eIRB) before submitting a UEG application. 
• All IRB applications must be submitted by a faculty PI (primary investigator), who takes primary responsibility for the research. Students should list themselves as Co-investigators or Study Coordinators on the IRB application. The PI’s department chair also must approve the application in the eIRB system before the application can be forwarded to the IRB office.  You will find answers to many of your questions on the Institutional Review Board Web site (http://www.research.northwestern.edu/research/OPRS/irb/). 

• You cannot travel to a location that has been rated as high (H) or extreme (E) risk by International SOS. This policy is university-wide and is non-negotiable. To check the rating of a country and areas within a country, go to the International SOS member website using NU's group account number: 11BCAS000003. 
• In general, undergraduates are not permitted to travel to a country subject to a U.S. Department of State Travel Warning. However, if the ISOS security rating of the location is Insignificant, Low or Moderate, exceptions may be made in certain circumstances when the student’s experience is facilitated, sponsored, monitored or controlled by Northwestern faculty or staff. The supervising faculty or staff (not the individual student) must apply to the Study Abroad Risk Assessment Committee (SARAC) on the student's behalf for permission to travel at least eight weeks prior to the student’s planned travel. For details please see the University Undergraduate International Travel Policy and Procedures. Requests for travel permission should follow the guidelines provided in Appendix B of the Travel Permission Application Process.
• If safety issues exist in a research locale to which travel is permissible, the applicant should address in the application steps that will be taken to ensure personal safety.
• If travelling internationally on the project, students are required complete a number of additional steps, outlined HERE.  Grant funds cannot be released until you send proof of these to the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research.
• All UEG projects must have a faculty advisor, who will be asked to endorse your application and final summary report.
• At the completion of the project, the grantee must submit a detailed two-page summary for approval by the faculty advisor describing the results/outcome of the project. 
• All applications must be submitted to our on-line submission system and are due by 11:59 pm on the due date.
• All grant monies are distributed through the Northwestern Payroll system.  Grant recipients must complete the forms and follow the instructions on the Payroll Forms page in order to receive the grant money.  Additional information about how to process and receive your grant money can be found on the FAQ tab.
• NU students travelling internationally are required to register with International SOS and to purchase HTH (travel health insurance) prior to departure.You will need your flight information in order to register with ISOS.

With our own blogging platform, we are pleased to offer any grant recipient her/his own blog to use during the grant period.  For examples of previous blogs, go to http://blog.undergradresearch.northwestern.edu/.  If you are interested in becoming a part of our blogging world, contact the UEG Coordinator at undergradresearch@northwestern.edu.

Faculty Guidelines

• Undergraduate Engagement Grants are open to all undergraduate students returning to school in the fall following their project.  Students cannot receive UEG funds to participate in projects following graduation from Northwestern.
• In general, UEGs are intended to fund projects that do not have other funding sources.  If a student’s project fits into another program, advise her/him to seek funding there.  UEG projects are those which fall between the cracks of existing programs.

• Each project requires a faculty member, who will serve as an advisor for the project.  Advisors should offer assistance with the preparation of the grant proposal.

• All applications require an endorsement submitted online by the faculty advisor. You should base your endorsement on a draft of the proposal provided by the student. When the student completes his/her portion of the online application, the system will generate an email to you containing instructions for online submission of the endorsement.
• The committee asks that your endorsement address the following:

1. Please offer your opinion on the quality and significance of the proposed project.
2. How, in your opinion, does this project fit into the student’s overall academic/career goals?
3. Please offer your opinions on the student.  How long have you worked with the student, and in what capacity?  How confident are you that the student will successfully complete the proposed project?
4. Do you believe that the budget is appropriate? Do you know of other funding sources for this project?

