Office of Student Research

OSR Research Grants

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OSR Research Grants now use the InfoReady Software platform - grant funding guidelines and policies will not change. The deadline will continue to be the 15th of the month with award decisions returned by the end of the month in which the student is applying (incomplete applications DO NOT carry forward from month to month). Call for Proposals will go out via InfoReady on the first of February, March and April 2024. There is no December, January, May or June OSR Research Grant award cycle. OSR cannot edit or replace any uploaded items on submitted InfoReady student grant applications - all submissions must be proofread diligently before they are submitted via the InfoReady portal. You MUST use the required OSR budget itemization template included on the InfoReady application home page (on the right side, under Supporting Documents). Contact OSR directly at osr@appstate.edu with any questions, please do not reach out via InfoReady as they will not be able to address questions specific to our Internal Competitions.

All currently enrolled Appalachian undergraduate and graduate students in good academic standing are eligible to apply for an OSR Research Grant of up to $500. The grant is designed to fund costs associated with outside the classroom, Faculty-mentored, student-based research projects or creative endeavors. Funding may be used for research supplies or research related expenses/materials, including the printing of a poster for presentation. Research grant proposals for travel expenses involving conducting/collecting research are not permitted from OSR funding. Students must be enrolled in at least one course at the time of the grant application submission and in the semester in which the funding is expended. 

Students will work with their Faculty Mentor and departmental office to expend their awarded OSR Research Grant funding. You must provide a copy of your original OSR grant application and official award letter to the department before any orders are allowed to be placed.  All equipment expenses funded through an OSR Research grant remain the property of Appalachian State University and are housed in the home department of the student's Faculty Mentor.

Funding Guidelines

OSR Research Grants ARE designed to cover the following:

  • Supplies and materials necessary to conduct the project

  • Incentives for Human Subjects (e.g., paid to the subject - no gift cards/certificates, food/beverage items or raffles)

  • Poster printing for presentations

OSR Research Grants are NOT designed to cover the following:

  • Costs associated with class projects, class assignments or any activities that are associated with a traditional "in the classroom" course
  • Supplement funding for study abroad trips, student teaching, training or internships. We cannot fund tuition, training or course expenses of any kind.
  • Food and beverage expenses 
  • Gift certificate/gift card purchases
  • Giveaways/raffles or prizes
  • Wages or stipends of any kind
  • Abstract Submission or Processing Fees
  • Mturk Funding
  • Travel to conferences (see OSR Travel Grants - only for accepted presenters)

Any questions may be directed to the Office of Student Research at weavermk@appstate.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I am in good academic standing?

  • Students that are currently (in the semester applying) NOT on academic probation are considered in good academic standing.
  • Faculty mentors can use their discretion as to whether they will engage in research with a student who has not done well academically. 

Can I apply for a research grant more than once?

  • Students CAN apply for a grant more than once but may only receive ONE OSR Research Grant per academic semester (fall, spring, summer) for supplies and materials other than poster printing costs. Based on available funding, preference will be given to students who have not received an OSR Research Grant before repeat funding in multiple semesters is awarded. Students applying in back-to-back semesters will only be considered if all other non-repeat applicants have been funded.

Can a team of students working on the same research project or creative endeavor apply for grants?

  • Only ONE grant per project will be funded per academic semester (fall, spring, summer) for supplies and materials.  Teams must select one student as the Lead to submit the grant.  

  • Based on available funding, preference will be given to students involved in other projects who have not received an OSR Research Grant before repeat funding in multiple semesters is awarded. 

Can I apply for this grant without a Faculty Mentor?

  • No, all students, graduate and undergraduate must work with a Faculty Mentor to apply for any OSR related grant. The online letter of Faculty Recommendation must come from the Faculty Mentor listed on the student grant application.

Can I use this grant to fund my travel to a conference?

  • No, the OSR Research Grant is for research supplies or related expenses.

