Special Funding

2005-2006

NASA Fellowships - Mentored Undergraduate Research at NU
Norwich has received $45,000 from the National Space Grant Program to fund summer research over the next four summers as part of Norwich's Summer Research Program. The title of this NASA grant is Mentored Undergraduate Research at Norwich University. Prof. Joe Byrne is the Principle Investigator, and the Student Research Committee is responsible for implementing and operating the program. You can go to http://www.vtspacegrant.org/vtprograms.htm for background information and related links. At that site, they describe two distinct purposes of the research they support.

1. To provide funding to encourage faculty research and mentored undergraduate summer research in NASA-related disciplines at Vermont's primarily undergraduate academic institutions.
2. To fund competitive proposals for mentored undergraduate research projects in NASA-related areas.

There are some constraints on the research proposals.

1. Both the student and faculty will need to be US citizens to receive this funding.
2. As the purpose of this funding is workforce development and promoting ties to NASA, the research topic need to be something of potential interest to NASA, and the project budget must include travel funds for the student and faculty to visit a NASA facility and make contact with NASA researchers.
3. A final report will need to be submitted to the Director of Student Research within 30 days of the end of a funded project.

On the other hand, there is considerable flexibility in the scope of proposed projects. The Committee will consider proposals anywhere between the two limits described below.

1. The upper limit is for joint faculty/student proposals for a Faculty NASA Fellow and a Student NASA Fellow who apply with separate coordinated proposals to work full time for 10 weeks during the summer on tightly related research projects. Stipends would be $8,000 for faculty and $4,000 for students. Because Norwich is required to provide matching funds for this program, faculty are encouraged to prepare and submit a Charles A. Dana Fellowship proposal (see AM#14) to the Faculty Development Committee by February 1, 2005. The faculty stipend would be funded by a combination of the Dana award and funds from the NASA grant; the student stipend, travel funds to visit a NASA facility, and funds for equipment, expenses, etc., would come from the NASA grant.
2. The lower limit is a proposal for a Student NASA Fellow with a faculty mentor, to carry out a summer research project. Stipends would be $4,000 for the student and $1,000 for the mentor for a 10-week project, and scaled back for anything briefer.
3. Proposals with intermediate scopes are encouraged, although projects of greater magnitude will be given preference. Student Research Program Appendix D is the main format for proposals (or AM#14 Appendix D for faculty if previously completed).

Contact Prof. D. Westerman, A. Fisher or J. Byrne for additional information if you are interested in this opportunity. Deadline March 1, 2006.

2003-2004

Vermont Genetics Network Program
Norwich University has received $53,000 from the Vermont Genetics Network to support undergraduate research during the 2003-2004 academic year in the following disciplines: Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science. Either a student or a faculty member may submit proposals for this funding. A student, as the principal investigator, may request funding up to $3,000 per semester for: supplies, wages, small equipment, faculty research advisor stipend, student travel, and use of facilities at UVM. Faculty, as the principal investigator, may request funding up to $8,000 per semester for: small equipment (up to $5,000), supplies, and student wages. Faculty research in Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science must have at least an indirect connection to genetics. Student wages may be up to $8.00 per hour and $1,200 per semester. Students may not receive wages if they are also receiving course credit for the work. Faculty may not receive advisor stipends for work associated with instructing students in courses.

Students or faculty may apply for VGN student research grants. All student proposals must be sponsored by a Norwich faculty member who will be actively engaged in the project. Proposals (9 copies) are submitted to the Coordinator following the format outlined in Appendix D of the Student Research Program, and are accompanied by a Grant Request Form (Appendix E). Students seeking only travel funds, to be used for presentations and active participation at workshops, seminars, conferences, special courses, and professional meetings, may apply using Appendix A.

2002-2003

NASA Faculty/Student Research Program
Norwich University's proposal to the NASA Aerospace Work Force Development competition will receive funding to support a faculty member and two students for a summer 2003 research project in an area of interest to NASA. Norwich faculty are invited to submit a NASA Summer Research Proposal. Funding is anticipated to provide a $6,000 faculty stipend, two $3,000 student stipends, and $5,400 for supplies and expenses. The period of the research is from May 26 to August 1, 2003. Students involved in the research may have Norwich housing (but not meals) at no charge. Proposals, in addition to describing the projected research and the specific goals of the summer work, will describe how the overall research project is of interest to NASA, e.g., by relating the work to projects in the NASA EPSCoR Research Compendium (http://www.emba.uvm.edu/nasaepscor/#). The proposal should also indicate how the work might lead to continued involvement with NASA. This opportunity is open to faculty in any of the NASA supported disciplines.

Students will be expected to present the results of their work at an appropriate venue within one year. Faculty are expected to pursue continued involvement with NASA.

The application deadline is January 15, 2003. Eight copies of the proposal should be submitted to David Westerman, Director of Undergraduate Research. Award notifications will be by February 14, 2003.