01/7/15

Student Research Conferences at UM-Flint

Have you written a great paper for class? Conducted a cool research project? Worked with a faculty member as a research assistant? If so, please sign up to present at our upcoming student research conferences!

Why Present? Presenting at conferences not only allows you to interact with other students and faculty, but also allows you to showcase the work you’ve done. Presenting at conferences and getting published goes a LONG WAY in bolstering your resume and applying for graduate schools. Also, presenting your work at professional conferences give you a competitive edge and help you stand out from other students.

What Can I Present? In short: ANYTHING! Whether it’s a paper you wrote for class, a reading you’d like to do, a performance (music, skits, etc), an independent research project, or work you did as an assistant on a faculty’s project. All presentations are accepted!

Where Can I Present? UM-Flint is sponsoring two big conferences this year:

  • Meeting of Minds (MOM) is a collaborative conference for undergraduate students, co-sponsored by UM-Flint, UM-Dearborn, and Oakland University. This year’s MOM will take place at UM-Dearborn on Friday, May 9, 2015.
  • The UM-Flint Student Research Conference (SRC) is a campus-wide event showcasing research and creative activities from BOTH undergraduate and graduate students. Now in its 5th year, SRC will take place on Friday, March 27, 2015 at the Riverfront Residence Hall and Event Center.

Both conferences allow students to do oral presentations, poster presentations, performances, and demonstrations. Additionally, students who present are eligible to have the papers they present published in the journals respective to each conference.

For information about Meeting of Minds or to sign up, visit: www.umflint.edu/research/MOM. For information on the UM-Flint Student Research Conference, visit: www.umflint.edu/research/SRC.

We look forward to seeing your work!

08/4/13

Write Winning NIH Grant Proposals

“Write Winning NIH Grant Proposals”
A Workshop by David Morrison, Ph.D.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013
8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Dow Auditorium, Towsley Center

Co-sponsored by the UMMS Office of Research and the MICHR Education and Mentoring Group, this widely acclaimed seminar addresses practical and conceptual aspects of the proposal writing process (with emphasis on NIH applications). The presenter, David Morrison, Ph.D., is one of the most sought after presenters of workshops on writing NIH grant proposals. Participants will learn to prepare a competitive grant proposal by:

  • incorporating knowledge of the peer review process in a persuasive research description
  • formulating a focused research plan that incorporates well-formulated hypotheses, rationales, specific objectives, and long-range research goals
  • developing and justifying a budget for the proposed research activities
  • using existing resources at the University of Michigan in research proposal development
  • avoiding many common grant writing mistakes.

This workshop is open to everyone interested in developing their NIH grant writing skills.  CME credit is available.

Registration Deadline: October 11, 2013
Since course materials must be pre-ordered, we are unable to accept late / walk-in registrations.

Fee:  $125 for UM Participants (payable by shortcode or credit card)
$150 for Non-UM Participants

All those registered as of October 12, 2013 will receive The Grant Application Writer’s Workbook – National Institutes of Health Version (a $75.00 value) as well as other course materials.

Register and view complete information (including the agenda) at:
http://writewinningnihgrants2013.eventbrite.com

Follow this event on Twitter with hashtag #MICHRWWG13. Tweet your questions to us before or during the event.

06/16/13

Notice of Internal Competition

The National Endowment for the Humanities has announced the application deadline for the 2014 Summer Stipend program. Summer Stipends support individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both.

Recipients usually produce articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly resources.

Summer Stipends support continuous full-time work on a humanities project for a period of two months.

Summer Stipends support projects at any stage of development.

Summer Stipends are awarded to individual scholars. Organizations are not eligible to apply.

For more information, please review the guidelines found here:

http://www.neh.gov/grants/research/summer-stipends

The deadline to apply to the agency is September 26, 2013. The program guidelines require we hold an internal competition to select two applicants from UM Flint.

If you are interested in applying for the NEH Summer Stipend program, please submit a one page summary of your project to [email protected] no later than 5 pm on Monday, August 26, 2013.

Members of the Research and Creative Activity Committee will review the summaries, and select the two applicants from our institution.

