John J. Kopchick Undergraduate Student Support Fund

Prepare a cover page. Signatures must be obtained by the applicant and are required on the submitted proposal. The cover page must be the first page of the proposal.

If needed, applicants may submit cover pages with electronic signatures or multiple cover pages for individual signatures.

Include a one-page biographical sketch of the student’s scholarly interests and activities.

The biographical sketch should include the following, preferably in tabular/bulleted format:

• Applicant’s Name
• GPA
• Educational training of the student, including: institution, degree, date of completion/anticipated date of graduation
• Publications and presentations
• Relevant coursework
• Language skills (if applicable to the research)
• Honor and awards
• Current, pending, and previous funding

The biographical sketch must also include a brief statement of the applicant’s long-term plans and how this award will help in achieving these goals.

If appropriate, include up to a 200-word limit description per award for (1) current and previous funding directly related to the project and (2) from a previous Kopchick Award, whether related or not to the current project. For each, include a brief summary of outcomes to date and term of award (i.e., start and end dates).

Include a five-page biographical sketch (e.g., NIH or NSF biosketch). The biographical sketch should include educational training of the mentor and most recent and relevant publications and presentations, awards, and funding, preferably in tabular or bulleted format.

The narrative should discuss the main objectives of the research, a brief discussion of the materials and methods to be used to conduct the experiments, and any preliminary data generated.

Importantly, the application must demonstrate the relevance of the proposed research to translational biomedical sciences. For the purposes of this program, translational biomedical sciences is defined as the translation of basic research effectively into enhanced healthcare outcomes for the entire population in fields such as biomedical research, bioengineering, drug development, informatics, communications, health policy and planning.

1. Objective and scope of work: "What do you intend to do?" "What will this research, scholarship, or creative activity accomplish?" “What problem does this project address?” “Why does this project need to be done?”

   Remember, it is important to contextualize your project in relationship to others' works and to explain how the project differs from previous, related work. “What has previously been done in the area?”

2. Materials/methods: "How will the work be accomplished?"

   Discuss the hypotheses or research questions, operationalization and instrumentation, research sites or context, research design, data collection, preliminary results, and data analysis.

   The applicant should clearly state how this project will produce new and relevant scientific information and how this work may result in patent-protected intellectual property and/or know-how.

3. Significance of the project: “Why is the work important to your field?"
4. Intellectual Property: “How might this research lead to new innovations?”

It is imperative that applicants ensure that all projects are designed such that (1) the project methodology complies with all current restrictions and (2) that the project can feasibly be concluded within a year. Applicants with concerns should contact KopchickFund@ohio.edu, prior to submission.

The narrative may include up to 10 references. A carefully selected bibliography can strengthen a proposal by indicating to the reviewer that the applicant is aware of significant and current literature in the field.

Confidentiality

If the proposal discloses ideas, practices, or processes for which patent protection will be or is being sought, the word "Confidential" should be placed at the top and bottom of each page that contains such information. Also, the following statement should be placed on the cover sheet immediately above the signature section.

"The data contained in this proposal is confidential and proprietary and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed in whole or in part for any purpose other than to evaluate the proposal without the written permission of the author. Permission is hereby granted to the review committee to evaluate this proposal in accordance with its normal procedures, which may include evaluation by evaluators both within and outside the University, with the understanding that written agreement not to disclose the information shall not be required of or obtained from any such evaluators. This restriction does not limit the right of any such evaluators to use information contained in this proposal, if it is obtainable from another source without restriction."

The mentor’s endorsement must include: (1) an assessment of the student in relationship to the proposed project and (2) a description of his/her role in the project proposed by the student.

Budget expenditures encumbered before the award date will not be reimbursed.

Funds are available for 12 months following notification and account establishment and can cross fiscal years.

This section should include the breakdown of the budget by line items, total budget request, sources of matching funds (if appropriate), and budget justification.

The maximum award is $1,500.

Students must be enrolled and maintain undergraduate student status during the proposed project period.

Travel

Travel expenses must be broken down into transportation, meals, and lodging categories, and the basis for the figures must be provided. Where appropriate, use the OU Travel Reimbursement Policy 41.121 to determine limits on travel expenses. Budget requests are scrutinized carefully, and requests, especially for long periods of travel, should reflect efforts to economize.

Students who are traveling beyond 100 miles of their Ohio University campus or to another state must register with the Office of Global Opportunities: Travel Registration.

For more support on domestic and international travel, risk ratings for destinations and planning an international experience, students are encouraged to contact the Office of Global Opportunities.

• For domestic travel: Meal expenses will be reimbursed as per the U.S. General Services Administration.* Federal employees are only eligible for 75 percent of the total M&IE rate for the location to which they are traveling on the first and last day of travel; all other days are reimbursed at 100% the rate. *unless the applicant stipulates a lower reimbursement through the Concur system.
• For international travel: Any international travel will need to be fully justified. It is imperative that applicants contact the Office of Global Opportunities regarding any international travel to ensure that they are following current guidelines.
  • Meal expenses and hotel rates will be reimbursed as per the U.S. Department of State per diem rates.*
  • The following must also be addressed in the justification for international travel:
    • What are potential safety concerns in the region (as noted on the U.S. State Department’s travel warning page), and how do you propose to take precautions?
    • According to CDC recommendations what immunizations must you get prior to arriving in the country and what other measures do you need to take to ensure that you remain in good health abroad? When do you plan on getting these immunizations?

*unless the applicant stipulates a lower reimbursement through the Concur system.

For all travel arrangements, hotel and airfare must be booked using a p-card and the Concur system. If the vendor does not accept the p-card, then you may pay for the expense out-of-pocket and be reimbursed through the Concur system. Note, some colleges have additional requirements and/or procedures for travel expenses that the applicant/mentor will need to be aware of and follow.

Equipment

All major items of equipment, including computers, which are to be purchased with Kopchick MCB/TBS UG funds, should be listed with the estimated cost of each item and components of each item if applicable. Because of limited funds available to the committee, requests for equipment should be made only after a conscientious search has been conducted to determine whether this equipment is already on campus and available through a loan or share arrangement. The duration of use and percent time used, project-based activities supported and inability to secure through other resources should be addressed. For computers, the specifications and capabilities must be stated and justified. Any equipment purchased is the property of Ohio University.

All appended materials must be submitted electronically as part of the electronic application unless otherwise approved prior to submission. The Appendix is an appropriate place to provide copies of test instruments, questionnaires, survey forms, and letters of collaboration or financial support.

All materials included in the Appendix should be briefly referenced in the Project Narrative section.

Applicants are strongly advised to write the Project Narrative such that it is a “stand-alone” document without the reviewer needing to refer back and forth to the Appended Materials. Supplemental text and figures in the appended materials are not permissible if they clearly seek to circumvent the page limits of the Narrative.