Eligibility

  • T.A. Davis scholars must be Honors Program members in good standing.
  • Summer research awards are not open to students who will have graduated before their research is completed.
  • Summer research award recipients must enroll the following fall semester.
  • Students who apply for a Summer Mathematics/Sciences Research Award are ineligible to apply for a Summer Research Award in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
  • All applicants for the Davis Summer Research Award must also apply for a Summer Research Grant in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences from the Associate Dean’s office located in Jones Hall room 212.
  • All applicants for the Davis Summer Research Award must also apply for a Summer Research Grant in the Math and Sciences via email to biology@pugetsound.edu.

A complete application for the 2020 Summer Research Awards will contain the following:

Cover Page
Project Summary (one paragraph) in language appropriate for readers who are not specialists.
Description (no more than 3 pages, single-spaced, 12 pt. font) of the work to be done. Your proposal is likely to be reviewed by persons outside your project’s field of study, so be sure to provide sufficient background for a non-specialist to understand the nature, significance, and methods of the proposed research. The description must include the following:

i) A plan outlining the question to be investigated and the student’s approach to the problem in the context of existing approaches in the field. (If applying for the Richard Bangs Collier Award, also include a statement about the interdisciplinary nature of the project.)

ii) A statement of the project’s goals and explanation of why this research is important.

iii) A description of the educational training, coursework, or other relevant experiences that have prepared the student for this project.

iv) A bibliography or list of data or materials to be consulted.

v) A description of how you will maintain contact with your project advisor in person and/or by email if you plan to conduct your research away from campus.

Note: The additional materials required for those applying for a Delta Phi award do not count as part of the three-page limit. Limited supporting materials such as illustrations and appendices may be attached. The strongest proposals show evidence that the applicant has already done preliminary work on the project. Visual or performance arts proposals may include one CD or DVD containing representative examples of your work.
Letter from a University of Puget Sound faculty member with appropriate expertise who will serve as supervisor of the project. The letter should speak to the merits of the proposal as well as to the qualifications of the student applicant.

Puget Sound transcript (may be official or unofficial) and transcripts of other university work, if relevant. A Cascade or PeopleSoft printout of grades will not suffice as a transcript. Please obtain a transcript from the Registrar’s office.

If applicable, IRB and travel documentation. Important information about IRB projects: If your project requires IRB committee approval, it is your responsibility to submit your protocol in time to be reviewed and approved before the last IRB committee meeting of the Spring semester. Stipends and supplemental funds may not be released for projects that have not secured IRB approval before beginning the project. The approval document must be on file in the Associate Deans’ Office prior to beginning research and data collection.

Proposal Evaluations and Ranking: Reviewers evaluate each proposal for its merits and feasibility, as well as the academic background of the student researcher. Proposals are ranked by a faculty committee representing the arts, humanities and social sciences. In considering the comparative merits of proposals from several disciplines, the committee will also consider how the available pool of funds can best be used to advance the greatest number of meritorious projects that are in keeping with the program’s intent. The university will maintain flexibility in administering grants, recognizing that equally deserving projects may present quite different structures. The committee will make recommendations to the Associate Dean (acting on behalf of the Academic Vice President), who will review the recommendations, confirm appropriate funding, and make the final awards. In the case of equally ranked proposals, preference will be given to students who have not previously had a summer research award.

Deadlines:

  • Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences: March 06, 2020 (Jones Hall 212)
  • Math and Sciences: March 11, 2020 (biology@pugetsound.edu)

These dates/times are not negotiable.

Submit a duplicate copy of the applications for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences to the Honors Program office (Wyatt Hall Rm. 139) by 5 p.m; March 06, 2020

Submit a duplicate copy of the applications for Math and Sciences to the Honors Program office (Wyatt Hall Rm. 139) by 5 p.m.; March 11, 2020

 

Recipient Responsibilities
Students who receive summer funding agree to:

Devote full time to the project for at least ten weeks during summer 2020. Students who cannot devote ten weeks of full time work to their research should not apply;

Not enroll in summer classes, and not to hold any other employment while engaged in research. (An occasional exception may be made for limited part time employment, and permission for such must be obtained from Associate Dean Sunil Kukreja.);

Submit a written report to the faculty research advisor and an electronic copy of the report to Collins Memorial Library for publication in Sound Ideas, an online repository of Puget Sound academic materials, by September 21, 2020

Present their work at the Fall Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Symposium.
Complete both the pre-summer and post-summer research surveys.

Checklist for a complete application:

  • Cover Page, with all signatures
  • Summary of Project
  • Description of the work (no more than 3 pages)
  • Letter of Recommendation from Puget Sound faculty member
  • Puget Sound transcript (unofficial is acceptable)
  • IRB approval (if necessary)
  • Travel documentation (if necessary)
  • Delta Phi application materials (if necessary)