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Request For Proposals

Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program

For the thirteenth year, Stonehill College will sponsor the SURE program this coming summer of 2008. We invite you to participate in this important venture. All subject areas are encouraged to apply. Full-time faculty/student teams representing all disciplines are invited to submit proposals. We encourage applications from the humanities, social sciences, fine arts and business in addition to the sciences, as well as from full-time faculty members who have not previously had SURE projects.

Stonehill’s SURE Scholars Program enables selected students to participate in scholarly projects with faculty members, under their direct supervision. The purpose of the SURE program is to enhance learning opportunities for students while encouraging collaboration between students and faculty while undertaking a scholarly endeavor. The work of the student research assistant, therefore, must be scholarly oriented and not clerical or bibliographic in its primary emphasis.

Faculty supervisors receive valuable assistance in accelerating the progress of their own scholarly efforts. Each faculty member who serves as a SURE mentor will receive a stipend of at least $2,200 (if the faculty member mentors additional SURE students, he/she will receive $500 per additional SURE student).

Research projects involving SURE Scholars should have the potential of scholarly publication or provide the student with an equivalent experience. Students are encouraged to pursue Independent Research projects with their faculty mentors as a result of their experience as SURE Scholars. These projects may be extensions of the research experience or may involve techniques and knowledge the student has acquired as a research assistant.

*Applications will be accepted under the SURE Leaders category. SURE Leaders are previous SURE Scholars that can apply for another summer of funding in a leadership role. Funding is available for one or more SURE positions for the summer of 2008. SURE Leader will be expected to conduct social programming in conjunction with the group Resident Assistant (R.A.).

2. Policies and Procedures:

1. SURE research assistantships are available to full-time students in all disciplines.

2. To be eligible as a SURE Scholar, students should have completed their first year at Stonehill (i.e., students are eligible to participate in the summer following their first year) and should maintain an overall GPA of 3.0. Graduating seniors are ineligible.

3. SURE research projects may take place over a 10-week period or over an 8-week period. Both sessions begin May 27 and must follow consecutive weeks. An extra five-day week is factored into both sessions to accommodate the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays, plus three non-paid floating days; therefore, the 8-week session will end on July 25 and the 10-week session, on August 8. Two faculty members may, if they wish, share a SURE research assistant, either concurrently or consecutively. The logistics of the sharing arrangements must be described in detail in a supplement to the proposal; this arrangement will be considered when proposals are reviewed.

4. All SURE Scholars receive a stipend, subject to the usual deductions for state and federal taxes. The 2008 stipend is $8.75 per hour. The 2008 total, therefore, for the 8-week session will be $2,800; the total for the 10-week session will be $3,500. On-campus housing for SURE students will be available at a cost of approximately $30.00 per week. This cost will be deducted from your stipend if you live on campus. In addition, an allowance of at least $300 is provided per student for supplies and expenses connected with the research project.

3. Application Procedure:

Students who would like to be considered for the SURE Program must be nominated by the faculty member(s) who will serve as their mentors. Proposals must be submitted by the deadline of Friday, December 7, 2007 to the SURE Review Committee, in care of the Office of Academic Development. All proposals must be received in the Office by 5:00 p.m. that day. Awards will be announced in February, 2008.

2. Description, written jointly by both the student and the faculty member, of the overall project on which the student and the faculty member will collaborate. Specify the outcome of the project; for example, a conference presentation, an article, a book, etc.

· Additionally, if the project has received previous SURE funding, please specify how the proposed project builds on the work completed during former summers. For these ongoing projects, please address what was accomplished and what will be accomplished.

3. Description, written jointly by the student and the faculty member, of the specific responsibilities of the student in the project and the educational benefits which the student will derive.

4. Description, in detail, of the specific procedure the faculty member plans to follow in developing the mentoring relationship between the student and the faculty member, as well as the collaborative nature of the project. If the faculty member will be absent during any period of time, describe what plans have been made to provide support for the student during that time. SURE faculty members are expected to attend all lunches and programming and be available to the SURE student to provide sufficient mentoring throughout the program.

5. Qualifications of the student selected to participate in the proposed research. The faculty member should write this section. Write as if it were a recommendation for a position; highlight qualities the student possesses that match those needed for the project.

