Spring 2020 Call for Proposals

Goal

The SEE Student Grant Program provides funding for current mechanical engineering students to pursue experiential learning opportunities that would not otherwise not be available to them. It is part of Student Experiential Education, a larger effort in the department that seeks to enable mechanical engineering students to think and act like the professionals they want to become.

Program Overview

SEE student grants are available in amounts ranging from roughly $500 to $2,000. Students can apply for funding for two types of opportunities: 

  1. Materials and other resources needed for self-directed projects
  2. Funding to enable participation in an existing experiential learning opportunity

This is our first year offering SEE Student Grants, which means that we’re very open in terms of the kinds of applications that can be submitted. We are interested in seeing what ideas you propose and building the program from there! If you would like help refining your idea prior to submitting a proposal, please contact katherine.mcconnell@colorado.edu. 

Eligibility

The SEE Student Grant Program is open to currently-enrolled undergraduate and graduate mechanical engineering students including those graduating in May or August 2020. Applications can be submitted by either individuals or groups.

Please note: Due to the impacts of COVID-19, we are currently unable to provide approval for travel funding.

Important Dates

  • Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Full consideration is guaranteed for all applications received by April 15, 2020.
  • Applications submitted by April 15 will be reviewed by April 25. Please allow two weeks for processing of any applications received after April 15. 
  • Awardees have six months from the award announcement date to spend funds allocated for summer projects. Awardees have one year from the award announcement date to spend funds allocated for projects extending into the academic year. 

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on their potential to:

  • Facilitate or support an experiential education opportunity for the student applicant(s)
  • Provide significant positive impact on applicant professional development.
  • Result in a deliverable that will benefit other students in the mechanical engineering community.

Additional evaluation criteria include the overall quality of the proposal and whether the SEE Student Grant Program is an appropriate funding source for the request.  Applications will be reviewed by a committee of department faculty, staff and students.  

Matching Funds and Other Funding Sources

The SEE Student Grant Program is one option for students to receive funding at CU Boulder, but it is by no means the only option. Being eligible for one of the funding sources at the link below doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t eligible for SEE funding, but we do want to make sure you’re utilizing all available resources. We would encourage you to review the list prior to submitting an application. We also welcome matching fund proposals (e.g., a proposal for $500 from SEE that would enable you to apply for the Dean’s Matching Travel Grant). 

Other Possible Funding Sources

Deliverables

At the conclusion of the funding period and/or the experiential educational opportunity, SEE student grant recipients must “pay it forward” through the development of a related learning opportunity for other mechanical engineering students. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • Work with a faculty member to develop a case study based on the experiential learning opportunity for use in a core mechanical engineering class (e.g., a student working with a non-profit to build a bridge could develop a statics problem based on their work)
  • Coordinate with the department or with a student organization to give a presentation that would be eligible for professional development credit
  • Write an article or blog post to be shared on the mechanical engineering website

Submitted proposals should include an initial idea for a deliverable, which can be further refined throughout the grant period.

Terms of Award

  • SEE student grants may satisfy all or part of the applicant’s financial need. The committee reserves the right to provide partial funding.
  • Awardees have six months from the award announcement date to spend funds allocated for summer projects, and one year from the award announcement date to spend funds allocated for projects that will extend into the academic year.  
  • Funding will generally be released as reimbursement of actual expenses, though alternative funding models can be proposed. Requests for purchase reimbursement must be submitted within 30 days of the purchase. 
  • Previous recipients may apply, but priority will be given to new applicants. 
  • SEE reserves the right to publish funded proposals for general viewing.
  • The deadline for deliverables will be established when funding is claimed. Deliverables will be used by the department to benefit all mechanical engineering students as described above.
  • Funding may be considered taxable income. You should follow appropriate tax law.

Apply for Funding

Please click the button below to download and fill out the Google Doc application in order to be considered for funding. Completed applications should be emailed as a PDF to katherine.mcconnell@colorado.edu. 

Apply for Funding Now