The John J. Kopchick Molecular and Cellular Biology/Translational Biomedical Sciences Undergraduate Student Support Fund

Applicants must be undergraduate students reporting to Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) or Translational Biomedical Sciences (TBS) program faculty members conducting translational biomedical science research and scholarly activities.

For the purposes of this program, translational biomedical sciences is defined as the translation of basic research effectively into enhanced healthcare outcomes for the entire population in fields such as biomedical research, bioengineering, drug development, informatics, communications, health policy and planning.

Students must be enrolled and maintain student status during the proposed project period.

Proposals will be reviewed by a committee that will include: the directors of the TBS and MCB programs, the chairs/directors of the Department of Biomedical Sciences, the School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness, the Biomedical Engineering program, and the Edison Biotechnology Institute, and the Vice President for Research and Creative Activity (or designee). Note: if the director of the MCB program is a faculty member outside of the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), the dean of A&S will select a representative from the college to serve on the committee.

The scholarly merit of a proposed project is the primary criterion used for proposal evaluation. In addition, the following criteria, as well as other factors as special circumstances dictate, are considered in the proposal review:

1. The relevance of the proposed research to translational biomedical sciences.
2. The strength of the scientific rationale.
3. The probability that the research will lead to new and relevant scientific information and may result in patent-protected intellectual property and/or know-how. 
4. The probability of positioning the student for success in subsequent ‘real-life’ professional activities.
5. Evidence, when applicable, that funding is not a duplication of other internal or external support.

Please review the guidelines before submitting a proposal. Very meritorious proposals are often not funded because these guidelines are not followed, and information needed to make an informed, objective decision is not available to the committee. Many reviewers feel that the care with which a proposal is prepared indicates the care with which the work will be done by the investigator. 

The proposal must be written by the student with the review and approval of the mentor (as signified by the signature on the cover page and the mentor's endorsement included in the proposal).

Please Note: The committee has the right to return without review any proposals that do not conform to these format requirements.

The goal of the requirements for type size, spacing, and margins is to provide legible documents of roughly similar length. The use of unusual typefaces defeats the goal the committee hopes to achieve. Please review all electronic attachments before submitting.

Questions concerning proposal preparation process should be directed to KopchickFund@ohio.edu. 

General Instructions

• Number pages to facilitate the review process. 
• Do not submit any hard copies in any form.
• Proposal must be submitted as a single PDF document, including scanned images of the fully signed cover page and checklist [excluding multimedia attachment, if appropriate].

NOTES: 

• The bibliography is now separate from the Project Narrative.
• A Current or Previous Funding section is now required if applicable.
• A biographical sketch for the faculty mentor is now required.

Assemble the PDF in the following order with the following formatting/page limits:

1. Cover page (use Kopchick MCB/TBS UG Fund form) 
2. Biographical Sketch of Applicant (one page)
3. Current or Previous Funding (200-word limit per award) 
4. Biographical Sketch of Faculty Mentor (up to 5 pages (e.g., NSF and NIH biosketches))
5. Project Narrative (4 double-spaced pages) 
6. Bibliography (one page)
7. Mentor’s Endorsement (one page)
8. Budget and Justification (no limit specified) 
9. Appended Materials/Multimedia Files (5 pages; and no more than 10 minutes of footage)

The project narrative must be double-spaced and use 12-point type that is clear and legible, standard size. Figure, charts, tables, figure legends, and footnotes/endnotes (bibliography) in these sections and the bibliography may use a smaller font size and may be single-spaced but must be clear and readily legible. Margins must measure one inch (1") or greater on all sides. 

All other sections: biographical sketch, bibliography, mentor’s endorsement letter, budget and justification, and appended materials may be single-spaced in a legible typeface. 

The committee has the right to return without review any proposals that do not conform to these format requirements.

1. Cover Page

Prepare a cover page using the provided form. Signatures must be obtained by the applicant and are required on the submitted proposal. The cover page must be the first page of the proposal.

If needed, applicants may submit cover pages with electronic signatures or multiple cover pages for individual signatures.

2. Biographical Sketch

Include a one-page biographical sketch of the applicant’s (student’s) scholarly interests and activities. 

The biographical sketch should include the following, preferably in tabular/bulleted format:

• Applicant’s Name
• GPA
• Educational training of the student, including: institution, degree, date of completion/anticipated date of graduation 
• Publications and presentations 
• Relevant coursework 
• Language skills (if applicable to the research)
• Honor and awards 
• Current, pending, and previous funding

The biographical sketch must also include a brief statement of the applicant’s long-term plans and how this award will help in achieving these goals.

3. Current or Previous Funding

If appropriate, include up to a 200-word limit description per award for (1) current and previous funding directly related to the project and (2) from a previous Kopchick Fellowship, whether related or not to the current project. For each, include a brief summary of outcomes to date and term of award (i.e., start and end dates). 

4. Biographical Sketch of Faculty Mentor

Include a five-page biographical sketch (e.g., NIH or NSF biosketch). 

The biographical sketch should include educational training of the mentor and most recent and relevant publications and presentations, awards, and funding, preferably in tabular or bulleted format.

5. Project Narrative

The four double-spaced page narrative should discuss the main objectives of the research, a brief discussion of the materials and methods to be used to conduct the experiments, and any preliminary data generated.

Importantly, the application must demonstrate the relevance of the proposed research to translational biomedical sciences. For the purposes of this program, translational biomedical sciences is defined as the translation of basic research effectively into enhanced healthcare outcomes for the entire population in fields such as biomedical research, bioengineering, drug development, informatics, communications, health policy and planning.

