The Marcus Undergraduate Research Fellowship

Preparing a Proposal

1. Interested students should approach a faculty member with a project in mind and ask whether the faculty member is willing to serve a mentor for the project. Students should provide the faculty member with this document at the first meeting.
2. The student, under the guidance and supervision of the faculty mentor, will prepare the proposal for submission. Keep in mind that proposals may take several weeks to develop and complete.

Components of the Proposal

The PDF document containing the research proposal will be written in Times 12 font, single-spaced, and with one-inch margins. The document should contain the following parts labeled according to the print in bold:

1. Title of the Project: The title of the project should describe the project succinctly.
2. Research Question or Project Goal: (1 sentence)
3. Abstract: (100-150 words)
4. Personal Statement: This section includes the student’s academic interests and goals, the way in which receiving the grant would help advance those goals, and any personal information the student and faculty mentor think would be useful to convey to the review committee. Students should make sure to articulate how the Fellowship is necessary for the execution of the project (maximum 500 words).
5. Project Proposal Narrative: In this section, the student introduces the project, states the research question, describes the methods that will be used, and explains the value of the project (maximum 1,000 words).
6. Timeline: This section provides a proposed timeline for the project from beginning to end, including mentor meetings, tasks associated with the project, and completion dates for the various activities. (maximum 1 page)
7. Bibliography (optional): Provide a list of sources referenced in the proposal in the format and style expected in your discipline.
8. Unofficial Transcript: For SFSU coursework only.
9. Course Status: Is the project independent or part of a course? (If yes, then in one paragraph identify all of the activities that are beyond the course requirements)
10. Faculty Statement: This section is prepared by the faculty mentor and explains the merits of the project, the likelihood the project can be completed in the timeline provided, describes the mentoring plan (e.g., frequency of meetings), and other information the faculty member thinks reviewers might find helpful (maximum 500 words)

1. Overall quality and clarity of the proposal
2. Realistic scope of the project and likelihood of completion
3. Potential impact on student, the value of personal outcomes
   • Motivation and alignment with student's personal goals and development
4. Clear evidence of a student-initiated project
5. Level of faculty collaboration, as described in the timeline and faculty statement
6. Student preparation, evidence of the training necessary to conduct the activity
   • Shows familiarity with the relevant literature or discipline-specific practices
   • Attention to/awareness of contribution of proposal to their field
7. Does the project fit the award: “supports research and creative activity conducted by undergraduate students in partnership with a faculty mentor.”
8. Demonstration of need for the Fellowship
   • How is this project outside regular academic pursuits