Who is eligible?

Rising sophomores, juniors and seniors in all non-science disciplines are eligible.

I'm not going to be on campus this semester/year. May I still apply to be a Summer Scholar?

Yes, if you fall into one of these four categories:

1. Registered for the fall and ready to return to campus;
2. Registered for an approved off-campus study experience, so not returning to campus but still considered a current student;
3. Registered for an approved academic enhancement leave;
4. Granted a Leave of Absence (LOA).

When are Young Scholar proposals due?

Proposals are due January 31, 2011 by 4:30 p.m.

How do I submit my Young Scholar proposal?

All proposals should be submitted electronically to sunkle@denison.edu in PDF format.

May I apply for or hold more than one scholarship during the summer?

Students may apply for other summer research experiences in addition to the Young Scholars Program; however, students who accept another major summer scholarship are not eligible to be a Young Scholar.

May I submit more than one proposal?

Students may not submit more than one proposal to the Young Scholars program; however, students may submit the same proposal, or different proposals, to the Young Scholars and other summer scholar programs simultaneously. Other programs include: Ashbrook Scholars, Woodyard Scholars, Burton-Morgan Scholars, Freeman Scholars, John Miller Scholar (English), DURF Scholars, departmental scholars (e.g., Environmental Studies), and all summer scholars in the sciences. Students with awards from any of these programs are called “summer scholars” and their supervising faculty are entitled to a stipend from the University. However, a student may not accept more than one summer scholar appointment in any single summer.

May I hold a job and still be a Young Scholar?

Young Scholars may not hold jobs during the term of their research.  Students may serve on the June Orientation staff if they receive permission from their supervisor, and they may also complete a Denison Internship Program Project prior to the Young Scholar period. Whatever else the student chooses to do during the summer, all Young Scholars will devote a full 10 weeks exclusively to their research project. Students proposing to commit fewer than 10 weeks should indicate this at the time of application.

How much is the stipend for Summer 2011?

$3700 plus housing. Both the stipend and the housing are taxed by the federal government. You will receive 5 payments, one every two weeks.

What about housing on campus?

Students are expected to live on campus unless they live within a 25 mile radius of Granville, or unless the supervising faculty member has approved other arrangements. You will need to apply for summer housing through the Office of Campus and Residential Life. Ten (10) consecutive weeks of housing are covered. Should you choose to be away from campus for a week or more during your research period and need to extend your housing beyond 10 weeks, you will need approval from Res Life, and you will be responsible for paying for any housing beyond the 10 weeks covered by the Summer Scholar program. Your residency must be completed by the date you submit with your summer housing application.

May I work with other students on a group project?

There are three types of Summer Scholar proposals:

1. Individual Proposals: Proposals from individual students, supported by one or more faculty, may be submitted. Each individual proposal shall be judged on its merits;
2. Collaborative Proposals: Proposals from individual students may be submitted with a plan to collaborate with other students during summer research under the supervision of one or more common professors. Each individual proposal shall be judged on its merits. All, some, or none of the proposals in a collaborative effort may be funded;
3. Joint Proposals: A single proposal may be submitted by a group of students who propose to work collectively on a common research or creative project under the supervision of one or more professors. Each joint proposal shall be judged on its merits and shall be funded for all the students who submit it or not funded for any of the students submitting the proposal.

When should I begin working on my proposal?

It is important that you do not wait until after winter break to begin. Early December is advised. These have become very competitive – only about 48% were funded in Summer 2010. You need to work closely with your faculty supervisor to prepare the best possible proposal with as much specific information as you can fit into the word limit. It is also important to give your supervisor time to write an informative letter of support.

What should my proposal look like?

Please go to Young Scholar Guidelines for specifics about the content and design of the proposal.

Who selects the Young Scholars?

The Student Research Grants Committee selects the Young Scholars. The committee members are elected by the teaching faculty - one member from each of the four divisions of the University

How do they choose the Young Scholars?

Young Scholars are selected solely on the basis of the merits of their proposals, according to the criteria listed at Young Scholar Guidelines by the Student Research Grants Committee. No preference shall be given to joint, collaborative, or individual proposals, nor shall the projects be evenly divided among divisions of the college. Students may apply in successive years, and no preference shall be given to first-time applicants.

