Special Collections Summer Project Grant - Proposal Instructions

If you would like to submit a "Proposal Submission Application," you must attach a project proposal to your online application.  Your entire proposal should be reviewed and approved by your faculty mentor before submitting your application.
 

Proposal Style:

Times New Roman, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, full name on right corner header of each page, and double-spaced.  Can be uploaded as a Word Doc or PDF.
 

Required Elements of the Project Proposal:

Cover Page

  • Title
  • Student full name
  • Student major
  • Name, title, and department of faculty mentor(s)

Project Narrative

Provide a description of your project using the following outline.  

    • Introduction – This section should provide the justification for the proposed project.  You should explain how your research contributes to the broader context of your discipline.
    • Goals, Objectives, or Study Question – This section should discuss what you plan to accomplish.
    • Methods – Describe which types of materials you plan to use from Special Collections (and any other sources).
    • Budget Justification and Resources – In this section, explain your budget requests (hourly wages, supplies, travel, etc.).  Also, you should explain if any supplies, software, equipment, or other resources will be provided by other funding sources.  

Literature Cited

You must include citations to support your project narrative.  Use whichever citation style is expected in your discipline.

Research Oversight and IRB (for Research with Human Subjects)

    • If your projects involves human subjects, your mentor must apply to the LSU Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval or exemption.  This includes projects in which humans will be interviewed, surveyed, etc. In no case may a project with human subjects begin before written exemption or written IRB approval is received. Faculty mentors will need to submit the forms on behalf of their student mentee(s).
    • Click here to visit the Institutional Review Board website to learn more about research involving human subjects.
    • When submitting your application, include your approval or exemption letter from IRB.  If you are still awaiting a decision from IRB, you may include a copy of the email which confirms that the forms have been submitted.

Budget

    • Students can request up to $3,000 in wages and supplies towards their project.
    • The hourly wage is set at $15 per hour.
    • All applications must include a budget estimation using our budget template.  Click here to access and edit the budget template spreadsheet. Note that you may add additional weeks if needed as long as they do not exceed the length of the summer semester.

Personal Statement

There are no specific instructions for the personal statement, so you are free to concentrate on any aspect of your life that you feel is relevant. This is your opportunity to share anything about yourself with the selection committee that might convince them that you are an excellent candidate for the funding.

For example, you could discuss how this project contributes to your future goals (graduate school or workforce).  You may want to explain how your previous educational and research experiences have prepared you for this project.  Or you may want to explain any financial hardships that could be alleviated by the grant.  You could even discuss all of these things.

There’s no “right way” to write the personal essay for this grant.  The personal statement gives the reviewers a better sense of who you are as a student beyond your project proposal and transcript.

Questions?  Email lsudiscover@lsu.edu