02/14/13

Tuskegee: Could it Happen Again…?

Over 40 years ago, the now infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study became public, leading to the establishment of laws protecting human subjects involved in research. But can something like Tuskegee happen again?

Join us as we have an open forum with UM-Flint’s Institutional Review Board to discuss federal regulations and the precautions taken to protect human subjects. 12:30 – 1:30 pm in the Office of Research, 530 FH. Refreshments will be provided.

11/1/12

Grant Writing Workshop Comes to Flint Campus

The School of Health Professions and Studies and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs are pleased to announce an upcoming grant writing workshop. Chris Black will be on the UM Flint campus to share her tips and suggestions for writing a successful grant application. This workshop will be open to faculty, staff, and students who are interested in developing their grant writing skills.

The workshop will be held on Friday, November 2nd at 12:30 pm in Room 4103 of the William S. White Building. If you are interested in attending, please send an email with your name, email address, and university affiliation (faculty, staff, or student) to [email protected].

09/10/12

Undergraduate Student Research at the Nation’s Capitol!

From the desk of Robin Howard, Senior Director of Membership Services, Operations and Information Technology at the Council on Undergraduate Research:

Nothing more effectively demonstrates the value of undergraduate research than the words and stories of the student participants themselves. In the spring of 2013 the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) will host its 17th annual undergraduate poster session on Capitol Hill. This event will help members of Congress understand the importance of undergraduate research by talking directly with the students whom these programs impact.

CUR is calling for students to submit an abstract of their research that represents any of CUR’s disciplinary divisions (Arts and Humanities, Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences, Health Sciences, Mathematics/Computer Science, Physics/Astronomy, Psychology, and Social Sciences). In order to ensure proper review of applications, the above are the only disciplines that may apply. Should your research be inter-disciplinary, or in a subject not listed above, please select the division that most closely describes your research, if applicable.

Abstract submissions will only be accepted by using our on-line submission form. Prior to submitting the form, students should gather the contact information for all co-authors, advisors and sponsors (if applicable), prepare a short vitae/resume, and poster abstract. A document listing the information required for submission can be found by visiting: http://www.cur.org/conferences_and_events/student_events/posters_on_the_hill_information_for_submission/

For more information, and the link to submit an application, please visit: http://www.cur.org/conferences_and_events/student_events/posters_on_the_hill_call_for_abstracts/. Please note that CUR membership is required to submit an application. Either the student’s home institution must have an institutional membership, or a faculty mentor or undergraduate research coordinator appearing on the submission must have an individual membership. We will not review incomplete applications or applications that do not satisfy the membership requirement.

Please be sure that both portions (the electronic application and the electronic recommendation letter) are submitted by November 1, 2012. Please encourage your students to submit. This is a highly competitive program, which makes for a very exciting experience for the students and their faculty advisors alike.

For more information about the Posters on the Hill program, please visit http://www.cur.org/conferences_and_events/student_events/posters_on_the_hill/

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]

Students, don’t miss out on the opportunity to share your research with elected officials on Capitol Hill!

09/10/12

Welcome Back Students!

This is always an exciting time of year for the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs staff, as we get to meet new students and welcome back those of you who are returning. And now that the semester is settling in, I would like to share information about several terrific student research opportunities available.

Why do research?

Many of our student researchers have directly attributed their academic achievement and career development to their participation in research. Particularly, some benefits of participating in research include:

  • The opportunity to stand out from students without research experience, especially when applying for jobs, graduate schools, professional schools, etc.
  • The chance to engage in “hands on” projects that often go beyond what is learned in the classroom
  • Building close relationships with faculty (especially helpful when students need letters of recommendation, references, etc.)
  • The opportunity to earn wages, class credit, or service hours.

How can you participate in research?

Work as a research assistant: Undergraduates, if you are interested in working on a faculty project, you are invited to join the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). UROP offers opportunities for students to earn wages, use their work study, or earn service hours working directly with faculty researchers. For more information, visit www.umflint.edu/research/UROP under “Student Corner.”

