COSMOS SCHOLARS
A Grant Program of The Cosmos Club Foundation
In Support of Young Scholars
(Graduate Students)
2009-2010
Purpose
The program provides grants to meet specific research needs not covered by other supporting funds, including but not limited to special supplies, travel, unanticipated expenses that would enhance the work, and the like. Specifically excluded are general financial support, tuition, and living expenses (except in connection with supported travel).
Scope of Program
There is no restriction as to academic field, but the project should be focused on objective scholarly research rather than commercial or political activity, social activism, or other non-academic goals. The number of grants to be awarded is not rigidly fixed, but is expected to be at least fifteen. Amounts of awards will be determined individually, but are contemplated to be in the range of $500 to $3,000.
Eligibility
Applicants must be enrolled, on a full-time or part-time basis, in a program leading to a graduate degree (Masters or Doctoral) at one of the thirteen local institutions listed here.
Budget
Grants will not exceed $3,000. Every research proposal must include (in the space provided on the application form) a brief budget statement which lists clearly the funds requested and explains how the money will be allocated. The budget should also state what other support has been sought or received for the work proposed (a field for this is on the application form).
Items of equipment and special supplies are eligible, but the equipment should be expendable. Items that the institution ought to provide or that graduate students can be expected to own are not eligible. Items and services that will outlive the project are not considered expendable and are not eligible.
Travel to research facilities to consult documents or to study artifacts in situ or to conduct cultural exploration is generally eligible. Travel to consult with an expert practitioner may be considered. Travel to attend professional meetings to present an accepted paper or poster exhibit may also be considered. Travel to a conference which is simply for networking or job-hunting is not eligible. Applicants should keep in mind the virtues of economically modest travel requests.
Guidelines
The major criterion for selection is the excellence of the research proposal, which must introduce the problem, state the hypothesis, and explain how the research will be used to solve the problem.
It is essential to make the project description understandable to scholars in other fields, while retaining enough detail to satisfy a specialist in the field of the proposal.
Be sure to remove (not just hide) editing remarks and comments from the final draft before submission. Pay attention to the stated limits on length. The CV must be limited to one page. The proposal statement must not exceed one page and should include goals, method, schedule, relevance, and importance. Space for the required brief budget statement is provided on the application form.
Do not request support for work which will be conducted prior to the announced date of awards, or so soon thereafter that the funds, if awarded, could not be applied to it.
Funds for tuition or related expenses for personal professional education will not be provided.
Generally funds will not be provided to support remuneration to participants in studies or stipends for research assistants.
Application Procedures
Please note: The Application Procedures have changed from those in previous years. The entire application must now be submitted online at www.cosmosclubfoundation.org . The deadline for submission is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time November 2, 2009.
The research proposal application will consist of the following:
- Basic Data Form,
- Curriculum Vitae (one page maximum),
- A one-page statement not to exceed 500 words with title describing the research project. Goals, method, schedule, relevance, and importance should be included here.
A detailed budget is not required, but the amount requested and the specific use(s) to which the requested funds would be put must be provided. Fields for this purpose are provided on the application form. Costs should be explained with care; supplementary explanations may be included in the narrative statement if desired.
The revised Application Form for 2009-2010 is now available for online completion.
All fields with an asterisk (*) must be filled in (N/A where appropriate). The C.V. and research proposal must be files in MS-WORD (.doc only; no .docx please), PDF, or Rich Text Format (RTF) format. Please note that WordPerfect and other word processors permit saving document files in at least one of these formats. These files will be forwarded automatically by entering their full paths in the designated fields, or by clicking the “browse” button and uploading them in the online form. Please take care to comply with the length restrictions specified above. Note: We recommend PDF submissions to preserve formatting.
Proposals that do not adhere to these guidelines will be rejected without further consideration.
Questions may be sent as e-mail messages to grants@cosmosclubfoundation.org.
Evaluation and Selection
Successful proposals will be selected by the Cosmos Club Foundation Trustees after evaluation and recommendation by panels chosen by the Foundation. Proposals will be judged on both substance and presentation. The Foundation may make awards in amounts different from those requested. Decisions of the Foundation are final and are not subject to review. Winners’ names will be posted on the Foundation web site no later than Friday, February 5, 2010. Recipients of grants will also receive a letter requiring a reply to the Foundation before funds will be disbursed.
Conditions of Award
Cosmos Scholars are expected to provide a summary report of the results of the project in support of which they have received awards, and to indicate how the award contributed to the project. This report is expected within one year of the date of the award, and the Foundation may post the report on its web site. Cosmos Scholars may also be invited to present their results at a special Cosmos Club Foundation function organized to recognize them and their accomplishments. Publications resulting from supported research must acknowledge the Foundation’s support.