Undergraduate Research Fellowship

Through the generosity of the Seidler Fund, the CAS Dean’s Office will provide funding for faculty/student creative work/research/scholarship to take place during the Summer of 2023 (research may continue through Fall/Spring, but stipends will not be provided per University policy).  Funded projects may be of short duration, and circumscribed in both goals and time frame; other funded projects may represent one phase of long-term, continuing research.  A maximum of two projects per applicant may be recommended for support. Successful proposals will demonstrate a mentoring relationship between faculty and student that encourages scholarly/creative work in a collaborative environment.  A representative committee will evaluate the projects and provide funding recommendations to the Dean. The total number of projects funded will depend upon the budgets of the successful applicants, as well as the overall amount available for distribution.

Summer Projects: The work will take place over a 6-10 week period during summer 2023.  The application will come from the faculty member, who will identify a specific student(s) with whom they will work.  Faculty will be paid a stipend of $500 per week, and students will receive $15/hour for 20-29 hours per week.  (the total of a student’s compensated work at FGCU may not exceed 29 hours per week from all FGCU sources).  A faculty member may request funding for 1 or 2 students, but support for a second student is not guaranteed if the project proposal is approved.  The faculty stipend does not change if a second student is funded.  The budget information must include any other summer pay from sources such as teaching a class, grant-funded activities, etc.  Total faculty summer pay may not exceed 1 FTE (approximately 1/3 of the 9-month base pay).

Continued Summer Projects (Summer & Fall projects): In this category, faculty and students will continue their work together during the fall semester as indicated in the proposal. 

Faculty may request funds for conference attendance for the student(s) and themselves (see budget information).  We recognize that conference schedules necessitate that travel will typically occur after the completion of the funded project.  Funds to support conference attendance for a faculty member awarded for a summer or fall 2023 project must be encumbered by May 2024. 

If FGCU students, faculty or staff participating in this funded research project will travel outside of the U.S. at any time (to conduct research, participate in an internship or community service, attend a conference, etc.) the faculty must consult the FGCU Global  Engagement Office, prior to submitting a proposal. The Office of Global Initiatives and International Services provides guidance on university requirements, services and procedures supporting academic related international travel and will need to sign your proposal prior to submission. International travel preparations may require several months advance planning to ensure appropriate immigration; risk management and university support services are in place. The faculty member is responsible for knowing and complying with all host country requirements and protocols for conducting research at destinations outside the U.S.  A Travel Authorization Request (TAR) must be submitted at least 45 days prior to travel; requestors must complete an Export Control review through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and otherwise fulfill the requirements of FGCU Policy 2.020, International Travel.

An elected committee representing the disciplines in the College of Arts and Sciences will evaluate all applications.  We are committed to ensuring that fellowship support is widely distributed among the disciplines in the college.  Selection criteria will include:

• Significance of the project
• Clear narrative explaining the significance of the project and benefits of the proposed collaboration (Note: Narratives describing the significance and benefits of a project will be stronger if they are accessible to a non-specialist in the field of study)
• Evidence of student(s)’ interest and commitment to the project
• Qualifications of the faculty and student participants
• Budget that meets the criteria delineated in the Budget Guidelines (below)
• Previous Seidler Undergraduate Scholarly Collaboration Fellowships (the Committee seeks to encourage new applicants, but faculty are not limited to one award)
• Summer commitments may not exceed 1 FTE (approximately 1/3 of the 9-month base salary)

Proposals are evaluated by the committee using the following guidelines:

• Project Considerations (30%):  work is feasible, clear evidence of meaningful collaboration between faculty and student(s), timeframe is reasonable, work proposed is scholarly (broadly defined), faculty expertise is appropriate to project, work contributes to student(s)' development, work contributes to faculty member's scholarly agenda, a defined outcome is produced through the work.
• Student Considerations (30%): academic record demonstrating potential for productive collaboration with faculty on project, clear benefit to student, prior experience with scholarly work. “Potential for productive collaboration” is not simply a review of student GPA and coursework; rather, the committee considers students’ interest, motivation, and persistence, as well as grades in courses.
• Budget Considerations (20%): budget is reasonable to support proposed work, and concise justifications are presented for budget items.
• Other Commitments (20%): proposal shows that faculty have the available time to conduct the project and provide ample guidance and mentoring for student(s).

