The Davidson Research Initiative (DRI) offers a wide range of opportunities for close collaborative research and in-depth study between students and faculty during the summer.
Rising sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply for DRI Summer Research Fellowships in any discipline. When applying for a DRI a student must specify whether the project they plan to pursue is an independent project designed solely by the student for training purposes, or a project that is intended to further an existing vein of a faculty members research. In the case of the latter, the student must be able to articulate (in the proposal) the unique contribution they will be making to help advance the faculty mentor’s work.
Collaborative research project proposals, involving two to four students, will be accepted. However, collaborative project proposals must be written and submitted by each student individually. Applications will be reviewed and rated as one project.
Under current policies, DRI Summer Research Fellows can propose to work up to 10 weeks on campus with a faculty mentor, five weeks on-campus with a faculty mentor and five weeks off-campus with a faculty mentor as long as the student and faculty mentor maintain regular contact, OR the student could work up to 10 weeks off campus provided the faculty mentor is travelling with the student. Students will receive $15 per hour, in addition to a $1000 stipend for travel/supplies related to their project. Please note that the stipend is reimbursable.
The following designated fellowships will be available through the DRI thanks to the generosity of Davidson donors, The Cannon Foundation, Ellen and Ernie Stevens, The Clark Ross Academic Innovation Fund and Larry Mimms '76:
- Mimms Summer Research Fellowships, designated for students exploring research in biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, genomics or bioinformatics.
- Ross Summer Research Fellowship designated for students who have an interest in the social sciences or humanities disciplines.
- Stevens Summer Research Fellowship designated for students who are interested in studying the attributes of chemistry.
- Cannon Foundation Fellowship designated for any student interested in pursuing independent research.
Please note that in the application, you will enter your faculty mentor's email address and they will receive an email link to complete an advising/mentoring plan. We recommend that you send your proposal and a copy of this Faculty Mentoring Form to your faculty mentor before you complete the application. They will complete an online version of the form, but it will be helpful for them to see the questions in advance.
To see the rubric on which your application will be graded, click here:
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Federal tax must be paid at the time of disbursement of grant funds. We advise you to reach out to Susan Caldwell (sucaldwell@davidson.edu) to determine your federal/state tax status so that you may account for this in your budget.
ELIGIBILITY: Students on personal leave or those ineligible to return in the fall semester are not eligible to participate in Davidson research programs unless expressly permitted by the Dean of Students Office.
Grant-funded opportunities for student research, service experiential learning and study programs abroad.
Applications for Summer 2025 travel grants can be submitted until February 1, 2025. Please be sure you are applying for the correct type of grant. If you are uncertain about the type of grant for which you are applying, please contact our office.
As part of your application, you will be required to complete this application checklist.
Thank you,
Dean Rusk International Studies Program
Grant-funded opportunities for student research, service experiential learning and study programs abroad.
Applications for Summer 2025 travel grants can be submitted until February 1, 2025. Please be sure you are applying for the correct type of grant. If you are uncertain about the type of grant for which you are applying, please contact our office.
As part of your application, you will be required to complete this application checklist.
Thank you,
Dean Rusk International Studies Program
Each spring, one Davidson Student is selected to receive a grant in order to complete an independent multimedia international reporting project. The project should focus on a systemic issue of global importance that is under-reported or unreported in U.S. mainstream media.
Applications for Pulitzer Center Fellowship can be submitted until February 1, 2025. Please be sure you are applying for the correct type of grant. If you are uncertain about the type of grant for which you are applying, please contact our office.
As part of your application, you will be required to complete this application checklist.
Thank you,
Dean Rusk International Studies Program
Keller Memorial Scholarship: Must be used to support in-depth engagement with German or Greek culture, language and life. Student MUST contact Dean Rusk office before submitting an application.
Applications for Summer 2025 travel grants can be submitted until February 1, 2025. Please be sure you are applying for the correct type of grant. If you are uncertain about the type of grant for which you are applying, please contact our office.
As part of your application, you will be required to complete this application checklist.
