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Student Veteran Research Opportunity
Grant
The Student Veteran Research Opportunity Grant will provide up to $6,000 to support NAU students who are returning veterans, active duty, guard, or military reserves to pursue mentored research under the direction of a faculty advisor. All approved projects must fall under the scope of Arizona’s Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF).
Purpose
The NAU Veterans and Military Service office and the Office of the Vice President for Research announce the Student Veteran Research Opportunity Grant as a limited-term intramural support award for FY2024. The program supports undergraduate or graduate level research within the scope of Arizona’s Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF), and is designed to encourage student participation in research. The program is designed to facilitate mentored research experiences for returning veterans, active duty, guard, or military reserve 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
The Student Veteran Research Opportunity Grant program is open to veteran, active duty, guard, or military reserve students across all colleges at NAU. Evidence of military status (military ID, DoD credentials, CAC card, etc.) may be requested of applicants.
Student applicants must identify a faculty mentor with whom the proposed research will occur. All individuals who qualify as a PI across all colleges at NAU are eligible to serve as faculty mentors. As per NAU policy, faculty who are both (1) NAU regular employees (i.e., benefit-eligible) and (2) eligible to serve as Principal Investigators/ Project Directors on extramural grants (as per NAU PI Eligibility policy) may serve as PI or co-PI on these proposals.
Research Track faculty members are eligible to be principal investigators on proposals to this program if they can demonstrate in the proposal available, non-committed effort.
Award information Accordion Closed
Student Veteran/Faculty mentor pairs can request up to $6,000 (of which a maximum of $1,000 may be allocated toward funds for materials, supplies and travel) through this opportunity.
Award period Accordion Closed
Funds are awarded for use anytime after September 30, 2024, and funds must be expended no later than one calendar year after the date of program award.
Eligible Uses of Award Funds
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.
Program award funds may be used to support Accordion Closed
- Hourly wages for undergraduate or graduate 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)
Program award funds may not be used to support Accordion Closed
- Salary for faculty or staff
- Buy-out of teaching duties
- Renovations or building modifications
- Professional memberships
- Computers
- Travel costs for faculty advisors
When to apply Accordion Closed
The Student Veteran Research Opportunity Grant program is a limited term opportunity for FY2025. Applications are accepted twice per year. Deadlines for FY25 will be September 20, 2024 and April 11, 2025.
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: VSRYEAR_Last name of applicant_First name of applicant, e.g., VSR2023_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 research 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 of the faculty mentor 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 or first-generation students, is particularly encouraged.
Award Conditions Accordion Closed
Student awardees will be expected to write a summary of project goals and deliverables to be submitted no later than four weeks beyond the date of project conclusion. Reports should be sent to ovpr@nau.edu.
A commitment to military cultural awareness is essential for faculty mentors to effectively engage with their military-connected mentees. Prior to the receipt of award funding, faculty mentors must complete mandatory Veteran Supportive Campus Training. Email vets@nau.edu to arrange training or confirm you have completed the training.
Student/mentor pairs are expected to attend the annual Military-Connected Conference held in April 2024. Student/mentor pairs are highly encouraged to present the results of their research at the annual Military-Connected Conference and annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Students are expected to meet with the Student Veteran Research Opportunity panel once per semester for progress updates.