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Joseph F. Nelson
A summer opportunity for undergraduate students is available. The guidelines of the program and an
application for the summer are attached.
All required
materials must be submitted to the Office of the Vice President for Academic
Affairs (AD 230) no later than
This program is designed to encourage the
development of a mentoring relationship between undergraduate students and SDSU
faculty. The program provides a
Mentorship (scholarship) of $2,500 for summer study involving original,
scholarly activity as described in the guidelines of the program.
The awards will be competitive and based on the
design of the proposed studies and likelihood of meeting the objectives of the
applicant.
Please review the attached guidelines carefully.
Joseph F. Nelson
Undergraduate
Research Mentorship
Guidelines for the Award
General
Considerations
1.
The funds will be paid to the student for his/her use during the
mentorship program. These funds are to
allow students an opportunity to dedicate themselves to intense scholarly
activity during the mentorship period.
The funds will support the student while engaged in original scholarly
activity focused on physics, chemistry, physical geography, biology or
mathematics.
2.
The mentorships will be conducted as summer
programs to the greatest extent possible.
3.
A faculty mentor will be identified and will make a commitment to the
support of the scholarly project.
4.
An undergraduate student can receive only one Joseph F. Nelson
Mentorship Award while at South Dakota State University.
5.
Students entering the sophomore and junior years of their program are
strongly encouraged to apply. Students
entering the senior year are welcome to apply.
6.
Faculty mentors are encouraged to continue the mentoring project with
the students from the program and assist the students in preparing the work for
public presentation and publication.
7.
The student will be enrolled for at least one credit during the entire
period of the award. The mentor and
student are encouraged to arrange credit through special problems or
internships in the student’s area of study whenever practical.
8.
The student must maintain a B average and be of good moral character
and must not use drugs or be a habitual user of tobacco or alcoholic beverages.
The Award
1. A mentorship (scholarship) in the amount of $2,500 will be awarded each student chosen by the committee. The award will be paid in two installments, at the beginning and midpoint in the mentorship experience. The mentorship will generally cover a period of eight to ten weeks of intensive interaction between the mentor and student.
2.
Additional sums of $500 for materials specifically needed to complete
the student project will be administered by the faculty mentor, and $500
available to the student for travel to present the research findings or
scholarly work at an appropriate meeting or conference. This travel funding must be requested by letter
to the Joseph F. Nelson Scholarship Committee at least 30 days prior to the
event. The letter will contain a
description of the meeting or conference, the title of the student presentation
and an estimate of the travel costs requested.
The letter will be signed by both the student and the mentor.
The
Application Process
1.
The student will develop a one-page statement of educational goals and
explain the role that the mentorship experience will play in achievement of
those goals.
2.
The student and mentor will prepare a three- to four-page proposal of
the scholarly activity to be undertaken by the student under the mentorship
award. The hypothesis or goal of the
scholarly activity will be clearly stated; the rationale and approaches taken
to test the hypothesis or meet the goal will be described; the impact of the
information on the student’s field of study and educational goals will be
explained; and the student’s plans to continue his/her scholarly development
will be outlined.
3.
The mentor will provide the student with a letter agreeing to support
the costs involved in carrying out the plan.
4.
The student will provide the committee with transcripts and a
description of his/her extra-curricular activities.
Evaluation
1.
A committee of at least three individuals will review the applications for
the awards. This committee will be a
sub-committee of the Joseph F. Nelson Scholarship standing committee consisting
of faculty from chemistry, biology or other physical science fields. The field within which the research falls
shall be represented by a faculty member on the committee. The committee may seek assistance from
faculty with expertise in the area to evaluate the merit of the proposed work.
2.
The evaluation of the award applications will be based on the
completeness and feasibility of the student’s plan and the plan’s relationship
to the student’s educational and professional goals. In the case of several excellent proposals
which all serve the student’s goals, those students who have demonstrated focus
and drive through excellent grades and/or extra-curricular activities will be
given priority.
3.
The awardees will be notified by letter and the faculty mentor will be
copied.
Additional Conditions
1.
The mentor will provide the Committee with a letter describing the
progress made by the student during the mentorship period and additional plans
to complete the scholarly project. The
mentor will be required to complete the brief self-evaluation instrument
(attached) at the end of the project.
2.
The students receiving the award will provide the Committee a copy of
any abstracts, publications and/or formal reports which result from the
scholarly work involved in the mentorship.
3.
The students receiving the award will provide the Committee with a 500-750
word report of the mentorship experience at the end of the academic year in
which they received the award.
Publicity
Applicants
must agree to provide personal information as normally needed for publicity of
the award and permit the use of their names, pictures and statements of the
significance of the scholarly work for use in said publicity. The applicants must agree that the SDSU
Foundation may use information about their mentorship experience in publicity
and fund-raising activities.
Joseph F. Nelson
Undergraduate
Research Mentorship
Application Form
Student:__________________________________________________________________________________
Mentor:__________________________________________________________________________________
Title of Proposed Investigation:_______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Abstract
of Proposal: (limit to 250 words)
Signature of Applicant______________________________________________________________________
Signature of Mentor________________________________________________________________________
Attached to this application form shall be:
1. A one-page statement of the applicant’s educational goals and explanation of the role of the mentorship in allowing the applicant to achieve them.
2. A three page proposal of the scholarly activity to be undertaken. This is to be a joint effort of the student and mentor.
3. A letter of support provided by the mentor.
4. Applicant transcripts and a description of extra-curricular activities.
Signing this application indicates that the applicant and mentor agree to abide by all rules and conditions of the mentorship program.
Joseph F. Nelson
Undergraduate
Research Mentorship
Mentor Self-Evaluation
Please
provide an accounting of the expenditure of the student project funds. List purchases made and amounts.
Described
briefly the most beneficial aspects of your experience of participating in this
mentorship program.
Describe
briefly any negative experiences you had while participating in the mentorship
program.
List
any suggestions you have for improving the mentorship experience for either the
faculty mentor or student.