RESEARCH GRANTS – Policies and Procedures
January 2008
The Memorial Research Funds of the Colorado Scientific Society award grants in support of earth science research in memory of
Ogden Tweto, Steven S. Oriel, Edwin B. Eckel, William G. Pierce, and George L. Snyder. Tweto and Oriel specialized in the geology of Colorado and in the geology of the Wyoming-Idaho thrust belt, respectively, working most of their careers for the U.S. Geological Survey in Denver. Eckel had a diverse career in mineral deposits, engineering geology, and scientific administration. Pierce worked on many geologic problems, but his abiding passion was the Heart Mountain fault in northwest Wyoming. Snyder was a respected authority on Precambrian geology and tectonics in Colorado and Wyoming. Student research grants are made from these five separate funds and are intended to support the scientific interests of each distinguished earth scientist.The Tweto and Oriel Funds are primarily used to support field investigations of regional geologic and stratigraphic problems with emphasis on the geology of Colorado and the western overthrust belt.
The Eckel Fund is used to support studies in engineering geology. The studies are not restricted as to location and may be either topical, laboratory or fieldbased or a combination.
Grants from the Pierce/Heart Mountain Fund are for studies of the Heart Mountain fault, northwest Wyoming, which will allow a better understanding of this shallow, low-angle fault and its mechanism. The Pierce/Heart Mountain Fund has recently been expanded to allow grants for Quaternary studies. These studies may be topical, laboratory, or field-based or a combination.
The Snyder Fund supports field-based studies in the Rocky Mountains, particularly those involving Precambrian igneous and metamorphic geology and associated basement tectonics. All grant proposals will be considered, but an application will be evaluated in significant measure on how the proposed investigation would contribute to earth science in general and to the specialized aspects of each fund in particular. Topics in geology, geochemistry, and geophysics applicable to those ends will be considered for funding. Applications are evaluated on a competitive basis according to the general policies given here. Applicants must normally be enrolled in a Masters or Ph.D. program at an accredited college or university. Senior undergraduate or postdoctoral research may be supported in exceptional cases. Applications must be presented under the name of the student doing the research and may not be for institutions or faculty members. Applicants need not be members of the Colorado Scientific Society, though we encourage students to become members of the Society. In general, grants can be used for travel costs, field expenses, cost of materials and supplies and for other expenses directly related to the fulfillment of the research proposal. Consideration will also be given to budget proposals for living expenses while doing laboratory work or for laboratory-oriented studies. Field and laboratory work must be carried out under the most economical circumstances consistent with good scientific procedures. Funds are not to be used for the purchase of ordinary field equipment, for living expenses of assistants or families of the grantees, as reimbursement for work already accomplished, for tuition and related expenses, or to offset other financial aid that the school may provide. Successful applicants are expected to make their own routine laboratory tests, prepare their own charts, and draft their own figures and maps, insofar as possible. Expenses requested for the purchase or rental of equipment, film, some supplies, or other items usually provided by a college or university, are not favorably regarded. Funds cannot be used to attend professional meetings or to prepare theses (typing, copying, or binding). University administrative overhead or other non-research items are not acceptable expenses. The recipient of a grant is expected to use the funds prudently, within the general framework of the proposal. Funds will be expended only for the purposes stated, and in accordance with, the budget indicated in the application. A budget can be modified only by previous written agreement with the Memorial Funds Committee. Upon completion of the project, the recipient will submit a brief accounting (no receipts necessary) of project disbursements and will return to the Memorial Research Funds of the Colorado Scientific Society any unused balance of the grant. If the recipient leaves school or is unable to complete the project for any reason, he or she agrees to return to the Memorial Research Funds of the Society any unused portion of the grant. The recipient of a grant will begin the project at the time stated in the application and will continue the research throughout the expected duration of the investigation. If the recipient is unable to begin the work on the project as stated in the application, the Chair of the Memorial Research Funds Committee must be notified in writing. The Memorial Research Funds Committee will determine whether the recipient will be allowed an extension of time or should return the funds and reapply the following year. Reports of successful completion of research help the Society attract contributions to provide growth of the Memorial Funds. In the spirit of helping support future research, grant recipients should submit a brief report of findings and a summary of expenditures. Recipients are also encouraged to submit abstracts for a talk to be presented at the Society’s annual Student Night, which is usually at the regularly scheduled November meeting. The Colorado Scientific Society expects acknowledgment of support from the Memorial Research Funds in publications resulting from the project. A copy of any publication resulting from the project should be sent to the Society. A complete application consists of two parts. The first part, “Research Grant Application,” is completed by the student and summarizes the topic, objectives, plans, and budget for the proposed research and the background of the applicant. The second part, "Appraisal of Applicant," is a required evaluation by a faculty member familiar with the applicant's qualifications and the significance of the proposed research. Both of these documents are available on the Society’s web site (www.coloscisoc.org). The Memorial Research Funds Committee will make the determination as to which fund will be used to support an applicant. Applications may be submitted either electronically or via the mail. Electronic applications will consist of the “Research Grant Application” submitted by the applicant and “Appraisal of Applicant” submitted by the faculty member to the Chair of the Memorial Research Funds Committee. See the Society web site for the current e-mail address. Applications sent through the mail must include five copies of the “Research Grant Application” and five copies of the faculty member's “Appraisal of Applicant.” These items should be sent together. If required, confidentiality of the supporting "Appraisal of Applicant" can be preserved by enclosing that completed form in a separate, sealed envelope to be mailed along with the student's application. Applications sent through the mail should be mailed to.
Chair, Memorial Research Funds
Colorado Scientific Society
P.O. Box 150495
Lakewood, Colorado 80215-0495
The deadline for applications is set annually and is posted on the Society’s web page. It is usually in late March or early April. The announcement of the grant recipients will be made in mid-April.