FACULTY ENDORSEMENTS USING THE STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES APPLICATION PORTAL (SOAP)

Open to all current Northwestern undergraduates.  Students must be enrolled in an independent study or thesis seminar.  This program offers up to $1,000 in funding for research related expenses.  Additional money is available for international projects.

The student’s project must be autonomous. While the project may relate to your research, or develop from work within a lab, the student must design and execute the project independently, with only advisory assistance from you.  In no cases may the funds cover faculty research expenses.

If a student’s project includes work with human subjects, they are required to submit a separate application to IRB (with you as PI) before they submit their application.

The endorsement questions you will need to answer:

1. What is your opinion on the quality and significance of the proposed project?
2. For lab projects, please discuss the intellectual contribution of the student to this project. For non-lab projects, please discuss how you got involved with the student/project.
3. What are 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. What is your plan for mentoring/supporting this student during the grant period?

Your endorsement is due no later than 24 hours after the student deadline. The Review Committee meets to vote on proposals early in the following week. Proposals cannot be seen for review until your endorsement is received.  If you feel that you need more time to complete your assessment, you should make arrangements with the student to receive a copy of the application materials well in advance of the deadline.  Un-endorsed proposals will not be considered by the Review Committee.

After the completion of the project, your student will submit a two-page summary describing the results/outcome of the project, which will also require your approval/endorsement. The grant cannot be closed with this endorsement.  You will receive an automatic email once your student has submitted her/his report.

Open to all returning Northwestern undergraduates (no graduating seniors).  Project must be for 8 weeks full time – students are not allowed to do any internships or courses during the grant period.  Offers a $4,000 living expense stipend.  Additional money is available for international projects.

The student’s project must be autonomous.  While the project may relate to your research, or develop from work within a lab, the student must design and execute the project independently, with only advisory assistance from you.  In no cases may the funds cover research expenses as the grant provides only a living expense stipend.

After a student’s project is accepted for funding, s/he will be required to submit a separate application to IRB (with you as PI) if their project includes work with human subjects before they can receive their funding.

The endorsement questions you will need to answer:

1. What is your opinion on the quality and significance of the proposed project?
2. For lab projects, please discuss the intellectual contribution of the student to this project. For non-lab projects, please discuss how you got involved with the student/project.
3. What are 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. What is your plan for mentoring/supporting this student during the grant period?

Your endorsement is due within 72 hours after the student deadline. The Review Committee must review hundreds of proposals during finals and spring break. Proposals cannot be seen for review until your endorsement is received.  If you will need more time to complete your assessment, you should make arrangements with the student to receive a copy of the application materials well in advance of the deadline.  Un-endorsed proposals will not be considered by the Review Committee.

After the completion of the project, your student will submit a two-page summary describing the results/outcome of the project, which will also require your approval/endorsement.   The grant cannot be closed without this endorsement.  Students are enrolled in a 0-credit GEN-LA course with the grant, and without your endorsement, they will review a U grade.  You will receive an automatic email once your student has submitted her/his report.

Open to all Northwestern undergraduates (no graduating seniors). Grants support the intensive and experiential learning of foreign languages during the summer for up to $5,000.  Study programs must be at least six weeks in duration with 120 hours of instruction.  In particular, the Review Committee seeks to fund students who will be using this language training to help them achieve specific academic and professional goals.

Students are encouraged to consult with language faculty to identify quality summer language programs.  Faculty guidance is also tremendously beneficial for applicants as they work to articulate their goals and specific ways in which summer language study will benefit them.

Students need two faculty sponsors: Language Sponsor (someone who can speak to the applicant’s ability to learn a language) and Academic Sponsor (someone who can speak to how the language aligns with the applicant’s academic and professional goals). At lease one sponsor MUST be a university faculty member. 

Outside faculty may be used as recommenders; graduate students and post-docs are not eligible, unless they are the student’s primary language instructor.  If a recommender falls into one of these categories, contact the ULG Coordinator prior to the deadline for details, as additional steps are required to get access to the system.

The sponsor questions you will need to answer:

Please select your role: I can evaluate the applicant’s language learning abilities —OR— I can endorse how the language aligns with the applicant’s academic and professional goals.

