Specific Aims/Goals – Articulate the research questions, hypotheses, and/or objectives that will guide your project.

Methods, Procedure, Study Design – What method(s) will you use to achieve the project’s goals? Why was this this method selected, and what makes it appropriate? Include a very brief description of how the labor will be divided (e.g., what tasks you will complete, what tasks your mentor or other members of the research group will complete).

Acknowledge whether human subject (IRB) project approval has been or will be needed. If not yet secured, briefly describe your action plan to undergo training and secure approval.

End product/Discussion – What is envisioned as the final product at the completion of your project? What are the anticipated/possible outcomes? How would these results fit into the “big picture?” How will you disseminate your findings?

*Please ask your mentor first if they have example proposals from previously funded SURE students. If your mentor has not had a SURE student before and you would like to see an example of a funded SURE proposal, please email ugresearch@sandiego.edu.

Part of the proposal but NOT included in the word count:

Figures - Ensure that your proposal clearly indicates that the reviewer should refer to the emailed attachment for figures
References for all literature cited
Supply Budget, up to $500 You must include a budget justification for each item requested. Supply funds cannot generally pay for books or similar personal expenses. SURE funds also do not generally pay for permanent equipment.
Outline of planned activities (What do you plan to accomplish each week or month? Describe your action plan and timeline.)
Previous SURE participants: For those students who have had a previously funded summer project at USD (PURE, SURE, Beckman, NSF REU, Keck or similar award), provide a brief (300 words or less), but separate from your proposal, description of the project you worked on as a summer research fellow AND how your previous project is related to the one proposed in your current application. Your brief overview of your previously funded research should include a synopsis of your previous research question(s)/goals/hypotheses, your methodology, the results you obtained, and implications of those results with respect to your research questions/goals/hypotheses and possibly the bigger picture. If your project is an extension of your previous work, explain how the work is related. If you are proposing a separate, unrelated project in the same or different lab, explain that.

Letter of Recommendation

One letter of recommendation is needed. Please provide a letter written by the faculty member who will serve as your advisor for this project. The letter should document his/her support of your application, describe your preparedness for the project, and specify plans for collaboration/mentorship; if you have had a previously funded summer research project with this research advisor, they should comment on your previous research experience. Please submit letters of recommendation to ugresearch@sandiego.edu.

Group / Interdisciplinary guidelines

Research Proposal

1,000 words or less (~2 single-spaced pages, 1 inch margins).

Group can write the following together:

Background / Introduction – Statement of the project or research question. Explain the significance of the project or question under investigation. Include a brief summary of the relevant literature, if appropriate, and how your project fits into the “big picture."
Specific Aims/Goals – Articulate the research questions, hypotheses, and/or objectives that will guide your project.
Methods, Procedure, Study Design – What method(s) will you use to achieve the project’s goals? Why was this this method selected, and what makes it appropriate?
End product/Discussion – What is envisioned as the final product at the completion of your project? What are the anticipated/possible outcomes? How would these results fit into the “big picture?” How will you disseminate your findings?

Role / qualifications / motivation. Each student should write a 1-page statement addressing the following questions: How do you plan to contribute to this project? What skillsets do you bring to the project? What is your motivation for joining this project? How will you benefit academically or personally from participating?

Part of the proposal but NOT included in the word count

Figures: Relevant conceptual sketches, diagrams, drawings, model photos, or other images of the proposed project.
References/Citations
Supply Budget,
up to $500 must include a budget justification for each item requested. Supply funds cannot generally pay for books or similar personal expenses. SURE funds also do not generally pay for permanent equipment.
Work Plan and Project Timeline

Letter of Recommendation - One letter of recommendation is needed. Please provide a letter written by the faculty member who will serve as your advisor for this project. The letter should describe the overall project, document his/her support for each of the students’ applications, describe each students’ preparedness for the project, the group dynamics and students’ rankings, and specify plans for collaboration/mentorship. Please submit letters of recommendation to UGresearch@sandiego.edu.

Review Procedures

The review committee is composed of three faculty members from each area. Due to the considerable work of evaluating proposals, no feedback regarding proposals will be provided by the review committee. All decisions are final.

Reviewers will be using a rubric to evaluate applications. Please follow the link to see the Individual Rubric and Group Rubric.

Reviewers:

Dr. Jennifer Wenzel
Dr. Jennifer Parkinson

Directors:

Administrative Director: Dr. Elisa Maldonado Greene
Faculty Director: TBD