• On the endorsement submission page, you will find each of these questions followed by separate text fields in which to write your response. Each field has a limit of 4,000 characters, which is equivalent to 11/2 pages single spaced.  
• Faculty endorsements are due no later than 3-4 days after the student deadline. The Grant Committee meets to vote on proposals the following week, and proposals cannot be evaluated until the faculty endorsement is received.  If you feel that you will need more time to complete your assessment, you should make arrangements with the student to receive copies of the application materials well in advance of the deadline.  Un-endorsed proposals will not be considered by the Grant Committee.
• If you would like to see changes to a submitted proposal, you may request those changes within the submission system, generating an email to the student and placing the proposal back into draft status.  Only the advisor has the capacity to change a proposal’s status. 
• After the completion of the project, the student will submit a detailed two-page summary describing the results/outcome of the project, which will also require approval by the faculty advisor.  Once it is submitted, the system will send you a link to the summary and the endorsement page.
• Any questions or problems should be directed to undergradresearch@northwestern.edu
• If the student’s research involves human subjects (including interviews), s/he must contact the IRB office (http://www.research.northwestern.edu/research/OPRS/irb/).  Only members of the IRB staff can make determinations on the need of students to receive IRB authorization.  Students cannot, however, directly submit proposals to IRB.  You will serve as the Primary Investigator (PI) for all IRB aspects of the project.  Contact Carla Barnwell, IRB Manager, (c-barnwell@northwestern.edu) for additional help with the IRB process.
• Students cannot travel to a country subject to a U.S. Department of State Travel Warning (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html).  This policy is University-wide and is non-negotiable.  A Travel Warning encompasses the entire country, meaning that even if parts of the country may be considered safe, the entire country remains off-limits. 
• Funds may not be used toward tuition, program fees, or expenses normally incurred during regular coursework.  In addition, grants may not be used for the purchase of durable equipment over $100 or for the purchase of books or other materials available from NU libraries or through Interlibrary Loan.

How to Apply

All students must apply through the online application system. A complete application consists of a two-page, single-spaced proposal, a faculty endorsement, and a budget for the project.  The proposal and budget must be uploaded in .doc, .rtf, or .pdf format.  Once you have submitted your portion of the application online, your faculty advisors will receive an email containing instructions for their online submission of the endorsement.

APPLY ONLINE

Preparing an Application

Your first step should be to discuss your ideas with faculty members and/or advisors who may be able offer insights on what you want to do.  You can find faculty with interests related to yours by searching the Northwestern Scholars database.  You should also take full advanatge of library resources. 

Second, there will be special information sessions dedicated to Undergraduate Engagement Grants- see Calendar for dates and locations.  The sessions will be led by UEG Advisors who will go over the application process and answer questions.

As an additional resource, you may seek feedback from a UEG Advisor by email (undergradresearch@northwestern.edu) or in an arranged meeting, once you have written a draft application. UEG Advisors can offer useful writing assistance in shaping the proposal for the Review Committee.

Peter Civetta - UEG Coordinator/ Advisor

     847-467-0499     undergradresearch@northwestern.edu

Jana Measells - UEG Advisor

     847-467-0501     uradvisor@northwestern.edu

The Application Form

In your application, you will be asked to answer basic data questions, agree to the conditions of the grant, and submit your project budget.  You may open an application at any time, save it, and return later to complete/submit it.

The Project Proposal

The Project Proposal should describe the project in two single-spaced pages.  It should be addressed to an educated audience, but not one who specializes in the topic.  Students are strongly advised to consult “Crafting a Research Proposal." Even though UEGs do not need to be research-centered, this guide is useful for learning how to write a proposal.  In brief, it should accomplish the following main functions:

• Succinctly indicate 1) what your project is about, 2) how you plan to undertake it, and 3) why it is important to do.

• Articulate the context of your project explaining the scope and parameters of your subject matter.
• Demonstrate how your projects fits within the larger academic discourse of your subject, hopefully indicating a hole that your work will fill.
• Highlight the knowledge that you want to gain through this project.
• Outline specifically what you will do to obtain that knowledge, including practices or techniques used, size and length of the project, and analytical tools used to assess the data.
• Explain why you are the person capable of conducting this project, explaining the training/teaching that you have received that leaves you ready to successfully complete the project.
• Look forward towards what you hope to do with this project in the future.

The text of your proposal should be no more than 2 singled-spaced pages.  Longer proposals may not be considered.  You may include supporting documentation, such as your budget, as appendices.

Faculty Endorsement of Project

All applications require an endorsement by your faculty advisor. The advisor should base her/his endorsement on a draft of the proposal that you have provided. When you complete your portion of the online application, the system will generate an email to your advisor containing instructions for online submission of the endorsement.  

FAQs