Language Sponsor

1. How long have you worked with the student, and in what capacity?
2. Please comment on the applicant’s ability to manage the challenge of an intensive, immersive language learning program.
3. Please comment on the applicant’s motivation for learning this language.
4. Is there anything else you would like us to know about the applicant? (optional)

Academic/Professional Sponsor

1. 1. How long have you worked with the student, and in what capacity?
   2. How, in your opinion, will this language learning fit into the student’s overall academic/career goals?
   3. Please comment on the applicant’s ability to manage the challenge of an intensive, immersive learning environment.
   4. Is there anything else you would like us to know about the applicant? (optional)

Your endorsement is due within 72 hours after the student deadline. The Review Committee meets to vote on applications soon after the deadline, and proposals cannot be seen for review until your endorsement is received.  If you 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.

Emerging Scholars is a brand new grant program currently in pilot phase with funding from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. It is specifically focused on serving first year students who identify as first generation, lower income, people of color, and/or marginalized.  This grant provides opportunities for students to get started in research and/or creative activities in the arts, humanities, journalism, and social sciences – basically, research that doesn’t take place in a lab environment.  The Emerging Scholars Program will provide the student with stipend (living expense money) funding for 15 months, starting the summer after their first year and stretching through their sophomore year and summer. The program will help students get started in research by working with a faculty mentor through a more apprenticeship style training, and as the student progresses, transition to an independent project of the student’s design.

In the application, students will rank order three potential faculty mentors from the Emerging Scholars Program Faculty Viewbook, and articulate why each faculty mentor is particularly interesting to them. Additionally, student applicants will respond to 5 short essay questions that center around traits that are useful for research. These responses, combined with your endorsement, will be evaluated by potential faculty mentors to select a student with whom they would like to work for the full 15 months of the grant period. 

The endorsement questions you will need to answer:

1. Please comment on this student’s ability to respond to any feedback they have received. If you have additional observations about this student’s more general communication abilities (for instance, their ability to listen, ask questions, effectively express ideas and questions verbally or through writing), please share those as well.
2. Please share your observations about the extent that this student is inclined to seek out different types of information (for instance, information related to intellectual or interpersonal pursuits or any other interests).
3. In what ways do you think this student in particular would benefit from a long-term mentored research experience and professional development workshops?
4. Is there anything else you feel would be helpful information regarding this candidate? *optional*

Your endorsement is due within three days after the student deadline. The potential faculty mentors will begin reviewing applications soon after the deadline, and proposals cannot be seen for review until your endorsement is received. If you 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.

Open to all Northwestern undergraduates.  Students cannot receive funds to attend conferences following graduation.   You are not required to attend the conference or event with your student.

Awards are for 50% of the total conference expenses up to a maximum of $500.  To apply, students need to provide an abstract of her/his paper/poster, proof of acceptance to present at the conference, information about the conference’s standing in the field, a budget, and an explanation of how s/he plans to fund the other 50% of the expenses. We are happy to cost share with other programs.  The student’s name must appear on the abstract.

While the research may have been group in nature, the student must be the primary presenter in order to be eligible, and only one student will be supported for each presentation.  For example, grants may not be used to fund multiple students jointly presenting a poster.

Applications may be submitted at any time and will be reviewed on a rolling basis; however, applications must be submitted before the actual travel takes place.

The endorsement prompt you will need to answer: Please offer you opinion on the quality of the conference itself and the specific opportunity it affords your student.

Your endorsement is due as soon as possible after the student submits her/his application.  Un-endorsed proposals will not be considered by the Review Committee.

The Circumnavigators Travel-Study Grant offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  The winner receives a $9,000 award to spend the summer travelling to at least five different countries (excluding the U.S. and Canada) on at least three different continents.  Applicants must be full-time Northwestern juniors. During the trip, the winner will study/research a topic of her/his choosing.

Faculty serve primarily as recommenders for the purpose of this grant, rather than project supervisors. Faculty support students in developing projects and in selecting appropriate research sites. The unique travel requirements of the grant pose challenges distinct from those of traditional, more narrowly focused research projects, and having the opportunity to discuss ideas with faculty has been key to students’ successful development of meaningful and feasible global projects.

All Circumnavigator applications require an endorsement by two faculty recommenders. Outside faculty may be used as a recommender; graduate students and post-docs are not eligible, unless they are added as a supplemental third endorsement.  If a recommender falls into one of these categories, contact the Circumnavigator Coordinator prior to the application deadline for details.

The endorsement questions you will need to answer:

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?
4. How confident are you that the student will successfully complete the proposed project?  How well prepared do you feel this student is to undertake the world travel associated with this award?

Your endorsement is due 48 hours after the student deadline. The Review Committee meets to vote on proposals soon after the deadline, and proposals cannot be seen for review until your endorsement is received.   If you 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 Review Committee.