Cornell Atkinson Graduate Research Grants
2024 Request for Proposals
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To strengthen their application, prospective applicants are encouraged to learn about current recipients and their projects by attending: The Cornell Atkinson Graduate Research Symposium: |
The Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability’s Graduate Research Grants (GRG) provide direct funding for periods of 6-24 months to students in any doctoral graduate field at Cornell (or terminal degree in fields that do not offer the PhD) in support of innovative research that aligns with our four priority areas: Accelerating Energy Transitions, Reducing Climate Risk, Increasing Food Security, and One Health.
Timeline:
- Call for proposals: Oct. 2, 2023
- Deadline for proposal submission: Nov. 6, 2023, 5:00 PM
- Estimated notification date: Jan. 8, 2023
- Earliest project start date: Jan. 22, 2023
Grant Information:
- Maximum grant amount is $7,000
- An additional $1000, for a total of $8000, may be requested for the financial support and meaningful inclusion of an undergraduate research assistant. Note that a maximum of $3000 from the grant may be used for undergraduate assistance (see Application Instructions, below, for more information).
- The duration of the proposed research is typically 6-24 months. Extensions beyond 24 months are not allowed.
- The following budget items are not allowed: graduate stipends, journal page charges over $2000 total, and computers/equipment typically provided by faculty advisors, field, or lab.
Eligibility
- Cornell doctoral students in any field (or terminal degree in fields that do not offer the PhD) with research interests in the priority areas listed above
- Applicants must hold a student appointment at Cornell for the entire duration of the award period
- Previous recipients of Graduate Research Grant (GRG) or Sustainable Biodiversity Fund (SBF) awards are eligible to apply to this program only if the new proposal supports a new interdisciplinary collaborative project with another Cornell graduate student or an external partner organization.
Awardee Requirements
- Submit a short professional profile statement and photo for the Cornell Atkinson website
- Complete an annual and/or final report upon request
- Present their work at the annual Cornell Atkinson Graduate Symposium (typically in the fall semester of the second grant year)
- Upon request, participate in the review process for future grant application cycles
Funding decisions are made based on availability of funds, overall intellectual merit, and alignment of project to Cornell Atkinson strategic goals.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
The application consists of 3 sections:
- Online application form:
The form requests basic contact information, project title, etc. - Application text:
This is the substantial portion of your application. You will create a single PDF document (saved as Your Last Name-First Name.pdf, e.g. Johnson- Jody.pdf) and upload via the online application form. Your application text must include the sections detailed below (#1-10). - Project budget:
This is the detailed budget, which you will provide using our budget spreadsheet (saved as Your Last Name-First Name.xlsx) and upload via the online application form. We request a detailed budget for how the requested funds will be spent. If you are requesting funds to support an undergraduate assistant, be sure to summarize those expenses in the budget. We advise you to consult with your advisor and/or department finance manager to assist with budget preparation. Include a corresponding Budget Justification with the application text (item #10, below).
Application Text Sections
- Abstract (maximum 250 words) A brief summary of the proposed research and timeline.
- Description of Proposed Project (maximum 1500 words, approximately 3 pages; references may be additional to this limit) A concise statement of project context and importance, hypotheses and/or objectives, methods, and significance of the proposed research. The proposal should indicate a clear understanding of the resources necessary to complete the research successfully within the proposed time frame and their availability and accessibility at Cornell or elsewhere.
- Impact Statement (maximum 250 words) A summary of the prospective impact and/or relevance of the proposed research to one of Cornell Atkinson’s priority areas: One Health, Accelerating Energy Transitions, Reducing Climate Risk, and Increasing Food Security.
- Statement of Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion (maximum 250 words) Diversity, inclusion, and environmental justice are critical to sustainability, and at Cornell Atkinson we encourage and seek 3 support proposals that demonstrate a commitment to this reality. This contribution may be through the inclusion of research protocols that account for disparities in equity along relevant dimensions, including race, ethnicity, gender, and economic conditions. It may also be through partnering with external organizations that bring diverse voices and perspectives to the project so that evidence-based practices can be used to allocate efforts equitably toward those most impacted by sustainability challenges.
- Results of prior GRG or SBF funding (maximum 250 words) Required ONLY for previous GRG or SBF recipients applying for funding for a new interdisciplinary or collaborative project. Please provide a brief summary of results, publications, and/or presentations from your previously funded project.
- Co-applicants and Collaborators (maximum 250 words) Required ONLY for previous GRG or SBF recipients applying for funding for a new interdisciplinary or collaborative project. Please describe the roles of your collaborators and describe how they will strengthen the project and its impact. If one of your collaborators is an external organization but you do not yet know the name of the specific contact, it is fine to provide the name of the organization.
- Undergraduate Research Assistants (maximum 250 words). Required ONLY for applicants seeking supplemental financial support for undergraduate researchers. Please describe the specific role(s) of the assistant(s) and a clear plan for mentorship.
- Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 single-spaced pages). All accepted and published publications must be included (with DOI, if applicable). Publications submitted, in review, or in revision may be included but must be noted as such; do not include papers in preparation. List peer-refereed publications separately from non-refereed publications and conference proceedings. If you have a co-applicant (i.e., a fellow graduate student), provide that CV as well.
- Current and pending funding. If you have current funding for the proposed project or have pending funding applications, please list funding source, amount, and funding dates (start/end).
- Budget Justification (1 page maximum). Detail all items requested for funding. These awards generally consist of travel, materials and supplies, and other costs directly related to the proposed research (other direct) as well as undergraduate support. On the budget template, please enter budget requests only in those rows left open, and please leave blank the row near the end for Indirect Costs; these will be calculated by Cornell Atkinson when necessary.
All proposal materials MUST be received by 5:00 PM ET on Monday, November 6, 2023.
Please direct questions to: atkinson@cornell.edu, subject header: GRG question