2020-2021 Opportunities

Submission Deadline: April 22, 2020
Award Notification Date: mid‐May, 2020

John S. Tuckey Award (Hammond location)

The family of John S. Tuckey, in order to honor his memory, has generously established the John S. Tuckey Graduate Research Award. The award memorializes a Purdue University Calumet
faculty member, whose teaching of American literature and editing/publishing of Mark Twain texts were internationally acclaimed. Dr. Tuckey’s long and outstanding service to Purdue Calumet included headship of the Department of English/Philosophy and Assistant Dean of the Graduate School. His accomplishments were recognized when Purdue University conferred upon him the Hovde Distinguished Service Professorship.

The amount of the John S. Tuckey Graduate Research Award will be $1,500. An applicant must be either a regularly admitted, degree‐seeking graduate student in the humanities at Purdue Northwest—Hammond location, or a college senior who, during the year of the award, will be a fully admitted, degree‐ seeking graduate student in the humanities at Purdue University
Northwest—Hammond location. The recipient must be enrolled in no fewer than three graduate-level credits per semester during the award period.

Recipients may apply the award to research expenses during the year following the announcement (Academic year 2020‐21). Expenses may include (but not be limited to) travel, food and lodging, photo‐copying or research materials. The University expects recipients to acknowledge the support of Purdue University Northwest in any publication that emanates from the award.

CHESS\Education Graduate Research Award (Hammond location)

The CHESS\Education Graduate Research Award of 2020‐21 in the amount of $1,500 may be awarded to either a regularly admitted, degree seeking graduate student in any department in the
Hammond location of the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (CHESS) or in the Hammond location of the School of Education & Counseling, or a college senior who will be a fully admitted degree‐seeking graduate student for the academic year 2020‐2021 in any department in CHESS or in the School of Education and Counseling. The recipient must be enrolled in no fewer than 3 graduate credits per semester during the award period. The award may be used for research expenses during the award period, including food, travel, research materials or photocopying, etc. Publications resulting from research supported by this award are expected to acknowledge the support of the campus in supporting the research.

Graduate Research Grants (both locations)

Academic Affairs also announces the availability of up to ten research grants in the sum of $2,000 each for the 2020‐2021 academic year.

Eligible applicants

Regularly admitted, degree‐seeking graduate students, or PNW undergraduate seniors who will be regularly admitted degree‐seeking graduate students at the time of the award, who meet the
minimum registration requirements during the award period, are eligible to apply for the award. While students may apply for more than one research award, students who receive one of the graduate research grants are not eligible to receive any of the additional awards (either the CHESS/Education or Tuckey awards).

Eligible Projects

Projects eligible for graduate research grants are those which relate to program requirements. Examples include thesis research, or non‐thesis program research projects such as directed projects or capstone projects, etc. Funded research projects are expected to result in a thesis, directed project or similar substantial research‐based report, or a publishable academic paper for which the student receives an authorship credit.

Registration and Academic Standing Requirements

For Graduate Research Grants, recipients must be enrolled in at least 6 graduate level credits (50000‐level and above) per semester of the grant (2 semesters). Recipients must maintain good academic standing for graduate students (3.0/4.0). For the Tuckey award and the CHESS award, recipients must be enrolled in at least 3 graduate level credits per semester of the grant (2 semesters). Credits to meet the enrollment requirement may be thesis, directed project, or other research credits, or required coursework for the degree. Recipients must maintain good academic standing for graduate students (3.0/4.0).

Award Process and Reporting Requirements

Graduate Research Grants will be disbursed to the department for the student’s academic program at the beginning of the fall of the academic year of the award. Students may apply to the department for disbursement of funds for approved budgeted items. Recipients must present their work at student research day in the spring of the award year, either by oral presentation or by poster session. A report on the status of the research project and expenses will be submitted to the Director of the PNW Office of Graduate Administration by the end of each semester of the award year (and a final report at the conclusion of second semester of academic work). Failure to submit the report may result in funds being withheld until the report is submitted. Funds not spent for approved budget items for the research project will be returned to Academic Affairs, and will not be disbursed to the student.

The Tuckey award and the CHESS award may be disbursed directly to the recipients at the beginning of the fall semester of the award year. Disbursements are awarded through Financial Aid, and recipients may be required to submit appropriate documentation to the Office of Financial Aid in order to process the awards.

Application Process

(Please note – the application submission is the same for all of the awards, except as noted.)

The deadline for application is April 22, 2020. The awards can be used in the 2020‐2021 academic year.

Questions and application packets should be submitted to:

Peggy Greer, Associate Director of Graduate Admissions and Records
Graduate Studies Office
Lawshe Hall 242
219‐989‐2257
greerm@pnw.edu

Requirements for application

1. Letter of application
2. Project proposal for research, including:
   1. Title
   2. Brief description of research project
   3. Goals of project and significance
   4. Project design or approach
   5. Brief bibliography or literature review
   6. Description of any previous research on this topic by applicant
3. Short biographical sketch of applicant
4. Two letters of recommendation from faculty (one of these may be the faculty sponsor)
5. Name and contact information for faculty member who will direct student’s research (faculty sponsor)
6. For the CHESS award and the Graduate Research Grants: Budget estimates and justification for expenses directly related to the research project: Budgets may include a reasonable amount for travel, if directly related to the research. Other travel reimbursement may be sought through the system of travel grants for grad students for approved academic presentations. Budgeted items may not include tuition, or payments for the student or faculty mentor. (The Tuckey award does not require submission of a budget).

Each application for an award must include all items listed above under Requirements for each award application. Applicants should submit PDF copies of each award application to Margaret Greer at the address above; original letters of faculty recommendation may be submitted by hard copy, and scans of each letter may be attached to each PDF application.

There is no page limit on the application submitted. Each application should include adequate detail to allow the relevant award review committee to understand the research project and its significance in the discipline. If the application is based upon a thesis, do not submit the thesis in its entirety. The award proposal should be a more focused and concise summary of your research project and the items outlined above.

Evaluation Process

• Proposals are evaluated by the relevant review committee on:
• Completeness of application (all required items submitted)
• Project eligibility
• Student eligibility
• Quality of proposal overall
• Budget/budget justification (reasonable permitted expenses, in type and amount)
• Goals and significance
• Project design/approach
• Bibliography/literature review
• Any previous research

Notification

The recipients of the awards are expected to be notified by mid‐May 2020.