6. A statement of a maximum of 250 words, written by the student, answering the following questions:

· What personal qualities will you bring to the SURE program experience and how will these qualities contribute to the program's success?

7. One-page, one-sided biographical sketch of the faculty member, highlighting any previous experience in working collaboratively with individual students.

8. Student transcript release form (attached). If the student’s GPA is below 3.0, the student should provide a statement of why the GPA is lower than 3.0 and why the student should be considered for the program. All grades, including Fall 2007, will be reviewed.

The narrative portion of the proposal (Items 2, 3, 4, and 5) should not exceed three (3) double-spaced pages (including any reference listing/bibliography). Proposals that do not follow the prescribed format will not be considered. As you complete your narrative, please keep in mind that the Review Committee members represent a number of different disciplines.

Faculty who have external grant funds which will either completely or partially support research assistants may apply to have the student brought under the SURE Scholars Program.

A maximum score of 50 is possible. Consideration will also be given to the faculty member’s prior experience in working collaboratively with individual students and prior experience with the SURE Program.

* SURE leaders applicants must demonstrate increased responsibility within these categories. Applicants should address what was accomplished during the first summer and how the SURE Leaders experience will differ and build upon the initial experience.

Members of the SURE Review Committee: Louis Liotta, Chair; Craig Almeida, Sciences; Richard Grant, Assistant Dean for Academic Services; Geoffrey Lantos, Business Administration; Jose Moreno, Residence Director; George Piggford, C.S.C.,Humanities, Christopher Poirier, Social Sciences; Bonnie Troupe and Kathy Conroy, Office of Academic Development; Zakk Ennis ’08, 2006/2007 SURE Scholar, and Jess Tatarek ’08, 2007 SURE Scholar.

Application Deadline: December 7, 2008, 5:00 p.m., in the Office of Academic Development, Room 119A, Duffy.