Faculty recipients will:

• Submit at least 1 photo of the student and/or faculty engaging with the research project and a report describing the work and accomplishments of the student/faculty collaborators by the end of the semester following the completion of the Fellowship period (please see below).
• All faculty and students (unless the student has graduated) will be expected to participate in an event in early Spring term 2024 attended by the Seidlers that showcases their work and accomplishments.

Before you get started on the application, make sure you have these documents prepared and ready to be uploaded as needed. Some elements will require faculty to complete, some will be submitted by the research student. ALL SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE COMPLETED AND UPLOADED BY FACULTY.

Faculty responsibilities:

• General Information and Budget (see below)
• A project abstract: The abstract should be no more than 2, 250 characters  - type on the application
• A project narrative: The narrative should be no more than 4 pages (single-spaced, 12 point font with 1-inch margin) - upload to the application
  The narrative should contain clear objectives and intended outcomes, details of how the faculty and student will work together, budget justification, and a detailed time frame for achieving the objectives
• A CV for the faculty mentor no more than 3 pages - upload to the application
• Submit information appropriate to your funding request- Summer or Semester. If applicant is submitting a Summer request, indicate whether you wish to be considered for a Year-Long Fellowship.  The Committee will contact applicants under consideration for these awards and faculty selected for such awards will create a new budget in collaboration with the Dean  - calculate on the application

Student responsibilities:

• 1-page letter of student interest in the project - upload to the application
• 1 page CV for student- upload to the application
• Student recommendation letter from one additional faculty member that directly addresses the student’s ability to carry out the project- upload to the application
• Copy (unofficial) of student’s current transcript- upload to the application

The Seidler fellowship faculty stipends are only available for the Summer. Funding for travel/supplies/materials/student stipends may be extended into the Fall term. 

Funding for Materials, Supplies and Travel cannot exceed $2000 total (e.g. $1500 M/S + $500 Travel) on your application. 

• All applicants are eligible for up to $2000. Please do not include more than $2000 TOTAL (M+S+T) on your application.
• IF you are requesting more than $2000 please include all costs and justifications within your narrative.  Additional funding is not guaranteed. 
• Physical equipment (furniture, machinery, computers, printers, etc) and gift cards do not qualify as materials and supplies. If you have any questions regarding allowable materials and supplies, please contact Kendra Carboneau.
• Please note: If you have $0 for Materials/Supplies or Travel, you must enter a zero (0) in the total line so that the system will properly add all funding fields.

Summer Guidelines:

• SUMMER ONLY: A faculty stipends of $500/week (weeks may range from 6-10 total). When filling out the form, faculty should indicate the time frame for their research, and also disclose additional faculty income from grants/teaching loads/etc. 
• A student stipend of $15/hr, for 20-29 hours per week.  Weeks may range from 6-10 weeks total.
• Funding for materials, supplies, and travel. 
• Each application may have up to two (2) faculty and two (2) students for each proposal.

Summer & Fall Guidelines:

• Faculty will received stipends for SUMMER ONLY: A faculty stipends of $500/week (weeks may range from 6-10 total). When filling out the form, faculty should indicate the time frame for their research, and also disclose additional faculty income from grants/teaching loads/etc. 
• A student stipend of $15/hr, for 1-10 hours per week.  Weeks may range from 7-25 weeks total and will span both Summer and Fall.
• Funding for materials, supplies, and travel. 
• Each application may have up to two (2) faculty and two (2) students for each proposal.

 

Please reach out to Patricia "Pi" Rice: price@fgcu.edu or 239-590-7205.