The Martin Nelson Summer Awards for Research or Advanced Study provide stipends and expenses to faculty so that they may pursue research or scholarly study during the summer months, free from other gainful employment.
Note: UEC grants cannot be charged to p-cards, but faculty who receive UEC grants will receive information in their grant award letter about the possibility of an advance.
Deadline: The completed application is due by November 1 of the year preceding the summer in which the research or study is to be undertaken. Award recipients will be announced on or before December 8.
Department Chair Recommendation Form
Description
The Martin Nelson Summer Awards for Research or Advanced Study provide stipends and expenses to faculty so that they may pursue research or scholarly study during the summer months, free from other gainful employment. These awards of up to $4000.00 each are intended to replace income (maximum $3,000.00) and expenses to support faculty in their continued development in teaching and scholarship through further research or study in their disciplines.
These awards have been provided from an endowment established by an anonymous donor, who recognized the central role played by the faculty in developing the excellence of the university. The donor was especially desirous of supporting the summer research or study activities of faculty. In this way there will be a continuing growth of the faculty's mastery of their teaching fields, thereby contributing directly to excellence in teaching which produces men and women of genuine understanding. Faculty may apply for Martin Nelson Summer Awards to support projects using technology in teaching, assuming the project meets the above expectations.
The awards are to be used by senior faculty to continue developing their abilities as teachers through further research or study. Applicants, therefore, should have demonstrated unusual skill and enthusiasm as teachers, should show that the proposed projects will strengthen their specific abilities and should indicate clearly the project's long-term impact on their respective departments and the university.
The review of all applications and the selection of award recipients will be accomplished by a committee consisting of the academic deans and chairs from four departments not represented among the applicants. Because this committee will include persons from diverse disciplines, non-technical language should be employed by applicants in describing the project and by the chair in assessing the project's significance to the discipline and to the university's educational program.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Martin Nelson Summer Award, you must be a tenure-line faculty member, a clinical faculty member in Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy, or a full time, continuing artist-in- residence faculty member with at least one year of service at the University of Puget Sound as of September 1 preceding the proposed summer research or study. You must also be recognized for outstanding teaching and professional growth. Faculty are eligible to receive a Martin Nelson Summer Award no more often than every third year.
Please see policy statement and documentation required for university support of travel outside the United States.
Application
A complete application for the Martin Nelson Award for Summer Research or Study shall consist of:
- A one-paragraph summary of the project. The summary of your proposal may be used in publicizing the awards.
- A written statement. Describe a manageable project with clear focus for summer research or study which includes a clear explication of the direct relationship of the project to your teaching, service in the department and the University. Include evidence of teaching excellence. Strong university service is an expectation of persons with five or more years at the university. If you plan to be at another university or research institution as a part of the summer program, a letter of agreement regarding the assignment must be included.
- A budget. Prepare an itemized budget with explanatory notes designating the amount of the stipend and expenses related to the research or study such as costs for transportation, per diem, registration fees, research materials, supplies, books or other items. Use the Lantz Enhancement and Martin Nelson Award budget form.
- A chair evaluation and recommendation. Please ask your department chair to submit a letter of recommendation evaluating the proposal and indicating how the proposed research or study fits into the goals of the department. This material is to be submitted through the online form.
- Foreign Travel Waiver, if applicable.
- For research that involves the use of human participants or animals, please be aware that appropriate approval must be obtained before beginning research. Please consult IRB or IACUC approval processes information on the university's website for details.
Limit the length of your application, including written statement and supporting documents (except the chair's recommendation, Foreign Travel Waiver documentation and IRB documentation), to five pages. Materials other than those specified are not desired.
If there are more applications than awards, faculty without leaves, Nelson, or Lantz awards within the past two years will be given preference.
Deadline
The completed application for the Martin Nelson Award for Summer Research or Study is to be completed using the online form by November 1 of the year preceding the summer in which the research or study is to be undertaken. Award recipients will be announced on or before December 8.
Reporting
Upon completion of your summer work, due no later than August 31, please submit a written report that describes in detail what you accomplished during the summer in terms of achieving the goals and objectives outlined in your original application, and that provides a general accounting of expenditures. The report should be submitted to the department chair to provide the chair an opportunity to view the report before forwarding it. The chair will forward the report to the Provost.
Special Conditions
Recipients of the Martin Nelson Award for Summer Research or Study agree to return to the university for a period of at least one year after the conclusion of the summer work, or to repay the university all funds received as a part of the award.
Additional Forms:
If applicable, please complete these additional forms and upload them with your application.
Foreign Travel Waiver - if your research involves travel outside of the United States
Special Travel Waiver - if your travel includes countries on the Department of State's Travel Warning List or the Centers for Disease Control's Travel Health Warning List