Natural Resource Conservation Endowment Fund: Request for Proposals

Proposals will be accepted from currently enrolled WSU graduate students in good standing with the Graduate School. An individual or a graduate student group may apply. Interdisciplinary and collaborative proposals in such areas as education, psychology, sociology, environmental engineering, sciences, agriculture and veterinary sciences are encouraged.

Up to two awards may be given for up to $1,200 each per year. The grant is subject to renewal up to a maximum of three years and may be requested by submitting a new proposal with a progress report each year. Equipment purchased with the fund money will become property of the WSU Foundation at the termination of the award and will be subject to sale with all proceeds going back into the endowment fund. Funds cannot be used for general education costs (tuition, school related fees, textbooks, computers, laptops, or software); non-essential data collection; or refreshments.

Applications that are incomplete or do not otherwise follow the following requirements will be returned without review. All elements of the proposal will be submitted through the online submission form.

Proposals should be carefully developed and written to encourage positive consideration of the fund’s purpose. Write for a general audience. Introduce any discipline-specific terms and/or acronyms used in the proposal. The Letter of Sponsorship should address whether the applicant is qualified to do the proposed work, the scientific validity of the proposed project, and should state that the faculty advisor has reviewed and will support the applicant if the project is funded.

1. Project Information
   1. Applicant’s name and contact information
   2. Department
   3. Degree program
   4. Project title
   5. Faculty advisor’s name and contact information
   6. Abstract using non-specialized language [300 word limit]
   7. Proposed project timeline
2. Project Description [1,500 word limit]
   1. Introduction
      1. Background
      2. Problem Statement
      3. Project Rationale
   2. Specific Aims & Measurable Objectives
   3. Methods
      1. Include intended sample size and power analysis and/or justification from the literature used to determine the sample size.
   4. Evaluation and/or Assessment of your measurable objectives/specific aims
   5. Relevance to discipline and/or practical application to the audience/population that will benefit from the study
   6. Summary
   7. References Cited
      1. Will not contribute to word count.
3. Budget & Budget Justification [500 word limit]
   1. In consultation with your department budget specialist, upload a completed version of this form.
4. Current and pending support for the proposed work
   1. List source(s) of support and amount received or requested.
5. Biographical Sketch [500 word limit]
6. Letter of Sponsorship from faculty advisor [1 page limit; attached as PDF]

Proposals are due April 30, 2024 at 5:00pm. Late submissions will not be considered.

A panel of the Research and Arts Committee will review the proposals. Internal ad hoc reviewers with needed expertise may also be included in the process. The final selection will be based on the reviewers’ recommendation. The review process will be completed by May 15, 2024 with the earliest start date being May 16, 2024.

Proposals will be reviewed by the panel according to the following criteria:

1. Originality
2. Significance
3. Feasibility and adequacy of the proposed design
4. Availability of adequate facilities
5. Alignment of the proposed project with the purpose of the Fund.
6. Appropriateness of the budget
7. Readability for a general audience
8. Letter of Sponsorship

The following questions will help guide reviewers in their consideration of the above criteria:

• Is the project design concise and does it include a clear statement of goals and measurable objectives?
• Are the proposed project objectives and goals well aligned with the purpose of the funds?
• Does the proposal provide for logical or common sense “next steps” in addressing the targeted problem or need?
• Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project?
• Is the applicant well suited to the project?
• Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field?

Summary of Progress reports and/or Final Reports shall be submitted to the Research and Arts Committee and forwarded to the donor by funded participants. Summary of Progress reports will be due on the same deadline date as proposals requesting second year funding. Final Reports are due to the Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships on or before October 1 (or the next working day) of the year that the grant ends. Awardees are also required present their research results to the Research and Arts Committee.