Deadline: May 31, 2013

Eligibility

To apply for support from the Levinson Emerging Scholars Program, a student must:

be a current UW (Seattle, Bothell, Tacoma) undergraduate engaged in a research project in biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, bioinformatics, chemistry, genetics, neurobiology, or related fields in the life sciences during their award period;
propose to continue or initiate a research project for the duration of the award (2-3 quarters) that shows some level of independence and originality;
be registered full time (at least 12 credits) during the award period, pursuing a bachelor's degree at the UW Bothell, Seattle, or Tacoma campus.
have completed the equivalent of two years of university-level coursework and have had at least 3 quarters of prior research experience (or equivalent);
receive guidance from a UW faculty member serving as the student’s research mentor (applicants may also be working with a graduate student, staff, and/or post-doctoral associate in addition to the faculty mentor);
If you have other scholarships, fellowships, awards or stipends supporting your research project and you are also selected for a Levinson Emerging Scholars Program scholarship, you may not be eligible to receive the full amount of the award.
submit a completed online application, including a detailed budget

Application Components

As junior colleagues in an intensive research community, Levinson Scholars will make involvement in research the driving force of their education as they pursue independent projects of their own design supported by their mentors and other members of their lab or group.

This year, the Levinson application is joined with the Washington Research Foundation Fellowship application. You have the option to apply for both, but you must add a budget proposal if applying to Levinson. Thus, Levinson Emerging Scholars applicants will be expected to submit the following via the online system:

An abstract of your research project (limit to 300 words);
A statement of educational and long term goals (1-2 pages, double spaced): Explain the role of the proposed research plays in helping you to meet your educational goals, in articulating a customized course of study as appropriate that is developed in collaboration with your degree program, and in relation to your proposed graduate study and professional goals.
A research plan (up to 4 pages, double spaced, plus figures and references): Describe your proposed research, highlighting significant questions or problems the research addresses and your contributions to the project design. Provide an overview of your methods, proposed timeline, and explanation of the importance of your project to your field of study.
A budget and budget justification: A budget for the proposed project that identifies support for the student, including but not limited to: scholarship for educational expenses; modest support for research books, supplies, or materials; travel and conference fees for presenting research at professional meetings. If you have any questions about preparing a budget, URP advisers are available to help. Email urp@uw.edu to set up an appointment.
Faculty mentor recommender information: The student will submit contact information for one faculty mentor recommender. Faculty Recommenders will receive letter-writing instructions via email. (Students may not submit a mentor recommendation form from a graduate student or teaching assistant.)

Selection Criteria

Evaluation of each application will be based on:

merit of the applicant’s academic record;
demonstrated potential for the applicant to achieve significant scholarly advancement through completing the proposed research;
level of independence and originality of the applicant’s proposed research project;
willingness of the faculty mentor to allow the applicant to work independently;
potential for applicant to make important future contributions to their field; and
the ability of the mentor and research environment to facilitate the project’s success.

Requirements

Levinson Emerging Scholars will be expected to:

Remain active in the research project described in their application for the duration of the award;
Provide quarterly project updates to program administrators and funders; and
Present their results in the Annual UW Undergraduate Research Symposium.

The URP will provide support to Levinson Scholars, including events to interact with other researchers and career development opportunities. Levinson Emerging Scholars are also encouraged to attend UW events and other gatherings that welcome them to participate with a larger community of scholars.

Awards

Three to ten students will be named Levinson Scholars each year. Award amounts will be flexible and variable, with each award tailored to the student's plans to support the goal of fully involving Levinson Scholars in research year-round.

The Levinson Emerging Scholars Program

Information for Applicants

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