Applications are now being accepted!

(Update, 1/2/13, applications are no longer being accepted for this cycle.)

Named in honor of two legendary SMPA faculty members, the new Manheim-Sterling Undergraduate Research Prizes are designed to support and encourage outstanding mentored undergraduate research and creative activity in the School of Media and Public Affairs. The School will award two prizes each academic year, one for a political communication major and one for a journalism/mass communication major. Students must have a faculty mentor for their project or be engaged in collaborative research with a faculty mentor to qualify for these awards. The awards are designed to afford students an opportunity to partake of the many benefits that result from undertaking a serious research project or creative work and from establishing a close mentoring relationship with a faculty member.

What can be funded?
The awards can be used to fund expenses associated with a mentored research or creative project. For example: A student might apply for funds for travel related to a reporting project such as interviews and research for a story; to gather footage for a short documentary; to undertake field research, hire coders or run an experiment; or, to travel to present a paper or creative product. The maximum award is $1500 per student.

What does the faculty mentor do?
Projects must have some level of faculty involvement. This can range from an independent research or reporting project mentored and supervised by a faculty member to a fully collaborative student-faculty project that results in a co-authored paper or story. Students should expect to meet regularly with faculty mentors to seek guidance on the project. The faculty mentor must provide a letter of support indicating the importance of the proposal.

Additional Details:
• JMC and PCM Prizes. Two prizes, one for JMC majors and one for PCM majors, will be awarded each year. The maximum award is $1500 per student. Amounts awarded will be based on the budget request and justification. Funds can only be provided for expenses that will be incurred in the course of doing the reporting or research project; funds cannot be used to provide a stipend to the student or reimburse for money spent on a previously completed project. All applications must include a detailed budget and budget justification.

• What kinds of project ideas get funded? When can the money be used? Mentored research or creative projects eligible for funding can include special honors projects, projects that grow out of a class or independent study, collaborative projects with a faculty member or projects independently conceived by the student. The award must result in a tangible paper, story or creative work, or the presentation of such at a conference or festival. The funding is available for use during the spring semester or summer.

• Deadlines and Directions for Applying. Application Deadline is December 14, 2012 by 5pm. To apply: 1) Fill our application form including project description, outputs, budget and budget justification and bring it to MPA room 400. 2) Request a note of support from the faculty mentor and submit that with your application. Winners will be notified in January. Have questions? Email SMPA Director of Administration and Special Projects Samara Sit at samara@gwu.edu