Center for Student Research and Scholarly Engagement

The application is an individual effort of one GVSU undergraduate student scholar in good academic standing, with at least one semester of undergraduate study remaining. Collaborative applications between students are not accepted. Please click on the link if you wish to download the Laker Venture Grant Program Requirements PDF.

The application has five sections:

1. Project Goals/Scope
2. Project Feasibility
3. Student Preparation and Motivation
4. Commitment to Project
5. Dissemination Plan

The Lakers Venture Grant program at GVSU provides students with up to $2000 in funding to conduct immersive, full-time, student-driven, original and independent research or to pursue experiential projects in the arts.

Awards will be made based on the quality of the proposals. Each award includes: up to $2,000 for travel costs and supplies directly associated with the project (for example: museum passes, least-cost short-term accommodation at the research site, transportation to the research location, etc.).

Limitations to the Award: 

• The award cannot go toward activities associated with a credit-bearing course at Grand Valley or elsewhere.
• The award cannot go toward the cost of a private language tutor, a dance instructor, or other private lessons.
• The award cannot go toward the transportation cost of a return to one’s hometown or country of origin.
• The award cannot help to defray the cost of GVSU undergraduate study abroad.

The program is available to full-time GVSU undergraduate students in good standing who have not yet completed the requirements for graduation. Successful students will have demonstrated a record of academic success in their discipline. Awarded recipients must continue enrollment at GVSU as full-time undergraduates for at least one full semester of study beyond the period of the award (i.e. the following Fall semester).

An undergraduate student may propose a research, scholarly, or creative project.

Completed applications for the Winter Break are due Mid-November (see the webpage for exact dates).

Spring/Summer semester, submitted electronically, are due Mid-March (see the webpage for exact dates).

The required components for a complete Lakers Venture Grant application are listed below. All required components are submitted on-line as one complete document. The proposal must be written in language accessible to a faculty member from any discipline. Proposals must be written in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins. Proposals must have a cover sheet featuring a title, student scholar name, and faculty recommenders’ names. Proposals must include section headers and page numbers.

1. Project Goals/Scope (limited to 2 pages): This section should be written for a non-specialist. Technical jargon must be minimized, and where such terms are necessary, they should be clearly explained so that a faculty review committee member from any discipline could understand the purpose and goals of the project. This should include the following:
   1. Question to be Addressed – What specific research problem or creative process will you address?
   2. Background – How does your proposed project fit into the discipline in a broad sense?
   3. Big picture – Explain the significance or interest of the proposed project. What are the discipline-specific (or multi-disciplinary) goals of the project? What is the ideal outcome of this project?
   4. Related Future Activities – How does this lay a foundation for your next steps?
   5. References/ Brief Literature Review – List references cited. Use a format appropriate for the discipline. References are not included in the final page count for this section.
2. Project Feasibility (limited to 3 pages): This section may be written in a slightly more technical way, but a faculty review committee member in any discipline must be able to follow most of the steps and understand your reasoning. Applicant note: Provide enough detail to demonstrate to the reviewers that the project is feasible for an undergraduate and can be completed in the time frame of the grant.
   1. Define the goals (discipline- or multi-discipline-specific project goals, or specific aims) for the project and explain the steps necessary to accomplish those goals/aims. What strategies will you use to accomplish the goals/aims of the project?
   2. Describe the nature of the research, including the types of activities you will engage in, how goals will be set, and how progress will be assessed.
   3. Include an estimated timeline of the project detailing the phases of the project, including your responsibilities at each stage.
   4. Supplemental sections (note: the following are not counted in the three-page limit for this section):
      1. Required:  Itemize the budget for the proposal using the budget template in Appendix 1.  Applicant note: the budget itself must be included within the proposal PDF file that is submitted. There will not be an opportunity to upload a separate budget document during the on-line submission process.
      2. If appropriate, provide a statement concerning the responsible conduct of research procedures that will be used for use, care, and disposal of hazardous materials, potentially infectious microorganisms and animals. Include a statement regarding any necessary approval from the Human Subjects Review Committee. Indicate if HRRC or IACUC approval is required.
      3. If appropriate, include letters of support (or other evidence) from outside agencies directly impacted by the proposed project, involved in the project or whose cooperation is necessary to the success of the project. These can be combined with your PDF proposal (submitted as one complete document), or emailed to the Center for Undergraduate Scholar Engagement ([email protected])
3. Student Preparation and Motivation (This section is limited to 2 pages exclusive of résumé):
   1. Preparation – Describe how you understand the project, its goals and methods, and your role. Describe how you came to be involved with this project. Indicate any preparation or training (i.e. courses, internships, previous research or creative work) that you currently have, or will seek, that will assist you in completing the project goals and objectives.
   2. Motivation – What are your goals for learning during the project? How does this project support or enhance your professional and academic goals?
   3. Supplemental sections (note: the following are not counted in the two-page limit for this section):
      1. Required: One-page résumé listing major GPA, overall GPA, work, volunteer, and educational experiences that will help you complete the project. If needed, consult the Writing Center or Career Services for help in preparing your résumé.
      2. Required: Unofficial transcript. If your major or overall GPA is below a 3.0 or if there are any other special circumstances concerning your past coursework, you must address how you are preparing to successfully complete the proposed project.
4. Commitment to Project (limited to 1 page):
   1. Describe all coursework, travel, and additional employment over the project period. We expect that you will treat this project as your primary responsibility for the entire award period and will spend 30-40 hours a week (or at least eight hours per day for the term of the award) on the project.
5. Dissemination Plan (limited to 1 page):
   1. What is your anticipated outcome? What plans do you have for disseminating the outcomes of the project? How are these venues appropriate for the project? Are abstracts/papers for this venue peer-reviewed?

The faculty recommenders must be certain that the proposed project qualifies as research, or other creative endeavor, that will contribute to the growth of the scholarly or creative capability of the student.

 The faculty recommenders should provide sufficient guidance to the student to ensure that: a) the proposal is well-written and can be understood by an educated person who is not a specialist in the field; b) the application is complete and follows the prescribed format; and c) required information on responsible conduct of research sections (with appropriate protocols/forms) are supplied. The faculty recommenders should indicate that the student has received appropriate training.

 The faculty recommenders must complete the online Lakers Venture Grant Program Faculty Recommendation/Endorsement form.

Each student Lakers Venture Grant recipient is responsible for the quality of their research project and for their conduct as a representative of Grand Valley State University at all research locations. They need to be self-directed in their research, mature, courteous, ethical in every aspect of their research program and aware of the impact of their actions within the communities and organizations they visit.

 It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that the application is complete and submitted to the Center for Undergraduate Scholar Engagement by the application deadline. The applicants should work with their faculty recommenders to ensure that they have received appropriate training and, if required, submitted the appropriate forms for work involving human subjects, live vertebrate animals, radioisotopes or other hazardous materials as they develop their proposal.

Each Lakers Venture Grant recipient must fulfill the requirements of the program. These include: a) designing and presenting a poster or oral presentation at the next Student Scholars Day; b) completing an abstract and final paper by the designated deadline and submitting the paper to the GVSU institutional repository; c) providing constructive feedback to the CUSE Director and Lakers Venture Grant Award program director.