Scholarship, Engagement, the Arts, Research, Creativity and Humanities Award

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About the SEARCH Award

The Scholarship, Engagement, the Arts, Research, Creativity, and Humanities (SEARCH) Award Program supports UTC graduate students and undergraduate students across all disciplines who pursue original scholarship under the supervision of UTC faculty.

SEARCH awardees gain intensive, hands-on experience with writing a research proposal, designing a research project or creative work, and disseminating findings through publication and/or presentation. Most projects commence in the fall and conclude the following spring or summer.

2024 Cycle

Student Application Deadline: by 11:00 pm, Sunday, March 3, 2024.

Support Letters must be received by 11:00, Monday, March 11, 2024.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

Currently enrolled graduate student or undergraduate student status with a graduation date of spring 2025 or later. NOTE: Students who receive the SEARCH award must be active UTC students during the fall 2024 and spring 2025 semesters. Awardees who fail to meet this requirement (i.e. apply for graduation in fall) will have the SEARCH award rescinded.
Be current, degree seeking undergraduate students in good academic and judicial standing.
Applicants must be working with a UTC faculty advisor/mentor who will supervise the project during the award period (July 2024 - June 2025).
Students who received a SEARCH award in 2023-2024 cycle are not eligible to apply.
Applicants must develop the research proposal in collaboration with the faculty mentor/ advisor who will direct the project during the SEARCH award period.

Note: Students may submit one application per funding cycle.

Award Details

Award amount – a maximum of $1,000 can be requested to support the SEARCH research project. (see funding details below)
Award Cycle: July 2024 – June 2025.
Funds will be transferred to the awardee/mentor's department in summer 2024.

Award Mechanism

Award funds are transferred to the awardee/mentor's department and can be used to support SEARCH research as outlined by UT, UTC policy.
Department personnel (administrative specialist, budget coordinator, or similar) are responsible for maintaining the SEARCH budget, and expending SEARCH funds to support the SEARCH research.
Faculty advisors and department heads are responsible for ensuring that funds are spent for SEARCH related research activities ONLY.
All funds must be spent by the awardee/mentor’s department by June 2025. SEARCH Funds will not be available after this date per UTC fiscal policy.

Use of Funds and Allowable Expenses

Requested funds must be used solely to support the costs associated with carrying out the SEARCH research project as outlined in the application proposal.
All costs must be reasonable and directly related to the SEARCH project.
Allowable costs include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: student wages and fringe benefits (the awardee’s home department will process wages and fringe), supplies, minor equipment, travel (to be arranged by the awardee’s home department), and operating expenses.

Awardee Responsibilities and Expectations

Awardee

SEARCH Scholars will:

work from a research question, hypothesis, or thesis statement
apply research design/methods to generate findings
communicate findings through presentation and publication
submit SEARCH award reporting documents as outlined in the SEARCH Award letter.

Award Criteria

Funds will be disbursed to the awardee’s department once the following criteria are met:

Award letter (including all required signatures) is returned to the Office for URaCE by the deadline indicated in the award acceptance.
If applicable, approval documentation from the UTC Office of Research Integrity.
- Note: research that involves human subjects or animals must be approved by the UTC Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) before the research commences.
If applicable, approval documentation from the UTC Office of Research Integrity that the Institutional Biosafety Committee Registration has been completed.
The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was established in accordance with guidelines set forth by the National Institutes of Health Office of Biological Activities (OBA) regarding research involving recombinant nucleic acid molecules. Additionally, the IBC provides the policies and guidelines to researchers under which studies may be conducted in order to maintain compliance with local, state, and federal requirements (e.g. NIH, CDC, OSHA, USDA, etc.). The current scope of the IBC covers research involving:
- Recombinant DNA molecules or synthetic nucleic acids as defined in Section I the NIH Guidelines, including transgenic plants and animals.
- Biological agents (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, parasites, and prions) and/or vectors that carry biological agents (arthropods, snails, etc.) which: 1) cause or are reasonably expected to cause disease in immunocompetent humans; or 2) cause or are reasonably expected to cause significant disease in local livestock (including poultry), agricultural crops, or indigenous wildlife; or 3) otherwise require containment and safeguards at biosafety level (BSL)-2 or higher.
- Acute biological toxins having an LD50 < 100 ng/kg in mammals and/or those listed as Select Toxins (Department of Health & Human Services).
- Human or nonhuman primate blood, blood products, tissues, secretions, excretions, or cell lines unless documented to be free of bloodborne pathogens or are otherwise low risk as per written risk assessment.
- Venomous animals posing a risk to humans through bite or sting and housed and/or manipulated in laboratories or other indoor facilities (e.g. greenhouses).
- Poisonous plants posing a risk to humans via dermatological contact, inhalation, or other route of exposure and housed and/or manipulated in laboratories or other indoor facilities (e.g. greenhouses).
- Novel nanoparticles conjugated to biologically active or cell-modifying molecules.
- Diagnostic specimens or environmental samples likely to contain any of the above and posing a significant risk to humans or local livestock (including poultry), agricultural crops, or indigenous wildlife as per documented risk assessment, including materials requiring a federal or state permit (e.g. foreign soils, noxious weeds, etc.).
- Investigators whose work involves any of these categories are required to file an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) Registration with the committee prior to the initiation of any new project. Approval of registrations allow the work outlined within to be conducted for up to three years, barring major changes to the scope of the experiments, and providing the investigator completes the required IBC Registration Update Form.

