Student Summer Scholars Programs

The Student Summer Scholars (S3 and MS3) programs provide funds for a student and faculty mentor to devote time to a research and/or creative project during the spring/summer semester. Generally, S3/MS3 grants provide a student stipend, faculty stipend, and a small budget for supplies. Through these grants and the mentorship of a faculty member, the program offers a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to do hands-on, professional research and creative practice in their chosen field. Combining academics, field work, and a reflection component provides students with a meaningful learning experience that helps to prepare them for graduate school and future careers.
 

We are not currently accepting applications. 

 


About the Student Summer Scholar Award

The Student Summer Scholars (S3) program provides funds for a student and faculty mentor to devote time to a research and/or creative project during the spring/summer semester. Generally, S3 grants provide a student stipend, faculty stipend, and a small budget for supplies.

AWARD
S3 provides the following support for scholars and mentors:

  • $5,000 Student Stipend
  • $3,000 Faculty Stipend (any or all can be transferred to project supplies)
  • $750 Project Supplies

Total award: $8,750

STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
The program is available to undergraduate students at GVSU who have not yet completed the requirements for graduation. It is expected that the student will be enrolled at GVSU as a full-time undergraduate for at least one full semester of study beyond the period of the award (i.e. the following Fall semester).

FACULTY ELIGIBILITY*
 All tenured, tenure-track, visiting, and affiliate GVSU faculty are eligible to mentor S3 students. Faculty will commit an appropriate portion of their time to effectively and actively mentor a student; they will be expected to have a limited teaching load for Spring/Summer semester.

*Faculty are expected to disclose any, pending or successful, intra- and extramural grant applications for additional funding during the Spring/Summer Semester.

About the Modified Summer Scholar Award

The Modified Student Summer Scholars (MS3) program provides the same benefits of the traditional summer scholar but on a part-time schedule. 

AWARD
The MS3 provides the following support for scholars and mentors:

  • $2,500 Student Stipend
  • $1,500 Faculty Stipend (any or all can be transferred to project supplies)
  • $500 Project Supplies

Total award: $4,500

STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
The program is available to undergraduate students at GVSU who have not yet completed the requirements for graduation. It is expected that the student will be enrolled at GVSU for at least one full semester of study beyond the period of the award. Please contact OURS if you have questions about your eligibility.

FACULTY ELIGIBILITY
All tenured, tenure-track, visiting, and affiliate GVSU faculty are eligible to mentor MS3 students. Faculty will commit an appropriate portion of their time to effectively and actively mentor a student; they will be expected to have a limited teaching load for Spring/Summer semester.

*Faculty are expected to disclose any, pending or successful, intra- and extramural grant applications for additional funding during the Spring/Summer Semester.


S3 Proposal Requirements

Student Summer Scholar Proposal Overview

The proposal has six sections:

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

How do you prepare a successful proposal? We encourage you to:

  • Review the Scoring Rubric URC will use to assess the proposals.
  • Review the Frequently Asked Questions
  • Review examples of previous successful applications.
  • Contact us about getting feedback from previous URC members on your draft proposal.
    • Drafts must be submitted no later than three weeks from the submission deadline in order to receive feedback.

MS3 Proposal Requirements

Modified Student Summer Scholars Proposal Overview

The proposal has four sections:

1. Project Goals/Feasibility
2. Student Preparation and Motivation
3. Mentorship/Apprenticeship Plan
4. Commitment to Project

How do you prepare a successful proposal? We encourage you to:

  • Review the Scoring Rubric URC will use to assess the proposals.
  • Review the Frequently Asked Questions
  • Review examples of previous successful applications.
  • Contact us about getting feedback from previous URC members on your draft proposal.
    • Drafts must be submitted no later than three weeks from the submission deadline in order to receive feedback.

Application Examples

Click here to see application examples for both the Student Summer Scholars Application and the Modified Student Summer Scholars Application: 


How to Apply

Step One: Prepare your proposal using the Proposal Requirements (linked above based on type).

Step Two: Submit your proposal online. You will be asked to complete an online form, then you will upload your proposal. The proposal needs to be one complete PDF document that you will submit online. There is only one upload button, so please be sure your document is complete.

APPLICATION PREPARATION
The application is a collaborative effort between the potential student scholar and faculty mentor. A student may propose a research or creative project to a faculty member, or a faculty member may actively recruit a student for full-time work to devote about twelve weeks/400 hours to a research and/or creative project during the spring/summer semester.

