GUIDELINES
Geoscience Department Student Research and Service
Grants
Programs:
The Geoscience Department has three funds that provide four types of grants to support student research and community service:
¥ Pestrong Geoscience Research Grants are to support student research in any area of the Geosciences, including geology, meteorology, oceanography and earth science education. The Pestrong fund was created by the generous donations of Professor Ray Pestrong.
¥ Dawdy Hydrology Research Grants are to support student research in any aspect of the hydrologic sciences, including all the disciplines encompassed by the Hydrology Section of the American Geophysical Union. The Dawdy fund was created by the generous donations of Doris and David Dawdy.
¥ Community Service Grants are to support student involvement in community service activities, particularly where students are contributing their skills and expertise in earth science to help solve environmental and social justice problems. Community service grants are supported by both the Pestrong and Dawdy funds.
¥ Atmospheric Sciences Education and Research Grants (ASERG) are to support student education, research and community service in meteorology. ASERG grants are funded by the generous donations of several anonymous donors.
Eligibility:
Undergraduate students who are majoring or minoring in Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography or Earth Science, and graduate students working toward a MS in Geosciences are eligible to apply for an award. Preference will be given to students currently enrolled in individual research courses numbered 697, 698, 699, 897, 898, or 899. All applicants must have a Geosciences Department faculty research advisor or sponsor.
Award Uses:
Students may use awards only to fund costs involved with completing their research or community service projects. They may not use awards to cover other academic costs. Examples of appropriate uses for the awards include: purchasing field or laboratory supplies such as maps and aerial photographs, sample bags, chemicals or equipment; field work expenses including transportation, subsistence, permits and insurance; professional laboratory analyses; travel and registration costs associated with participation in conferences; printing expenses to reproduce written reports, or page charges for publishing papers in journals; specialized computer software, etc. Equipment and software will be the property of San Francisco State University and must be left as permanent additions to the DepartmentÕs laboratories.
Award Amount:
Pestrong and Dawdy Grants: Undergraduate students may apply for funds up to a maximum of $400; graduate students may request up to $800.
ASERG Grants: Undergraduate and graduate students may apply for grants ranging from $100 to a maximum of $500.
Depending on
the number of applicants and quality of proposals in any given semester, it may
not be possible to provide these maximum amounts to any single applicant.
Procedure:
1) Students submit a proposal and application form (attached) to the Department Office (Thornton Hall 509). The proposal should be no more than two pages (single-spaced) of text, plus a one page itemized breakdown of the budget request. One page of additional figures is optional.
Proposals should briefly address the following questions:
¥ What is the research question or goal of the project?
¥ How do you intend to answer this question or achieve this goal?
¥ How far along are you in implementing this project?
¥ How would the requested funds help? (please be specific)
¥ What other sources of funding have helped to support your project?
¥ Would an amount less than the full budget request still be useful?
Proposals must also include a separate letter of endorsement from the faculty advisor.
2) The Geosciences faculty committee on student awards meets once per semester to review the applications and afterwards notifies the student of the decision and the approved budget.
3) For items that cost less than $50, student or faculty advisor may purchase the item(s) and submit receipt(s) to the Department Office for petty cash reimbursement; If the cost per item is more than $50, student should see Miriam or the faculty advisor to have an online requisition form entered and submitted. NOTE: there can be no reimbursement without receipts or requisitions.
4) Any changes to proposed project expenditures must be pre-approved in writing by the chair of the student awards committee or chair of the Department.
5) At the conclusion of the project, the student writes a brief summary report describing the outcome of the activities directly supported by the Department grant.
APPLICATION FORM
Geosciences Student Project Awards
Name: _____________________________________ Date: ____________________
Student number: _________________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________________
Phone: ____________________ E-mail: ____________________________________
Status (Grad/Undergrad)________Major________ Expected graduation date:_________
Course (e.g., Geol or Metr 697, 699, 698, 898): _________________________________
Project title: _____________________________________________________________
Faculty advisor: __________________________________________________________
Budget request (total dollar amount): _________________________________________
Grant type (check one)
Pestrong Geosciences __________ Dawdy Hydrology_________ ASERG ___________
Is this a Community Service project? (yes / no)
Have you received a previous Department grant? (yes / no)
If yes: Amount________ Date approved__________ Date report submitted__________
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Review Committee: _______________________________________________________
Award approved: __________________ Award not approved: ___________________
Budget amount approved: ____________ Date of approval / denial: ________________
If not approved, reason for denial: ___________________________________________