SEARCH Scholar Responsibilities and Expectations

Attend all mandatory meetings, activities, and events as designated by the research advisor/mentor and the SEARCH program director. A complete list of required meetings, activities and events will be included in the SEARCH awardee letter.
Complete all assignments, and meet all deadlines associated with the SEARCH research project (per the research timeline submitted with the SEARCH application).
Prior to and during the program, respond to information requests and other communications from faculty advisors/mentors and SEARCH program director in a timely manner.
Submit ALL SEARCH reporting documents (as outlined in the SEARCH Award letter).
Present at the 2025 UTC Spring Research and Arts Conference

Application Instructions

Before you apply, please read the information below carefully.

Applicants must have a faculty advisor/mentor who will supervise and direct the project for the duration of the SEARCH Award period.
Develop the research proposal (including budget and research timeline) in collaboration with the faculty advisor/mentor who will supervise and direct the project for the duration of the SEARCH Award period.

Application Criteria: Before You Apply

Proposal Guide (includes budget worksheet)
Proposal Template

Note: The purpose of the program is to provide an opportunity for students to obtain hands-on experience with the research process; therefore, proposals must be written by the student applicant not the faculty mentor.

Preparing Your Application

Required Application Materials

CV or resume (submitted with SEARCH e-application)
SEARCH Research Proposal ( submitted with SEARCH e-application)
Advisor/Mentor Letter of Support ( Recommenders will submit the letters directly to the Office for URaCE via an electronic form. See more information about this process below.

SEARCH Research Proposal

Download the Proposal Guide HERE
Download a Proposal Template HERE

SEARCH Research Proposal Content (100 points total)

****Before you compose your proposal, please download and review the proposal guide (includes budget worksheet), and template.

Project Description/ Research Objectives (30 points)
Research Design and Methods and Research Timeline (30 points)
Project Significance (20 points)
Budget Justification (15 points)
Student Merit & Need (5 points)

Advisor/Mentor Letter of Support:

The letter should address the advisor's commitment to supervise the project for the duration of the award period, how the advisor will provide oversight for the project, and the applicant's skills relevant to the project.

Support Letters: SEARCH applicants will identify the advisor/mentor contact information ( name and e-mail address ) within the e-application form. Once the SEARCH application is submitted, the advisor/mentor will receive an email from the Office for URaCE with support letter submission instructions.

SEARCH Applicants: Make certain you discuss the letter submission process and deadline (March 11, 2024) with your advisor/mentor prior to submitting an application. Also note that if you submit your application just before the application deadline date your advisor/mentor will have only one week to submit the support letter. Please make sure to plan accordingly.

Group Submissions

If the proposed project involves a research team i.e., multiple students working on the same project, please read the following carefully:

One team member will submit a SEARCH application including all project details on behalf of the group.

Students may submit only one SEARCH application per cycle. For example, if you are part of a research team you cannot submit a separate, individual application.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted via the electronic application form by 11:00 P.M. on Sunday, March 3, 2024. Applicants will receive a confirmation message once an application has been submitted. Late submissions will not be considered. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

APPLICATION

Questions? Contact the Office for URaCE.

Application Review and Selection

All proposals will be reviewed by a selection panel composed of UTC faculty and administrators. Each proposal will be evaluated using a 100-point scale aligned with the research proposal narrative. Proposals will be rank-ordered by score, and awardees will be notified of the outcome via email during summer 2024.