What if I'm planning on surveying people or using humans in another way in my project?

All projects which involve research with human subjects must have IRB approval before funds can be disbursed. In other words, we don't require approval at the time of submission, but do need to have proof of approval by the time your research begins. Please contact Associate Provost Toni King's office for further information on IRB and human subjects review.

Whom should I contact if I have questions that aren't answered here?

Any member of the staff at the Gilpatrick Center for Student Research and Fellowships, Ext. 6573 or email sunkle@denison.edu.

How do I know if I'm eligible to supervise a Summer Scholar project?

Decisions on eligibility to supervise, or share in the supervision, of student summer research shall be made on a case-by-case basis by the Provost’s office. While eligibility shall be decided on a case-by-case basis, the following principles will guide the decision:

• Tenure track and non-tenure track faculty who teach at least 75% of a full-time load, and who have a contract to teach at Denison in the fall semester following the summer research, shall be eligible to supervise summer research;
• All faculty who have earned a sabbatical at Denison are eligible to supervise summer research;
• Faculty members whose contracts may or may not be renewed for the fall semester following summer research are not eligible to supervise summer research until their contracts are renewed;
• Faculty whose contract is terminated in May and no new contract offered for the following fall semester may not supervise summer research;
• Emeriti faculty are not eligible to supervise summer research;

How many Young Scholars may I supervise?

• Faculty may not supervise more than three students in any one summer;
• Faculty may not endorse more than three individual or collaborative proposals, nor may faculty endorse more than one joint proposal, in any one summer;
• Joint proposals must have at least one supervising faculty member for every three students included in the joint proposal.

How important is my letter of support for the proposal?

It is very important, especially if the SRGC committee is on the fence about approving the proposal. Letters from supervising faculty endorsing a proposal should address the quality of the proposal, according to the criteria listed in Section V on http://www.denison.edu/academics/departments/honors/young_scholar_guidelines.html.

Letters should also address the capabilities of the student(s) to complete the proposed project. If more than one faculty member is sponsoring a proposal, the letter of endorsement should be signed by each of the faculty who intend to supervise the project.

What are some other important areas I should address in my letter of support?

Your letter should explain what is original about this proposal relative to what exists in the field, as well as any expectations for the given field which might assist the members of the committee in more easily evaluating proposals outside their areas of expertise.

How do I submit my letter of support?

Letters of endorsement are confidential and should be submitted electronically directly to the Gilpatrick Center (sunkle@denison.edu) by February 2, 2011 at 4:00 pm.

I have a DURF/outside grant and want to hire a student to work with me. How do I determine if that student should be classified as a Summer Scholar and receive the stipend, or be called an employee and receive hourly wages?

To be classified as a Summer Scholar the student’s experience must meet the following conditions:

1. The student is engaged in a learning experience supervised by a Denison faculty member, or other person approved by the Provost’s office, in which the research undertaken increases in complexity and promotes the student’s mastery of basic knowledge and transferable skills;
2. The student will be introduced to aspects of an academic discipline(s);
3. The experience will require students to practice the techniques of the discipline or will develop the student’s critical thinking and problem-solving skills;
4. The experience is primarily for the benefit of the student;
5. The student produces a product of their research (e.g., paper, poster, exhibition, performance).

Students receiving awards under the summer research programs of Denison University (e.g., Young Scholars, Anderson/Bowen/Miller Summer Research Assistantships, Woodyard Scholars, Service Learning Ashbrook Scholars, Sharfstein Summer Scholars, McBride-Arend Summer Scholars, Hodgson Scholars, Battelle Scholars, Innovation Summer Scholars, and others approved by Denison) are considered Summer Scholars.

Students conducting research on DURF grants with experiences that meet the above criteria shall also be considered Summer Scholars, but those working on DURF grants in a clerical capacity or as a technician shall be considered student employees and are not exempt from the rules governing hourly employees.

Students who are provided research experience supported by non-Denison grants (e.g., NSF, NIH, Research Corporation, etc.) may also be considered Summer Scholars if they meet the above criteria. Faculty or staff supervising such projects must contact the Gilpatrick Center prior to the beginning of the student experience to determine whether the experience meets the above criteria. The Gilpatrick Center and the Provost's office shall determine whether an experience meets the above criteria.