Thank you,
Dean Rusk International Studies Program
The Lou Ortmayer grant provides a minimum of one sophomore student each year with $15,000 to support their experiential learning opportunities for the remainder of their time at Davidson, including the summer after graduation, with a preference for activities in international public health, medicine, and/or food and water security in developing countries.
Applications for Summer 2025 travel grants can be submitted until February 1, 2025. Please be sure you are applying for the correct type of grant. If you are uncertain about the type of grant for which you are applying, please contact our office.
As part of your application, you will be required to complete this application checklist.
Thank you,
Dean Rusk International Studies Program
This funding supports visits from distinguished scholars, visiting faculty, writers, performing artists and professors of practice. The primary purpose of such visits will be to engage Davidson College students in innovative, stimulating, and meaningful ways. Preferences will be given to visits that enhance new areas of inquiry or promote new cross-disciplinary initiatives.
The Group Investigations Program provides funding for off-campus trips that support the learning objectives of a course or that provide a learning opportunity that enhances the undergraduate experience. Applications for a spring semester course/program (including summer trips) are due by October 1st in the prior semester applications for a fall semester course/program (including winter break) are due by February 1st of the prior semester. Funding is typically limited to $15,000 per grant. Higher budgets are approved for international GIs.
Faculty members planning international programs, even optional excursions, must work with the Office of Education Abroad to ensure that all Davidson-sponsored travel follows consistent policies for program development, student selection and preparation, and sound risk management for travel plans. Faculty members are required to schedule a meeting with Naomi Otterness, the Director of Education Abroad, to discuss their proposed student group travel plans at least two weeks before completing the Group Investigations application. For further information about general practices and expectations for taking students abroad, please also review the International Excursions Leader Agreement, as well as the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad.
All programs must operate in accordance with the College's expectations for responsible budgetary practices. Leaders receiving grants for group travel will sign an agreement collected by the Office of Sponsored Programs on behalf of the VPAA before funds will be distributed. Group leaders are also required to have a post-award meeting with the Assistant Director of Sponsored Programs and Post-Award Manager, to go over accessing the funds while traveling and creating expense reports in Oracle upon return.
Funds may be provided to assist with the publication of manuscripts that have received final acceptance for publication by a scholarly press or public dissemination of artistic work. A copy of the letter of agreement and any invoices must be submitted with the application. Fundable expenses include: cost of reprints of articles published in scholarly journals; per page journal fees (not covered by publisher or royalties); indexing; preparation of photos, line drawings, or other artistic assistance; expenses related to exhibitions in which their work will be shown. A funding ceiling for these grants will be established on an annual basis by the VPAA.
Note:
1. 1. All full-time faculty, regardless of rank, are eligible to apply.
2. These grants are independent of FS&R applications.
3. Decisions are made on a rolling basis.
4. Once awarded, send letter of agreement (contract) and receipts to Mel Zweifel, Grants Accounting Assistant of
Office of Sponsored Programs, for reimbursement.
Application Deadline: Rolling.
The George L. Abernethy Endowment supports independent student research and other experiential learning opportunities in the humanities, arts, or social sciences. Research can occur in the United States and/or abroad and during the academic year and/or the summer. Grant awards average about $2,000.
Applications for winter break research and experiential learning can be submitted until October 1 at midnight EST. Applications for summer research and experiential learning can be submitted up to February 1 at midnight EST.
In the application, you will enter your faculty mentor's email address and they will receive an email link to complete an advising/mentoring plan. We recommend that you send your proposal and a copy of this advising/mentoring form to your faculty mentor before you complete the application. They will complete an online version of the form, but it will be helpful for them to see the questions in advance.
To review the rubric that will be used to grade your proposal, click here: Abernethy Endowment Grant_Rubric.docx
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Federal tax maybe required at the time of disbursement of grant funds, there may also be state tax implications. Taxes are your responsibility. We advise you to reach out to Susan Caldwell (sucaldwell@davidson.edu) to determine your federal/state tax status so that you may account for this in your budget.
