Eligibility Criteria 

• The applicant(s) must be members of the First-Year Honors Program and enrolled in the First-Year Honors Mentor Program.

 

Funding Policies 

Acceptable funding requests:

• Materials and supplies that are used as part of the research or creative process, such as assay kits, chemicals, construction materials, etc.
• Fees for professional services or external support that are required for the research project (e.g., statistical analysis or lab analysis).
• Equipment needed to complete the research. Examples might include a FitBit for an exercise monitoring project or video game for a study on gaming psychology. Contributions toward the purchase of a piece of equipment or hardware that would reside with an academic unit or administrative office upon completion of the project (e.g., a 3-D printer) will be considered but not prioritized.
• Incentives for survey participation, such as a small prize for a drawing among participants.
• Fees for access to online resources not available through the university.
• Interlibrary loan charges and reproduction of library research material.
• Travel to conduct research. Travel expenses must be justified and have a clear relationship to the goals of the project. Reimbursement will be in accordance with university travel policies.
• Printing, copying, and photographic services. Note: Printing and copying must be done by an ISU Printing and Copy Center unless alternative arrangements are approved in advanced by Honors.

Things FHMP grants do not fund:

• Poster printing
• A student's time
• Equipment or software that is available to students on campus, unless a justification can be made for its need for use in an off-campus location
• Travel expenses for attendance at a national or regional meeting or conference.

 

Application Procedures 

• The student(s) and faculy mentor should work closely to plan the project, develop an itemized budget, and assess funding needs.
• Grant applications are available online and completed electronically.
• All submissions must be typed (not hand-written).
• For group projects, list all student participants on the application. Do not submit separate applications for each student. Funding for group projects is limited to $500/group regardless of the number of students participating.
• Applications must be submitted in an Excel format (saved as an .xls file). Students do not need to submit a hard copy.
• Applications must include signatures for all student applicants and the faculty advisor. A PDF version of the application may be submitted if signatures are collected using DocuSign, Adobe Acrobat, or on a hard copy. The PDF would be in addition to the Excel file.
• Applications need to be uploaded to the CyBox folder by the posted deadline to be considered for funding.

 Additional Considerations

• HUMAN SUBJECT STATEMENT: Students doing projects involving human subjects must obtain the approval of the ISU Institutional Review Board prior to initiation of the project. This committee evaluates for compliance with university guidelines any research involving humans as subjects, including projects that use questionnaires or otherwise gather data from subjects. Human Subjects forms and submission instructions are available on the Institutional Review Board’s webpage. Note that you must allow at least 4-6 weeks for IRB determination of approval following submission of the required form for committee review.
• ANIMAL CARE AND USE STATEMENT: Students doing projects involving animal care or use must obtain the approval of the ISU Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee prior to initiation of the project. Animal care and use forms and submission instructions are available on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee webpage. Note that you must allow at least 4-6 weeks for IACUC determination of approval following submission of the required form for committee review.
• COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS: Students using copyrighted materials are expected to comply with copyright law.

 

Award Procedures 

• The Research Grants Subcommittee evaluates applications for clarity, originality, and content; ranks the applications; and makes recommendations for funding to the University Honors Program Committee, which grants the awards. The subcommittee shall include an Honors Student Board (HSB) representative or student alternate.
• The maximum award is $250.00 for individuals and $500 for a group. In some cases the committee will award partial funding for designated items in the budget request.
• The Undergraduate Research Coordinator will notify students and mentors of awards via e-mail.
• All student recipients and the faculty mentor are required to sign a contract of acceptance for the award. Contracts will be issued and signed through DocuSign.

Upon acceptance of the FHMP Grant the student agrees to:

• Include the following acknowledgement on any report or presentation related to the project: This research was funded in part by a First-Year Honors Mentor Program Grant made available through the Iowa State University Foundation in conjunction with the University Honors Program.
• Present the results of the funded project. The forum for presenting the results may be a poster presented at the Spring Honors Poster Session; a written report; an oral presentation to the annual Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression; a presentation to an academic department or professional society; or another format deemed appropriate by the student and the mentor and approved by the Undergraduate Research Coordinator.
• Provide the University Honors Program with up to 4 hours of volunteer time to help with special activities (e.g., Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression, Honors Poster events, writing thank-you notes for donors, First-Year Honors Program Retreat, etc.).

New Process for 2023: Honors will transfer the funding to the faculty mentor, and purchases will be handled at the department level on the faculty member's own worktags.

• Funding can be deposited into any type of account, including a PI or incentive account. Worktags will be requested as part of the application process.
• Changes to or substitutions for specific items outlined in the budget should be approved by the Undergraduate Research Coordinator or Honors Program Director.