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ACSP Summer Research Grant

The ACSP Summer Research Grant is designed to provide financial support for one rising sophomore to engage in research during the summer (approximately 10 weeks, 35 hours per week). The research project must derive from out of the student’s work in either ACS1000: Ancients or ACS1001: Moderns. The grant recipient will have a Faculty Mentor (who teaches ACS but who may or may not be the recipient’s Fall or Spring ACS instructor); applicants are not required to name a Faculty Mentor.

The 2019 ACSP Summer Research Grant application deadline is March 22nd by 11:59 p.m. The ACSP Summer Research Grant Selection Committee will notify applicants of the status of their grant applications around Friday, April 5th. The recipient of the grant must apply for CRF-sponsored summer housing by no later than Friday, April 12. In the summer of 2019 the research grant period covers May 28th - July 30th. 

Email the completed application as a single document to: acspresearch@villanova.edu

The Augustine and Culture Seminar Program (ACSP) is pleased to announce the call for proposals for the 2019 ACSP Summer Research Grant. The research project must derive from but extend beyond the recipient’s work in either ACS1000: Ancients or ACS1001: Moderns. Rising sophomores from all Colleges may apply for funding to undertake a (humanities-based) scholarly research project with an ACSP-affiliated Faculty Sponsor.

Research projects are conducted during the summer (approximately 10 weeks, 35 hours a week; in the summer of 2019 the research period is from May 28 - July 30). The ACSP Summer Research Grant recipient will receive a stipend of $3,500 for their summer research. On-campus housing accommodations (room and board) for the summer is available. The recipient must complete the application for CRF-sponsored summer housing in order to be considered for these accommodations.

  • Student must be enrolled as full-time undergraduate during the period of their funded activities. For the Summer 2019 grant, eligibility is limited to rising sophomores.
  • Research projects associated with academic course credit are not eligible for funding; projects must derive from the student’s work in ACS1000: Ancients or ACS1001: Moderns, and all projects must be documented as substantive developments beyond the original work.
  • Students from all colleges are welcome to apply for the grant, but the project will be a humanities-centered project. For example, a project might explore the philosophical, ethical, and/or political aspects of an Engineering project, a Nursing policy, or a Business practice. 
  • Collaboration between faculty and student researchers is encouraged, but student authorship within the project must be the core element; projects for which students are serving primarily as research assistants for faculty projects will not be funded.
  • All project proposals must include their intended results and the venue within which the completed scholarship will be disseminated. ACSP Summer Research Grant recipients should at minimum participate in the Fall Undergraduate Research Poster Session. In addition, the grant recipient should contribute to a Fall or Spring ACSP Cultural Event.
  • Students must complete the Responsible Conduct of Research course (offered during the official research period)

Items 1-6 must be submitted – in that order – as a single pdf document. Email your proposal by 11:59 pm on March 22, 2019 to: acspresearch@villanova.edu

1.    Cover letter listing your name, address and contact information, College, project title, the name or names of your Fall and Spring ACS professor, and the name of your preferred Faculty Mentor if you have one (if you do not have a preference, write "No preferance for Faculty Mentor"). 

2.    Research Proposal Statement

This two-page document outlines the Who/What/When/Where/Why/How of your proposal for the ACSP Summer Research Grant project. In your Research Proposal you must explain the relation between your proposed project and your experience in either ACS1000: Ancients and/or ACS1001: Moderns. Developing a strong, feasible, and compelling project that can be completed in 10 weeks is the most important aspect of a successful grant proposal. Key points include a description of the proposed project, anticipated schedule, methods, final product, and any particular methodological considerations.

A maximum of two pages of text will be accepted (not including bibliography).

Format: single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, 1-inch margins.

3.    Bibliography (if necessary)

4.    Personal Statement

This one-page narrative is designed to give reviewers a picture of you as an individual and about the trajectory you have followed and your future plans. Concentrate on how your background and experience in ACS has influenced your development and how that relates to the proposed project. This should not be a reiteration of your resume or elaboration of the Research Proposal. Consider: Why is this research important to you, academically, personally, and/or professionally?

Format: single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, 1-inch margins.

5.    Unofficial transcript (Fall semester and Spring mid-terms)

6.    Supplemental Budget (of no more than $200)

  • Provide a budget for anticipated costs (purchasing texts, photocopying texts, gaining access to archives or specialized databases, etc.) The budget document should consist of a table of the budget information with brief justification. A budget justification must accompany each expense item and include: Item, Quantity, Cost, Justification, Total Expense.
  • Please note the stipend amount will be $3500 for the ACSP Summer Research grant (approximately 10 weeks, 35 hours per week). This amount is taxable. The ACSP Summer Research Grant committee reserves the right to set limits on supplementary project costs.

7.  Apply for CRF-Sponsored Summer Housing by no later than Monday, April 15.  Information on CRF-Sponsored Summer housing, including a link to the application, can be found here:

http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/provost/crf/undergraduate-research/summer-housing.html

*Eligible Faculty Mentors: full-time instructors in ACSP (Gallen Teaching Faculty, Ennis Fellows, the Barbieri Fellow, CFTNTT faculty, Advising faculty, and full-time faculty in other departments that recently have taught at least one section of ACS).

You have been asked to serve as the Faculty Mentor for an ACSP Summer Research Grant candidate. If awarded, the ACSP Summer Research Grant will provide funding for the student to conduct independent research under your mentorship. These awards are granted to students with strong academic records who show potential to excel in scholarly research.

Before you offer to serve as an Advisor and Mentor, you should be clear about your committement to assist the student in completing a successful, active, independent scholarly project; this commitment is essential — and distinct from utilizing the student as a research assistant for your own scholarly research. The committment also assures the student will engage in a meaningful research experience with you as a collaborator. (You and the student will work out the specific details of your working relationship. Check in via email once a week? Meet in person every other week? Read and respond to written material? and so on.)