Office of the Provost

I.  Description

The Young Scholar Program permits students to pursue full-time independent research under the close supervision of faculty members for a minimum of ten weeks during the summer.  Free from the pressures that often arise with normal course work, summer scholar projects do not involve credit hours or grades, giving students the opportunity to focus entirely on scholarly pursuit. In that sense the Young Scholar Program offers a unique undergraduate venue in which to experiment with ideas and artistic expression, pursue an intellectual passion, and focus intently on the resolution of a question over a sustained period of time.  They study, they reflect, they create, and they write.  All the while, they are pushed to the boundaries by faculty mentors whose goal it is to model the scholarly path of point and counterpoint, testing ideas and data, and pushing creative frontiers.  In short, Young Scholars have the real experience of a scholar – one that is immensely valuable in its own right, but that can also serve as a testing ground for possible graduate or professional studies.  

II.  Terms of the Program

• Rising sophomores, juniors and seniors in all non-science disciplines are eligible.
• The research will culminate in a writing or artistic project by the student, to be completed by August 15 and submitted to the provost’s office. The project will be reviewed by the faculty supervisor who will write an evaluation of the student's work by mid-September. 
  
• Students will present their work in a Project Presentation in early fall.  The presentation may take one of many forms, such as a poster, an exhibition, or PowerPoint presentation.  Students are also required to write an evaluation of their summer scholar experience.
• Recipients of another major summer scholarship are not eligible. 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.  However, prospective faculty supervisors should be wary of students trying to pack too much into their summer schedules and not giving the research the attention it warrants.  Whatever else the student chooses to do during the summer, all Young Scholars will devote a full 10 weeks exclusively to their research project.
• Research that requires a substantial amount of time away from campus is not funded by the Young Scholar Program.  However, one to three weeks absence from campus for field or research trips is permissible.
• Faculty need to be present for regular meetings (e.g., at least twice weekly) with the students.  This minimum may vary one way or the other over the 10 weeks because of the varying rhythm of the research process.  Proposals indicating Young Scholar supervision from a distance will not be funded.  
• Ordinarily students will be in residence at Denison from about mid-May to about mid-July.
  
• The summer 2008 Young Scholar Award includes a $3,300 stipend plus on-campus housing.  Students receive five payments, one every two weeks.  The federal government taxes both stipend and housing.  Students who serve as Resident Assistants in the residence halls will be compensated for that work by the Office of Student Affairs.
  

III.  Guidelines for Student Applications

Please note: there is no application form as such.  Your proposal responding to the questions below constitutes your application.

Proposals are due Monday, February 4, 2008 by 4:30 p.m. in Doane 205 (Provost’s Office). Proposals may not exceed six pages and should include:

1. Cover sheet with 
   
1. Title of the project (limit 18 words) 
   
2. Name 
   
3. Faculty supervisor's name 
   
4. Denison ID Number 
   
5. Slayter box number
2.  origin, background history, and clear description of the project with a statement of major questions/goals/objectives to be explored; 
3. work plan, methodology, and schedule of summer work and meetings with faculty supervisor; 
4. bibliography, bibliographical resources; 
5. letter of evaluation from the faculty supervisor assessing the project and work plan. This letter may be submitted separately, and electronically sent to Cathy Van Sickle at vansicklec@denison.edu.  (This letter is not included in the page limit.)
   

Note:  Applications that propose the mere development technical skills will not be accepted.  Projects must be idea-driven and clearly represent a liberal arts pursuit. 

Research Cells:  The Young Scholar Program accepts group applications from multiple students who are researching a common topic or subject area.  Typically a research cell consists of students who collectively study a common topic while individually researching different aspects of that topic.  This research venue is rich in opportunities for collaborative study, frequent discussion meetings, and mutual discovery.  There are two models for applying for a research cell: 1) Under the close supervision of one or more faculty supervisors, students collaboratively write and submit a single application;  2) under the close supervision of one or more faculty supervisors, each student writes a separate proposal.  Students in a research cell receive the same stipend and housing as other Young Scholars.

IV.  Criteria for Proposal Evaluation

Merit of the Project

1. Does the proposal reflect the activity of an informed and lively intellect and talent? 
2. Is the work intellectually/artistically sound?  
   

Conception, Definition and Organization of the Project

1. Does the proposal establish a clearly defined set of objectives for the project, and do the planned activities described in the proposal lead to the logical completion of the objectives?
2. Is there evidence that the student has done a sufficient literature search and is sufficiently immersed in the issue or the art to frame a robust summer project? 
3. Are the objectives of the project congruent with the curricular/educational background of the student?
   

Importance of the Project

1. How original is this proposed project?  
2. Are the intellectual/artistic issues addressed important ones?  
   

Appropriateness of the Scope of the Project in the Proposed Time Frame

1. Does the size of the project warrant an entire summer’s research? 
   
2. Conversely, is the project overly ambitious for the suggested time frame?

Confidence in the Overall Quality of the Project

1. Is there evidence that the student is qualified to do a good job on the project and carry it through on a successful basis?
2. Is there evidence that the meetings between the advisor and student are frequent enough for close supervision with frequent feedback?  (The standard would be a minimum of two meetings per week.)
   

V.  Selection Process

Young Scholars will be selected on a competitive basis by the Student Research Grants Committee, made up of one person each from the Arts, Humanities, Sciences, Social Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Programs.  The Scholars are selected on the basis of the merit of their proposals; departmental or divisional considerations are not a part of the review criteria.  Students may apply to the program in successive years, and their applications are treated equally with the rest of the applicants.  In the past Denison has awarded between 40% and 50% of those who apply, approximately 40 students.