Center for Student Research and Scholarly Engagement

As part of Academic Affairs' restructuring this year, the Center for Undergraduate Scholar Engagement has become the Center for Student Research and Scholarly Engagement, (pronounced SIR-see) taking on graduate research support and fiduciary responsibility for the Graduate Student Association alongside our existing work. Here's what's changed, what's new, and what it means for you and your students this fall.

The new name reflects an expanded portfolio, not just a rebrand. Including “Student Research” signals support for every student pursuing research, undergraduate and graduate alike. Keeping “Scholarly Engagement” preserves our commitment to academic excellence, nationally competitive fellowship support, best practices in mentorship, and student engagement in the broader scholarly community.

Concretely, that means the CSRSE now has:

• Responsibility for Graduate Research, previously coordinated through the Graduate School.
• Fiduciary responsibility for the Graduate Student Association (GSA).

The Center continues to house:

• The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship
• The Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships

Academic Conference Fund (ACF)

Graduate and undergraduate students now use one unified application.

• A brief faculty endorsement is submitted directly within the application, replacing the old letter-of-recommendation upload.
• Graduate recipients now complete a post-trip survey focused on outcomes and reflection, as part of their grant responsibilities.
• Application periods align with the former undergraduate ACF funding quarters — applications are reviewed by quarter and submitted in the quarter corresponding to the conference travel dates.

Presidential Research Grant (PRG)

Now fully online at gvsu.edu/gradresearch/presidential-research-grant-10.

• Submitted via web form, with instructions on the site.
• Updated deadlines — for example, the Fall application deadline is July 31, 2026.
• Purchasing and reimbursement now aligned with other CSRSE grant procedures.

The PRG Review Committee is being expanded to reflect the disciplines of the graduate programs.