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Student Mentored Research Training
Grant
The Mentored Research Grant will provide up to $5,000 to support undergraduate 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 FY2025. The program supports undergraduate 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 information Accordion Closed
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 PIs are able to submit up to two (2) applications to this program per year provided the applications are associated with separate student mentees.
Award period Accordion Closed
Funds are awarded for use anytime after October 1, 2024 and funds must be expended by the end of the following summer term (August 15, 2025). Extensions of Mentored Research Grant funding beyond this date will not be possible.
Eligible uses of award funds Accordion Closed
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 undergraduate 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)
Costs of the following may NOT be supported via Mentored Research Grant awards Accordion Closed
- Salary for faculty or staff
- Travel costs for faculty advisors
All expenditures are subject to standard rules provided by NAU and ABOR.
When to apply Accordion Closed
The Mentored Research Grant program is a limited term opportunity for FY2025. Applications are accepted twice per year September 20, 2024 and April 11, 2025 (updated deadline) .
How to apply Accordion Closed
The body of the proposal must be written using the Narrative Template provided, and 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 portal. Applicants must complete all informational sections in the portal and attach the completed Narrative Template as a PDF. Please direct any questions regarding this process to ovpr@nau.edu.
Selection criteria Accordion Closed
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 undergraduate 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.