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home> academics> academic development Academic Development Home >> printer-friendly version ALL FULL-TIME FACULTY ALL FULL-TIME FACULTY Request For Proposals Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program For the thirteenth year, Stonehill College will sponsor the SURE program this coming summer of 2008. We invite you to participate in this important venture. All subject areas are encouraged to apply. Full-time faculty/student teams representing all disciplines are invited to submit proposals. We encourage applications from the humanities, social sciences, fine arts and business in addition to the sciences, as well as from full-time faculty members who have not previously had SURE projects. Stonehill’s SURE Scholars Program enables selected students to participate in scholarly projects with faculty members, under their direct supervision. The purpose of the SURE program is to enhance learning opportunities for students while encouraging collaboration between students and faculty while undertaking a scholarly endeavor. The work of the student research assistant, therefore, must be scholarly oriented and not clerical or bibliographic in its primary emphasis. Faculty supervisors receive valuable assistance in accelerating the progress of their own scholarly efforts. Each faculty member who serves as a SURE mentor will receive a stipend of at least $2,200 (if the faculty member mentors additional SURE students, he/she will receive $500 per additional SURE student). Research projects involving SURE Scholars should have the potential of scholarly publication or provide the student with an equivalent experience. Students are encouraged to pursue Independent Research projects with their faculty mentors as a result of their experience as SURE Scholars. These projects may be extensions of the research experience or may involve techniques and knowledge the student has acquired as a research assistant. Applications will be accepted under the SURE Leaders category. SURE Leaders are previous SURE Scholars that can apply for another summer of funding in a leadership role. Funding is available for one or more SURE positions for the summer of 2008. SURE Leader will be expected to conduct social programming in conjunction with the group Resident Assistant (R.A.). 2. Policies and Procedures:* 1. SURE research assistantships are available to full-time students in all disciplines. 2. To be eligible as a SURE Scholar, students should have completed their first year at Stonehill (i.e., students are eligible to participate in the summer following their first year) and should maintain an overall GPA of 3.0. Graduating seniors are ineligible. 3. SURE research projects may take place over a 10-week period or over an 8-week period. Both sessions begin May 27 and must follow consecutive weeks. An extra five-day week is factored into both sessions to accommodate the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays, plus three non-paid floating days; therefore, the 8-week session will end on July 25 and the 10-week session, on August 8. Two faculty members may, if they wish, share a SURE research assistant, either concurrently or consecutively. The logistics of the sharing arrangements must be described in detail in a supplement to the proposal; this arrangement will be considered when proposals are reviewed. 4. All SURE Scholars receive a stipend, subject to the usual deductions for state and federal taxes. The 2008 stipend is $8.75 per hour. The 2008 total, therefore, for the 8-week session will be $2,800; the total for the 10-week session will be $3,500. On-campus housing for SURE students will be available at a cost of approximately $30.00 per week. This cost will be deducted from your stipend if you live on campus. In addition, an allowance of at least $300 is provided per student for supplies and expenses connected with the research project. 3. Application Procedure: Students who would like to be considered for the SURE Program must be nominated by the faculty member(s) who will serve as their mentors. Proposals must be submitted by the deadline of Friday, December 7, 2007 to the SURE Review Committee, in care of the Office of Academic Development. All proposals must be received in the Office by 5:00 p.m. that day. Awards will be announced in February, 2008. Proposals must include the following: 1. Cover Sheet (attached). 2. Description, written jointly by both the student and the faculty member, of the overall project on which the student and the faculty member will collaborate. Specify the outcome of the project; for example, a conference presentation, an article, a book, etc. · Additionally, if the project has received previous SURE funding, please specify how the proposed project builds on the work completed during former summers. For these ongoing projects, please address what was accomplished and what will be accomplished. 3. Description, written jointly by the student and the faculty member, of the specific responsibilities of the student in the project and the educational benefits which the student will derive. 4. Description, in detail, of the specific procedure the faculty member plans to follow in developing the mentoring relationship between the student and the faculty member, as well as the collaborative nature of the project. If the faculty member will be absent during any period of time, describe what plans have been made to provide support for the student during that time. *SURE faculty members are expected to attend all lunches and programming and be available to the SURE student to provide sufficient mentoring throughout the program.* 5. Qualifications of the student selected to participate in the proposed research. The faculty member should write this section. Write as if it were a recommendation for a position; highlight qualities the student possesses that match those needed for the project. 6. A statement of a maximum of 250 words, written by the student, answering the following questions: · What do you expect to gain from a SURE program experience? · What personal qualities will you bring to the SURE program experience and how will these qualities contribute to the program's success? 7. One-page, one-sided biographical sketch of the faculty member, highlighting any previous experience in working collaboratively with individual students. 8. Student transcript release form (attached). If the student’s GPA is below 3.0, the student should provide a statement of why the GPA is lower than 3.0 and why the student should be considered for the program. All grades, including Fall 2007, will be reviewed. The narrative portion of the proposal (Items 2, 3, 4, and 5) should not exceed three (3) double-spaced pages (including any reference listing/bibliography). Proposals that do not follow the prescribed format will not be considered. As you complete your narrative, please keep in mind that the Review Committee members represent a number of different disciplines. Faculty who have external grant funds which will either completely or partially support research assistants may apply to have the student brought under the SURE Scholars Program. 4. Criteria for Selection: Proposals are rated on a scale of 0 to 10 on each of the following criteria: · Student’s past academic performance · The suitability of the student for this project · The collaborative nature of the project · The potential for gaining new knowledge and/or insight within the discipline · The expected educational benefit to the student A maximum score of 50 is possible. Consideration will also be given to the faculty member’s prior experience in working collaboratively with individual students and prior experience with the SURE Program. * SURE leaders applicants must demonstrate increased responsibility within these categories. Applicants should address what was accomplished during the first summer and how the SURE Leaders experience will differ and build upon the initial experience. Members of the SURE Review Committee: Louis Liotta, Chair; Craig Almeida, Sciences; Richard Grant, Assistant Dean for Academic Services; Geoffrey Lantos, Business Administration; Jose Moreno, Residence Director; George Piggford, C.S.C.,Humanities, Christopher Poirier, Social Sciences; Bonnie Troupe and Kathy Conroy, Office of Academic Development; Zakk Ennis ’08, 2006/2007 SURE Scholar, and Jess Tatarek ’08, 2007 SURE Scholar. Application Deadline: December 7, 2008, 5:00 p.m., in the Office of Academic Development, Room 119A, Duffy. Academic Development Home >> Last updated 10/25/2007 Stonehill College \| 320 Washington Street, Easton, MA 02357 \| 508-565-1000