We will be accepting 2024 S3/MS3 Applications beginning on November 1, 2024. Please apply online by February 2, 2024. The online application system opens November 1, 2023 and closes at 11:59 p.m., February 2, 2024. There will be no administrative support after 5:00 p.m. PLEASE NOTE: Your application is incomplete if you have not uploaded your application document. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDEREDNO DEADLINE EXTENSIONS WILL BE GRANTED. You should receive an email confirming your application submission. If you do not receive an email, then your submission has not been made. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about your submission.

SELECTION PROCESS
The proposals are reviewed and awards determined by the Undergraduate Research Council (URC). Notification letters will be distributed in Mid-March. Faculty and students will receive an email notification.


S3/MS3 FAQ

No. The online application consists mainly of general information questions, and it will not save your progress. Be sure you are ready to upload your proposal when you begin the online application, as the system does not allow you to apply in steps. Your submission must be made all at once. You will need to submit a complete proposal in order for it to be considered by the Undergraduate Research Council (URC).

The Student Summer Scholars (S3) program runs for about twelve weeks during the Spring/Summer semester, beginning May 5, 2025, and ending August 1, 2025.

The Modified Student Summer Scholars (MS3) program runs over twelve weeks part-time, or full-time over the six weeks of the Spring or Summer session. That is, part-time over Spring/Summer semester, beginning May 5, 2025, and ending August 1, 2025, full-time over Spring, beginning May 5, 2025, and ending June 13, 2025, or full-time over Summer, beginning June 23, 2025 and ending August 1, 2025.

All scholars and mentors are expected to participate in:

  • Orientation - Monday, May 5, 2025
  • Weekly Scholar Seminars - Mondays, 9 a.m.-11 a.m.
  • Faculty Meetings - Mondays, May 19, June 10, and July 14, 2025
  • Writing Retreat - July 21 & 22, 2025 
  • GVSU Summer Scholars Showcase - Friday, July 25, 2025 
  • Final Reports and Student Reflections - August 29, 2025 
  • Student Scholars Day - April 8, 2026 

No, graduate students are not eligible for the Student Summer Scholars program.

No, the Student Summer Scholars program is an outside-of-the-classroom experience. It cannot be used for course credit, nor can it be used for an Honors Thesis. Students can receive SWS credit for research projects. More information is provided to S# Scholars at orientation.

If your proposal is considered by the URC but not funded, you will receive general feedback and an indication of how the proposal could have been improved.

Here are some common reasons that can contribute to an proposal not being funded:

  1. The student's background and preparation was not deemed to be adequate to achieve the stated goals of the project.
  2. The narrative of the project was not written for a non-specialist.
  3. The project was deemed too ambitious to be successfully completed in the time given.
  4. The quality of the mentoring experience for the student was deemed to be inadequate in the proposed activities.
  5. The faculty member did not appropriately document the commitment of other agencies vital to the success of the project.
  6. The student was not sufficiently involved in the project either in terms of time or in terms of responsibilities.
  7. The faculty member did not indicate sufficient commitment of time to the project; or the other commitments of the faculty member were deemed to be too demanding to allow a successful mentoring experience or successful creative activity.
  8. The student did not indicate that they were going to commit enough time to the project to allow it to be successful or the other commitments of the student were deemed to be too demanding to allow a successful mentoring experience or successful creative activity. (In general, the only other commitments of the student during the Spring/Summer semester should be taking, at most, one 3 credit class (in either 6 week session) or (but not both) working less than 15 hours a week.)

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 mentor name(s). Proposals must include section headers and page numbers.

No, two full-time Student Summer Scholars proposals will not be accepted. This program is designed to be a one-on-one intensive experience with a faculty member. Having two projects, even if related, would distract from this goal.

However, there have been cases where an S3 faculty member has served as mentor concurrently with an MS3 scholar or a McNair Scholar. There are restrictions involved with this. Contact OURS at 616-331-8100 or [email protected] for clarification.

As soon as you hear about the funding of your proposal, you should begin the process to secure the appropriate approval. You cannot begin any research until the approval has been obtained.

The stipends for students and faculty will be disbursed through the university payroll office. You should expect appropriate taxes to be levied and removed on these earnings. The money for the supplies portion of the budget will be reimbursed via department transfers in Workday. 



Page last modified November 1, 2024