Application Process
Interested students should use the links below to submit their applications to the Dean of Faculty Office by early October for Fall awards and early February for Spring awards. Students wishing to apply should share their proposals with their advisors and give them adequate time to prepare a statement of support.
The student proposal should include the following information:
- Project description. A detailed description of the project (approximately 1 page), including the intended objectives of the study, the anticipated procedures to attain those objectives, and a time-frame for completing the work. The description must be addressed to a non-specialist reader; failure to do so will negatively impact a student’s chances for receiving funding. Applications should also include a bibliography, if appropriate.
- Expectations and responsibilities. A paragraph clearly specifying the expected role of your supervisor in this project (frequency and purpose of meetings with supervisor, anticipated laboratory, studio, or field assistance, etc.), and a statement clearly outlining your obligations in this study (preparations for meetings with supervisor, paper type and length, lab notebook, portfolio or finished products, anticipated deadlines, etc).
- Evaluation. A statement clearly describing how the research will be evaluated (tests, papers, laboratory notebook, dance production or a talk, quality and quantity of art work).
- Budget. An itemized budget indicating total amount of request and demonstrating that the work could not be conducted without support. These awards are typically NOT used for equipment purchases.
- Because projects might involve cross-departmental collaborations, all projects requiring the use of campus resources (lab materials, studio space, etc.) must include a statement of support from the affiliated department chair indicating that the student has received permission for the project.
- Proposals for the Smallen Award should also outline how the student plans to share the products of work with the College community, with the work perhaps becoming a permanent part of it.
Faculty Endorsement. The faculty advisor of the project must provide a statement evaluating (1) the academic merits of the project, (2) the capacity of the student to carry out the project successfully, (3) the merits of the budget, and (4) a statement to confirm the degree to which the affiliated department or program can provide some financial support. Faculty should submit their confidential endorsements online through Interfolio. Note: when requesting a letter of reference in Interfolio, the request will only be associated with your general Interfolio profile (not a specific application). In order for your application to be complete, you will need to manually add that reference request as part of the application materials for this specific position.