Grant Requirements

In order to justify awarding a research grant, the Office of Student Research must have a descriptive Project Title and a detailed Project Description and Budget Justification. Projects should be discussed and reviewed with the faculty mentor prior to submission. The following are some suggestions for your proposal preparation:

  • Discuss and design the proposed research project with your Faculty mentor.
  • Determine the specific aims, goals or objectives.
  • Establish the appropriate study design or methods.
  • Decide on the materials needed for the project and obtain specifics regarding cost for each item. This includes providing a detailed list of items intended to be purchased with their associated costs and supplier. Students may only purchase items listed on their original grant application. A copy of this application is required to be given to the administrative assistant in the ordering department (home academic department of the Faculty Mentor) when an OSR Research grant is awarded, to insure that only the items approved by our OSR Grant Review Committee are ordered.
  • Explain the purpose of the requested items as they relate to the research question and methods.
  • If applicable, appropriate IRB (working with human participants), IBC (biosafety) or IACUC (working with animals) protocol numbers should be provided. Funds will not be awarded until appropriate approval has been obtained. Please see the website for further information regarding Research Protections.

To Apply

  • The InfoReady link for November OSR Research Grant applications closed on November 15, 2024 (at 11:59 pm). OSR cannot accept any submissions. There is no OSR Research Grant Call for Proposals in December, January, May or June. OSR will begin accepting research grant applications on February 1, 2025. Incomplete applications DO NOT carry forward.
  • OSR cannot edit or replace any uploaded items on submitted InfoReady student grant applications - all submissions must be proofread diligently before they are submitted via the InfoReady portal. You MUST use the required OSR budget itemization template included on the InfoReady application home page (on the right side, under Supporting Documents). Contact OSR directly at osr@appstate.edu with any questions, please do not reach out via InfoReady as they will not be able to address questions specific to our Internal Competitions.
  • If applicable, determine the need for IRB, IACUC or IBC approval. Research compliance is important and should be obtained prior to applying for an OSR Research Grant. Research funds cannot be awarded until final compliance approval has been submitted to OSR (if approved, please indicate the protocol number on your application). If your project includes flying Unmanned Aircraft Systems (i.e., drones), please be aware that Appalachian has a process to get permission to fly them on campus.  If you are flying them off campus, it is important to make sure you are aware of FAA laws and North Carolina  requirements about the use of UAS.

Summer deadlines: July and August. Fall deadlines: September, October and November. Spring deadlines: February, March and April. We must have both your complete grant application and Faculty Recommendation/Reference Letter (submitted through InfoReady) by the posted competition deadline. There is NO December, January, May or June call for research grant proposals. 

Guidelines for Grant Funds

  • All Research Grants be must be expended by the end of the semester in which they are awarded (December for summer and fall awards, May for all spring awards). Research funding does NOT roll over at the end of each fiscal year (Mid-May is the final date for purchases to be made each fiscal year).
  • All OSR funding is awarded to students only and must be expended in the Faculty Mentor's home academic department by the awarded student. Faculty cannot be reimbursed for expenses claimed on any OSR grant application.
  • Students must meet with their departmental administrative assistant and faculty mentor before any money is spent. Orders will be placed in the academic department -  no reimbursements may be paid directly to students. Students may only expend their awarded OSR Research grant funding on the items listed in their budget justification on their submitted grant application. Students cannot substitute or order items not listed on their original OSR grant application - you must provide a copy of your original OSR grant application to the department to verify approved purchases. No items may be ordered until students have been officially awarded OSR grant funding.
  • All Appalachian State University Policies and Procedures must be adhered to when spending down Research Grant monies. Any non-approved expenditures will be the sole responsibility of the student.

Grant Recipient Requirements

  • If possible, students should present their work at the Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors at Appalachian. This event is held every Spring semester.
  • Grantees are asked to acknowledge the Office of Student Research on any presentations or publications that result from the research conducted through the grant.

Award Notifications

Fall deadlines for all OSR Research Grant applications are the 15th of September, October and November, with award notifications made by the end of the month in which the application is received. Each monthly InfoReady Call for Proposals is a separate competion - no applications are carried forward. We must have both your complete InfoReady grant application and Faculty Recommendation/Reference Letter by the posted competition deadline. There is no December, January, May or June OSR Research grant call for proposals.