ELIGIBILITY: Students on personal leave or those ineligible to return in the fall semester are not eligible to participate in Davidson research programs unless expressly permitted by the Dean of Students Office.
You are submitting a budget proposal for a Department Chair Grant. The application deadline is December 15, 2023. Please note that requests are limited to $5,000. Also:
- Project periods can start as early as January 1, 2024, with a completion date on or before September 30, 2024.
- Final budget reconciliations for projects are due no later than October 15, 2024.
- Once awarded, Chairs may set up a post-award meeting with LuAnne Sledge, Assistant Director/Post-Award Manager, to go over accessing the funds, creating expense reports in Oracle, and P-Card use.
GUIDELINES
Faculty Study and Research (FS&R) grants support professional activities, including summer study, research and other scholarly and creative pursuits as well as provide support for student research assistants. FS&R grants are intended as incubators and as a pedagogical tool for early-career faculty as they develop their independent scholarship and learn grantsmanship skills. FS&R grants are also useful as a boost for mid-career faculty between the Associate and Full Professor ranks. The FS&R Committee thus prioritizes investing in junior faculty and making long-term investments in Davidson.
FS&R has one annual deadline: Next Deadline: February 3, 2025 for projects that occur anytime between the summer and the end of the following academic year (April). New FS&R funding cannot be considered until an existing project is complete and has been closed out, including returning any unspent funds.
FS&R cannot fund professional development (professional training or education in a specific field or discipline), or travel to professional meetings. FS&R funding also does not cover projects that arise outside of the strict application cycle of the FS&R granting process.
Unanticipated/Urgent Projects:
The College recognizes that projects may arise that are similar to FS&R projects but that could not have been anticipated at the time of the regular FS&R deadline. These may be projects with urgency regarding the availability of, or access to, data, performances, or events; or quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters. To inquire about support for these unanticipated or urgent projects, please email facultydevelopment@davidson.edu.
Professional Development:
Distinct from the professional travel allowance for travel reimbursement to professional meetings, funding in this category is tied directly to professional training or education in a specific field or discipline. For example, a faculty member could propose to attend a workshop, seminar, or artistic event to generate new ideas for research or teaching or to further develop professional expertise. For inquiries related to professional development as described here, please email facultydevelopment@davidson.edu.
FS&R Funding level:
Maximum funding level for all faculty, including continuing visiting faculty, is $5,000.
FS&R Guidelines:
· A faculty member may submit a proposal that contains more than one project, but the rationale and justification for requesting funds for multiple projects must be clear.
· Research-based trips must be justified and clearly linked to a specific research project.
· Collaborative proposals are welcome. Each faculty member will, however, be required to submit a separate application. The project description can be jointly written, but individual group members must include a discussion of their specific contributions to the project.
· Post-Award – Faculty can request a post-award information session regarding hiring student assistants, approving student timesheets, hiring international students, project expenditures, financial reporting, and other post-award matters. Contact LuAnne Sledge in the Office of Sponsored Programs.
· FS&R final reports – Final expense reports are due within 30 days of completion of the project, and no later than the end of April.
Allowable funding categories:
· Student Assistant – The minimum wage for summer students conducting collaborative research with faculty on college funds is $15.00 per hour. This is considered taxable income and the students will have taxes deducted from their pay. Student research assistants hired during the academic year should be paid according to the Academic Year Student Pay Scale.
· Materials and Supplies – Expendable items necessary to carry out the work of the project including laboratory supplies, glassware, chemicals, and reagents. Equipment necessary for the project worth less than $5,000.
· Technology – Software, computing devices, compute fees, peripherals, etc. if not otherwise available through T&I.
· Clerical and translation services – Could include book indexing, transcriptions, and translations.
· Travel – Per diem (lodging, meals and incidentals) must be based on standard GSA government rates. Personal travel segments should be clearly identified on the application.
· Participant incentives – Payments to participants involved in human subjects’ research. See also the College’s Gift Card Policy.