Student-Initiated Research Grants
The Student-Initiated Research Grants provide support for Trinity undergraduates, under the general supervision of faculty, to develop their own research projects. The research supported by these grants is expected to relate to a student’s thesis, senior project, or other student scholarly activity such as a senior seminar or an independent study. The activities supported might include travel to archives or museums important to their research, reproduction of research materials, use of analytic or other facilities not available at the college, and necessary material resources like computer software.
Eligibility: Students who plan to undertake research of their own design during their junior or senior year and/or the summer between these two years.
Eligible costs: Student-initiated research grants up to $2,500 may be used to reimburse direct research expenses to Trinity students. Grant funds may be used for travel, living expenses, access fees for archives and libraries, photo-reproduction of archival materials, and similar research expenses.
PROPOSAL DEADLINE: November 14, 2023 (fall) and March 19, 2024 (spring)
Questions about Student-Initiated Research Grants should be directed to Faculty Research Committee Interim Chair Shane Ewegen.
Proposal Guidelines
Proposals for research to be undertaken in the summer or during the following academic year should be submitted to the Faculty Research Committee on or before the stated deadlines. Proposals must be submitted as a PDF document attached to an e-mail, to the FRC administrator on or before the deadline date. Late proposals will not be considered.
Title of project, name, major, faculty advisor, and an abstract of no more than 100 words.
Explain your project in no more than three (3) double-spaced pages—excluding references, but including figures, tables, and graphs. If significant illustration is required, it may be attached as an appendix. Include the following sections:
- A statement of the goals of your proposed research
- The significance of the work
- How the proposed project fits into your long-term course of study
Also explain the procedures or methods to be used in carrying out your research and a brief review of relevant literature.
Because this is an expense program, give special attention in the body of the proposal to the rationales for budget items and their relation to the methods you will employ.
To be prepared by the faculty member who is the research advisor on the project. Note: the research advisor is not necessarily the same as the student’s faculty advisor.
In no more than one single-spaced page, address the following points:
- Your familiarity with the student’s work (e.g., courses taken)
- Assessment of the student’s preparation for the research project
- Feasibility of the project work plan
- Plan to monitor the student’s progress during the grant period and through completion of the project
- Expected outcomes
This section of the proposal should be signed by the faculty advisor and dated. Proposals lacking a faculty signature will not be considered complete.
The completed Appendix 1 should either be 1) returned to the student to be included in a single, complete PDF document; or 2) submitted separately as a PDF document to the FRC administrator. In either scenario, the appendix must be submitted by the proposal deadline.
Anticipated project-related expenses should be detailed on the SIRG budget form, and their relation to the project should be discussed in the body of the proposal. A budget narrative should be included as part of the budget summary.
Click here for a list of previously funded proposals.
