Instructional Leadership, emphasis: K-12 School Leadership (MEd)
N A U researcher and student wearing white labs coats and working in a lab.
  1. IN
  2. NAU Research
  3. Resources and opportunities
  4. Impact and opportunities
  5. Intramural funding
  6. Student intramural funding
  7. Student Mentored Research Training

Student Mentored Research Training

Grant

The Mentored Research Grant will provide up to $5,000 to support student research with the scope of Arizona’s Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF). 

Applications are accepted twice during the academic year (September and April) and ad hoc submissions may be evaluated after this time (pending the availability of funds) on a case-by-case basis.

Purpose

The Office of the Vice President for Research announces the Mentored Research Grant as a limited-term intramural support award for FY2026. The program supports student level research with the scope of Arizona’s Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF), and is designed to encourage student participation in research and provide a small allocation of funds to faculty advisors to aid material support of the student research. The program is designed to facilitate mentored research experiences for students when other sources of funding for this support are not available (including local funds, such as IDC returned to the home unit, available for use by the PI).

General rules for intramural funding opportunities

This program is subject to overarching rules and guidelines in place for all intramural programs. A summary of these rules may be found under the General Rules for Intramural Funding Opportunities.

Eligibility

Applicants to this program must meet all eligibility requirements listed in the General Rules for Intramural Funding Opportunities.

Additionally, the following restrictions also apply to this program. Students are not eligible to serve as PI for applicants to this program.

Award details

Faculty applicants can request up to $5,000 (of which a maximum of $1000 may be allocated toward funds for materials, supplies and travel) through this opportunity.

Individual Principal Investigators (PIs) are able to submit up to two (2) applications to this program per year provided the applications are associated with separate student mentees.

Funds are awarded for 12 month periods, the award period will be specified in the award letter.

Award funds must be used according to the requirements set forth in the “Allowable and Unallowable Costs” section of the General Rules for Intramural Funding Opportunities.

The following program-specific rules also apply.

Award funds may be used to support:

  • Hourly wages for student research assistants during the academic year or summer session

The material, supply and travel allocation of the request may support the following expenditures:

  • Laboratory consumables
  • Small research equipment
  • Software licenses used primarily for research
  • Student travel expenses (to research sites or professional conferences)

  • Salary for faculty or staff
  • Travel costs for faculty advisors

All expenditures are subject to standard rules provided by NAU and ABOR.

The Mentored Research Grant program is a limited term opportunity for FY2026. Applications are accepted twice per year September 25, 2026 and April 16, 2027.

The body of the proposal must be written using the Narrative Template provided. The document must be saved as a PDF. The PDF document must be saved as follows: MRGYEAR_Last name of applicant_First name of applicant, e.g., MRG2023_Smith_John.

Applications for funding must be submitted electronically through the submission form. Applicants must complete all informational sections on the form and attach the completed Narrative Template as a PDF. Please direct any questions regarding this process to ovpr@nau.edu.

Clear delineation of how the proposed work is within the scope of one or more TRIF initiatives is a requirement.

Priority will be given to meritorious proposals that effectively demonstrate student training in the work and that communicate the role of the sponsored students in the estimated deliverables of the project (publications, presentations, invention disclosures, etc).

A prior record of success with previous student mentees will be considered in the evaluation process, as will the availability of funds to the PI for student support via other active internal or externally sponsored awards.

Mentorship of students from groups underrepresented in research, first-generation students, or returning veterans, is particularly encouraged.