Background

A principal objective of the Belt Association is to provide funds for geologic research related to the Mesoproterozoic Belt Supergroup by senior undergraduate and graduate students at accredited colleges and universities.  Grants are intended to aid research rather than to sustain the entire cost of the project; in the past grants ranged between $200-$1,000.  Grant requests are evaluated on a competitive basis.

Grants are awarded to individuals, rather than to institutions, and grants do not include funds for overhead at educational institutions.  Students should prepare the grant application under their own name, rather than a supervising faculty member or employer.

A Committee for Research Grants, which is composed of members of the Board of Directors of the Belt Association, makes decisions about funding based on information supplied on the proposal for research grant, and on an evaluation by a supervising faculty member.  Inasmuch as these documents are the only source of information available to the Committee for funding decisions, the applicant should present a proposal that is thorough, thoughtful, creative, and concise.

The Tobacco Root Geological Society also funds student research in the northern Rocky Mountains.  Applicants are referred also to their student grants.  Contact Larry Johnson (WDiggum@aol.com) for more information.

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Research

Research projects are expected to be one or two years duration, but projects of two years length have no guarantee of funds for a second year.  Funds for the second year will require a second application and evidence of progress.

Within six months of the completion of the project the recipient should submit a brief final report to the Committee that describes final research results.  Halfway through a two-year project, the recipient should provide a one-page report to the Committee that describes the research progress.  The recipient is encouraged to publish the research results, and if so, the Belt Association expects acknowledgement of financial support.

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Research Proposal Forms

The format for research proposals is given below.   The Belt Association requires that a supervising faculty member or sponsor provide a confidential evaluation of the applicant’s ability to conduct the research project.  Please have the faculty member or sponsor provide the evaluation in a separate envelope that can be enclosed with the grant proposal.

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Use of Research Funds

Traditional uses for grant funds have been field expenses, travel costs associated with research, materials and supplies, and other expenses directly related to completion of the research contract.  The Committee will consider other uses of research funds, and if an unusual use of funds is contemplated for a research project, justification should be included with the application.  At completion of a one-year project the recipient should submit a brief accounting of disbursements (no receipts necessary).  A two-year project should submit an accounting of disbursements as part of application for continued funding.  If the project is terminated remaining funds will be returned to the association.

Grant funds cannot be used to maintain families of grantees or their assistants, reimburse research already completed, to attend professional meetings, or to defray expenses to produce a thesis or dissertation (typing, copying, photography, etc.)  Funds should not be used to purchase equipment or supplies normally provided by the university or college.

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Proposal Deadline

RESEARCH GRANT APPLICATION
BELT ASSOCIATION, INC.

PROVIDE THE INFORMATION REQUESTED IN THIS OUTLINE IN THE ORDER SHOWN BELOW.  PLEASE PUT YOUR SIGNATURE AND DATE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAST PAGE.  RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATION TO:

BELT ASSOCIATION, INC.
c/o Dept. of Geology
Idaho State University
Pocatello, ID 83209-0009
E –Mail linkpaul@isu.edu

NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE NUMBER (WORK/HOME)
COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY ADDRESS
E-MAIL ADDRESS
NAME OF SUPERVISING PROFESSOR OR SPONSOR
PHONE NUMBER (WORK/HOME)
COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY ADDRESS

1.  Project title:

2.  A two-sentence description of principal objective(s).

3.  Describe the research problem (maximum 250 words).

4.  Describe the regional context of your proposal, and describe how your project relates to research by others (maximum 150 words).  Give a brief bibliography of reports related to the proposed research.

5.  Outline your proposed research schedule.

6.  Describe the field and/or laboratory research methods that you intend to use.

7.  Provide a budget estimate.  List the item, the amount requested, and give a total.  Justify any unusual requests.

8.  List other grants that have supported the proposed research, are currently supporting this research, or for which you have applied to support this research.

9.  Give a brief sketch of your academic or professional background, and list reports that you have written or co-authored.

10.  Signature

11.  Date

EVALUATION OF STUDENT APPLICANT – CONFIDENTIAL

Please provide the information requested in this outline in the order shown below.  Please put your signature and date at the bottom of the page.  Return completed application to:

BELT ASSOCIATION, INC.
c/o Dr. Paul Link
Dept. of Geology
Idaho State University
Pocatello, ID 83209-0009
E-mail - linkpaul@isu.edu

NAME OF STUDENT:
NAME OF EVALUATOR:
E-MAIL ADDRESS:
PHONE NUMBER:

1.  Evaluate the student’s academic ability.

2.  Evaluate the student’s potential to complete the proposed research project.

3.  What is your role in this investigation?

4.  Did the idea originate from the student, and if not, what percent did the student contribute to development of the proposal?