Objective
The University of Tulsa’s Student Research Grant Program provides assistance for students to engage in worthwhile research projects that otherwise may not be possible as a result of a lack of financial support. It is hoped this grant program will open new areas of research, and stimulate more students to engage in research activities. We encourage you to contact Bonnie Medlicott at 918-631-3264 if you have any questions about your project.
Eligibility
Any graduate student or undergraduate is eligible to apply for research support under this program provided he or she is enrolled in a course for which credit for research is given. These courses include Independent Study, Research, and Thesis or Dissertation. Students applying for a summer research grant must be enrolled in research for the summer or upcoming fall semester. Graduate students may be considered for a grant and not enrolled in one of these courses as long as the research is related to their graduate studies. If this is the case, the advisor must discuss how the research supports the student’s studies in the recommendation letter. Students in Arts and Humanities are encouraged to consider the definition of “research” in light of their own discipline.
Application
Requests for research grant support must be for a specific project which can be adequately described in the application. Students should prepare the application with faculty guidance and must obtain a letter of recommendation supporting the project from their project adviser. Completed application forms must be signed by the project adviser, the Department Chairperson, and the Collegiate Dean who administers the academic discipline in which the student is majoring.
Compliance
If your project involves the use of human subjects, a protocol must have been approved by the TU Institutional Review Board (IRB) or the protocol must be submitted to the IRB at the time of application. If IRB approval has previously been obtained you must include the IRB approval letter with your application.
Please review the application form and instructions for the IRB Protection of Human Subjects. If you are uncertain that your project meets the definition of human subjects research, please contact researchcompliance@utulsa.edu or 918-631-3310.
If your research involves the use of animals, vertebrates, or fish, a protocol must have been approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or the protocol must be submitted to the IACUC at the time of application. If IACUC approval has previously been obtained you must include the IACUC approval letter with your application. If you are uncertain whether your project requires an IACUC review, please contact researchcompliance@utulsa.edu, 918-631-3310.
If your research involves the use of infectious agents, select agents and toxins, human or endothermic vertebrate materials (including blood, body fluids, cells and tissues), recombinant DNA, synthetic nucleic acid molecules or transgenic animals, the protocol may require Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) review and approval. Please contact Dr. Mohamed Fakhr 918-631-2197 to determine if IBC approval is necessary prior to submitting the proposal. The Department Chair must sign indicating that the proposal has been reviewed for these biosafety considerations.
Students working with chemicals must attend a Laboratory Standard Training Session once every three years while at The University of Tulsa. Please contact your department for information regarding this training.
If the proposed research involves travel abroad, the applicant must register with the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) before the Student Research Grant can be finalized. Please see Global Engagement’s Non-Credit Bearing Programs for additional information on relevant policies and a link to the registration page. Students must receive written permission from CGE for approval for international travel before they incur any reimbursable expenses.
Students with Research Grants who have not satisfied one or more of the conditions of this section may be conditionally awarded a Student Research Grant. However, expenses incurred before final approval of the Student Research Grant will not be reimbursed by the Student Research Grant Program.
Application Deadlines
Completed research applications with all required signatures should be submitted to the Research Office (McClure Hall, Room 201) for review. Applications for support during the fall and spring semesters must be submitted by the end of the fourth week of classes in order to be eligible for support during that semester. Funding decisions will be announced by the review committee as soon as possible after their meeting. Applications for support during the summer term must be submitted by April 26, 2024. Awards will be announced promptly after the review committee meets. Applications should be submitted electronically to Bonnie Medlicott. Our application form has been updated to allow for electronic signatures.
Budget
The text of the proposal must specifically address all of the items in your budget. When you design the budget, provide sufficient detail and justification so that the need for the requested items and the requested level of support is clear to a reviewer. A budget listing “chemicals,” “materials,” or “analytical work” is not sufficiently detailed. The kind of chemicals or materials and the quantity of those items should be listed. Analytical work should specify what kind and the approximate number of hours of instrument usage, cost per hour, or number of samples to be analyzed and cost per sample. There are set charges for usage of University equipment; talk with the person in charge of the equipment. For items listed in Section M, there is no fixed list of research items or allowable expenses covered by this grant program. In general, the purchase of special equipment, materials and supplies, duplication and reproduction, computer time, inter-library loans, and postage will be allowed. Purchase of a computer will not be allowed. A good guideline to follow is to request those items that have not been funded by the department, college, or the student in the past. No funds will be allowed for typing reports, theses, dissertations, or for publications. No funds will be provided for expenses incurred before the grant is approved.
Size of Grants
Doctoral students enrolled in Research and Dissertation are eligible for awards up to $1,000, with a cap of $2,000 in total funding as a doctoral student. All other degree seeking students are eligible for individual research awards of up to $500, with a cap of $1,000 in total funding while enrolled in a specific degree program. The maximum amount for a group research project is $1,000. A grant recipient may hold only one grant at a time, but may seek new support the following semester once work on the current grant has been completed, the funds expended or returned, and a final and/or progress report submitted to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP).
Reimbursements
Reimbursements should be filed through your department as soon as possible and within no more than thirty (30) days of any expenditure. Requests for reimbursement submitted more than 30 days after an expenditure may not be approved.
Reporting Requirements
When an award is provided for research, grant recipients are required to submit a brief, one page final report to the Office of Research upon completion of the research project. In the case of a continuing research project, a progress report must be submitted before an application for continuing support may be considered. The report on the project should include a summary of activities, findings, and expenses incurred. This report must also include a listing of any public presentations or publications that are an outgrowth of this research.
Any equipment or unused supplies purchased from the grant are the property of The University of Tulsa, and upon completion of the project, must be given to your department for future use.