Dean’s Global Research Grants 2022-2023

Open Research Grant Category

 

The DGRG Open Research Grant is a merit-based grant program that provides GLS sophomores and juniors with funding for research projects or creative productions unrelated to the senior thesis. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until funding has been exhausted for the academic year.

 

Eligibility and Restrictions

Applications for the Open Research Grant are limited to current GLS Sophomores and Juniors. Completed applications to fund research occurring over the Winter Break must be submitted no later than November 23, 2022. For research not occurring over the Winter Break, completed application packages (including the required letter of recommendation) are due a minimum of FOUR FULL WEEKS before the day the first funds will be needed. Students may not use the Open Research Grant to fund projects that would require Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. All projects awarded Open Research Grant funding for Academic Year 2022-2023 must conclude no later than August 31, 2023.

Students may receive only one Open Research Grant during their time at GLS and should therefore time their application carefully. Winning an Open Research Grant does not preclude applying for a Senior Thesis Grant during the senior year.

Successful applicants will be required to submit a Grant Report and Expense Account within 30 days of the conclusion of the grant period.

Ineligible items and services. Certain items and services are ineligible for funding. Students should not request funding for:

  • Tuition and other fees to attend classes or workshops offered at NYU or elsewhere
  • Fees to attend or travel to a conference as an attendee, rather than as a presenter
  • Third-party services, including but not limited to editors, translators, and videographers
  • Income replacement for part-time jobs undertaken during the school year
  • Copies of books that are available in the NYU Library
  • Items of unusual expense where a more modestly priced item would perform the same essential functions (e.g., professional-level video equipment)
  • Publication and/or book-binding costs for multiple copies of a creative work. Academic Affairs will, however, consider requests for a single bound copy of a creatively produced work.
  • Excessive rental costs for gallery spaces and event spaces
  • Donations to communities and organizations who are affiliated with the student’s research in some way (e.g., an NGO whose members the students are interviewing for their project)
  • Per diem / food costs
  • Legal fees
  • Website licensing and domain fees

All budgets will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and Academic Affairs may deem additional categories of requested expenses to be invalid in consultation with senior administrators.

Travel restrictions. As per the latest (Aug. 1st, 2022) update to the University’s Travel Policy, travel by members of the NYU community to most locations will no longer require approval from NYU’s Travel Review Committee as long as travelers are up to date on their vaccination, or have received an OEO or Moses accommodation specifically related to their trip. However, due to increased safety and security concerns, some countries now require pre-approval from the University’s insurance/travel safety provider. That list of countries has been posted here and is updated frequently, so please be sure to check it prior to travel. If you are seeking to travel to a country on the list, please complete this form to begin the pre-approval process, and a member of the University’s travel safety team will be in touch within two business days. Please note that approval from the insurance provider can take 30-45 days. If you have any questions, please email travelsafety@nyu.edu.

Application changes. Students may not change their proposal once submitted, nor can they change their project plans after they have been notified of the outcome of their grant application. 

 

APPLICATION FORM AND PROCEDURE 

In order to apply for a grant, students must complete the online application, available at the link below: 

Application: DGRG Open Research Grant

Students must also ask a GLS faculty member to supervise their project, preferably a faculty member they have worked with before. This faculty member should email a letter of recommendation to gls.dgrgrants@nyu.edu. (N.B.: As an alternative to writing a recommendation from scratch, faculty may opt instead to complete the “Faculty Recommendation for Dean’s Global Research Grant” Google Form, available from Academic Affairs upon request.) An application will not be considered complete nor reviewed without the letter of recommendation. 

In addition to completion of all identifying information requested by the application form, a completed application package must include the following:

Project Proposal. In 500 words or less, please describe your research project in detail and how it would be facilitated by a grant. You should describe the precise aspect(s) of your thesis research that the requested grant will support, and how those pieces fit into the project as a whole. The reviewers are interested in hearing why the items and/or services you are requesting are necessary to your project. 

Itemized Budget. Please submit a detailed, itemized budget that separately lists the amounts required for travel, equipment, lodging, and any other element of your work for which you are requesting support. Estimates for equipment purchase or rental must be based on actual price quotes or online pricing information. Similarly, transportation costs (such as for plane/train tickets) or lodging costs cannot be merely speculative, but must be based upon pricing information that the student has made a good-faith effort to obtain. Students who are doing a creative production must break out each category of materials being requested. The total amount requested may not exceed $1200.

Your budget must be completed in accordance with eligibility rules. Invalid items will be deducted from the maximum possible award; for instance, a student who has submitted a budget for $1200 which includes $750 for a videographer would only be eligible for an award of up to $450.

If awarded a grant, you will be required to submit an expense account 30 days after the conclusion of the funding period showing the amount that was actually spent on each of the items/services you applied to fund.

Recommendation Letter. The faculty member supervising the proposed project should provide a brief recommendation letter that addresses his or her assessment of the student’s planned research; any reservations the faculty member may have about the research, the project scope and/or ambition; and their overall impressions of the student and their ability to complete the proposed research in a thorough, timely, and thoughtful manner. For projects that will be taking place overseas, the faculty member may also wish to include their impressions of whether the student will be a responsible ambassador of GLS abroad. As an alternative to writing a recommendation from scratch, faculty may opt instead to complete the “Faculty Recommendation for Dean’s Global Research Grant” Google Form, available from Academic Affairs. To access the form, the supervising faculty member should email gls.dgrgrants@nyu.edu with a request for the link. 

Students may email the DGRG administrators at gls.dgrgrants@nyu.edu to verify that a recommendation was submitted. Supplemental letters in addition to the faculty supervisor’s letter will not be accepted.

Students are responsible for ensuring that their application is detailed and complete at the time of submission, and for following up with their faculty supervisor about the required recommendation letter. 

 

EVALUATION PROCESS

The Open Research Grant is subject to a two-step review process. An evaluation committee composed of Academic Affairs deans and administrators will first review each submitted application and make a funding decision based solely upon academic merit and feasibility. Recommendations for funding will then be passed on to the Office of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, who will determine the eligible amount of each student’s award based on an assessment of the student’s financial need. 

All applicants will be notified by email of the outcome of their application. Funding amounts will vary by project, but no project may receive more than $1200. 

 

GRANT REPORT

Students who accept a grant award must submit, within 30 days of the conclusion of the grant period, a grant report that consists of: (1) a 1–2 page report summarizing their research and findings and describing how the grant helped and/or enabled their research, and (2) a detailed account of expenditures. By accepting a grant, recipients give Liberal Studies permission to publish part or all of the report online and to share the report with the grant’s donors, as well as potential donors who may fund future grants. Grant recipients are encouraged to submit photos with their report, which LS may use on LS websites and in marketing materials to potential donors. Academic Affairs will provide a template for the report and expense account to grant recipients. Grant recipients may also obtain this template by emailing a request to gls.dgrgrants@nyu.edu. Completed reports should be emailed to gls.dgrgrants@nyu.edu.

 

QUESTIONS

Questions about the DGRG Open Research Grants may be directed to gls.dgrgrants@nyu.edu.