Graduate students can conduct research through the Graduate Student Research Assistantship program, managed by the Office of Graduate Programs. Information for this program is available at: http://www.umflint.edu/graduateprograms/tuition-financial-aid/research-assistantships.page

Present your research: Mark your calendars for several conferences where students can showcase their work:

  •  The 21st annual Meeting of Minds Undergraduate Research Conference (MOM): A conference which provides students from UM-Flint, UM-Dearborn, and Oakland University an opportunity to share their research with through poster, oral, or performance-based presentations. This event is open to students from all majors. If you are interested in presenting your research, getting published in the annual journal, boosting your resume for jobs/grad school, and are interested in learning about other students’ research, Meeting of Minds is for you! The next MOM will take place on Friday, May 10, 2013, right here on campus! Registration will open in early January. For more information, visit www.umflint.edu/research/MOM.
  • The 3rd annual University of Michigan-Flint Student Research Conference (SRC): This campus-wide research conference showcases the efforts of UM-Flint students. Both undergraduate and graduate students of all majors will have the opportunity to present their work at this conference, as well as to get published in the conference proceedings. This year’s SRC will also take place on campus on Friday, April 5, 2013. Registration for this event will also open in early January. For more information, visit www.umflint.edu/research/SRC.

While these events aren’t taking place until next semester, we encourage you to start thinking about presenting now!

Develop your skills: Office of Research and Sponsored Programs will be hosting a variety of skill-building workshops throughout the year. To see our full lineup, please visit: http://www.umflint.edu/research/workshop_schedule.htm.

Stay connected: There will be many more developments in the upcoming months. Stay connected with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs by joining us on Facebook (under UM-Flint Office of Research and Sponsored Programs), following us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/UMFlintResearch) or visiting our blog at: /research/.

As always, you can learn more about our programs and opportunities by visiting our website, www.umflint.edu/research, under “Student Resources.”

We hope you take advantage of the support services in place for you. We’re here to serve you. Have a great year!

09/6/12

Human Subject Research Reminder

A few important reminders regarding Human Subjects Research:

  1. If you conduct human subjects research,  please submit an application for IRB approval, allowing 2 to 4 weeks  for minimal risk, US-based  research and 4 to 8 weeks for projects with greater risk and/or an international focus.  If your role is  faculty advisor/mentor, please ensure that student-initiated human research projects are evaluated for scientific merit and reduction of risk.
  2. Classroom projects involving human participants, where the intent is to teach concepts and methods and not to produce generalizable knowledge do not normally fall under IRB review.   Course instructors carry the responsibility of ensuring the class projects are conducted ethically.

Please visit the Human Subjects Website: http://www.umflint.edu/humansubjects for more information or contact the [email protected]

08/20/12

Internal Competition for National Endowment for the Humanities Limited Submission Funding Opportunity

Notice of Internal Competition

Deadline Monday, September 10th at 9 am

The University of Michigan – Flint Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, in conjunction with the Research and Creative Activity Committee, would like to announce an upcoming limited submission funding opportunity competition.  The National Endowment for the Humanities offers a Summer Stipend program for individual scholars in the Humanities disciplines.  The program allows only one faculty member per organization to apply for funding each year. Therefore the UM – Flint Office of Research and the Research and Creative Activity Committee will hold an internal competition to select an applicant for the upcoming NEH deadline.

The Summer Stipend program provides $6,000 to individual scholars for two months of full time effort during the summer. If you’d like more information about the NEH Summer Stipend program, please follow this link to the full announcement:

http://www.neh.gov/grants/research/summer-stipends

If you’re interested in an opportunity to apply for this program, please prepare a one page summary describing the intellectual significance of your proposed project, your methods and work plan, your skills and competencies in the subject area, and your intended results.  Be sure to include a project title at the top of the page. However, please do not include any personal identifiers on the one page summary. Instead, submit a separate coversheet with your name, department, project title, and preferred contact information. Submissions that exceed the one page summary limit, or include personal identifiers on the summary page, will not be reviewed.

Submit your coversheet and one page summary in PDF format to [email protected] no later than 9 am on Monday, September 10, 2012. The Research and Creative Activity Committee will use a blind review process to assess the submissions. The selected applicant will be notified as soon as possible.

Please contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at 762-3383 if you have any questions.