NOTE: It is imperative that applicants ensure that all projects are designed such that (1) the project methodology complies with all current restrictions and (2) that the project can feasibly be concluded within a year.  Applicants with concerns should contact KopchickFund@ohio.edu, prior to submission. 

1. Objective and Scope of Work
   • What do you intend to do?
   • What will this research, scholarship, or creative activity accomplish?
   • What problem does this project address?
   • Why does this project need to be done?
   • What has previously been done in the area? Remember, it is important to contextualize your project in relationship to others' works and to explain how the project differs from previous, related work.
2. Materials/Methods
   • How will the work be accomplished? 
   • Discuss the hypotheses or research questions, operationalization and instrumentation, research sites or context, research design, data collection, preliminary results, and data analysis. 
   • The applicant should clearly state how this project will produce new and relevant scientific information and how this work may result in patent-protected intellectual property and/or know-how.
3. Significance of the Project
   • Why is the work important to your field?
4. Intellectual Property
   • How might this research lead to new innovations?
   • Confidentiality: If the proposal discloses ideas, practices, or processes for which patent protection will be or is being sought, the word "Confidential" should be placed at the top and bottom of each page that contains such information. Also, the following statement should be placed on the cover sheet immediately above the signature section. 
     • "The data contained in this proposal is confidential and proprietary and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed in whole or in part for any purpose other than to evaluate the proposal without the written permission of the author. Permission is hereby granted to the review committee to evaluate this proposal in accordance with its normal procedures, which may include evaluation by evaluators both within and outside the University, with the understanding that written agreement not to disclose the information shall not be required of or obtained from any such evaluators. This restriction does not limit the right of any such evaluators to use information contained in this proposal, if it is obtainable from another source without restriction."

6. Bibliography

The narrative may include up to 10 references. A carefully selected bibliography can strengthen a proposal by indicating to the reviewer that the applicant is aware of significant and current literature in the field.

7. Mentor's Endorsement

The mentor’s endorsement must include: 

1. An assessment of the student in relationship to the proposed project 
2. A description of his/her role in the project proposed by the student

8. Budget and Justification

Budget expenditures encumbered before the award date will not be reimbursed.

Funds are available for 12 months following notification and account establishment and can cross fiscal years. 

This section should include the breakdown of the budget by line items, total budget request, sources of matching funds (if appropriate), and budget justification. 

The maximum award is $1,500. 

Students must be enrolled and maintain undergraduate student status during the proposed project period.

Travel: Travel expenses must be broken down into transportation, meals, and lodging categories, and the basis for the figures must be provided. Where appropriate, use the OU Travel Reimbursement Policy 41.121 to determine limits on travel expenses. Budget requests are scrutinized carefully, and requests, especially for long periods of travel, should reflect efforts to economize. 

Students who are traveling beyond 100 miles of their Ohio University campus or to another state must register with the Office of Global Opportunities: Travel Registration | Ohio University

For more support on domestic and international travel, risk ratings for destinations and planning an international experience, students are encouraged to contact the Office of Global Opportunities global.opportunities@ohio.edu.

• For domestic travel: Meal expenses will be reimbursed as per the U.S. General Services Administration per diem rates, unless the applicant stipulates a lower reimbursement through the Concur system. Federal employees are only eligible for 75 percent of the total M&IE rate for the location to which they are traveling on the first and last day of travel; all other days are reimbursed at 100% the rate. 
• For international travel: Any international travel will need to be fully justified. It is imperative that applicants contact the Office of Global Opportunities regarding any international travel to ensure that they are following current guidelines.
  • Meal expenses and hotel rates will be reimbursed as per the U.S. Department of State per diem rates, unless the applicant stipulates a lower reimbursement through the Concur system.

  • The following must also be addressed in the justification for international travel:

    i. What are potential safety concerns in the region (as noted on the U.S. State Department’s travel warning page, and how do you propose to take precautions?

    ii. According to CDC recommendations, what immunizations must you get prior to arriving in the country and what other measures do you need to take to ensure that you remain in good health abroad? When do you plan on getting these immunizations?

Notes: 

• Travel Booking and Arrangements: 
  • All hotel and airfare must be booked using a p-card and the Concur system. If the vendor does not accept the p-card, then you may pay for the expense out-of-pocket and be reimbursed through the Concur system. Importantly, some colleges have additional requirements and/or procedures for travel expenses that the applicant/mentor will need to be aware of and follow.
  • As per University policy, 41.121, all recipients must work with their respective department and faculty mentors to access funds. Funds will not be dispersed directly to recipients.

Equipment: All major items of equipment, including computers, which are to be purchased with Kopchick MCB/TBS UG funds, should be listed with the estimated cost of each item and components of each item if applicable. Because of limited funds available to the committee, requests for equipment should be made only after a conscientious search has been conducted to determine whether this equipment is already on campus and available through a loan or share arrangement. The duration of use and percent time used, project-based activities supported and inability to secure through other resources should be addressed. For computers, the specifications and capabilities must be stated and justified. Any equipment purchased is the property of Ohio University.

11. Appended Materials/Multimedia Files

All appended materials must be submitted electronically as part of the electronic application unless otherwise approved prior to submission. The Appendix is an appropriate place to provide copies of test instruments, questionnaires, survey forms, and letters of collaboration or financial support.

All materials included in the Appendix should be briefly referenced in the Project Narrative section.

Applicants are strongly advised to write the Project Narrative as a “stand-alone” document without the reviewer needing to refer back and forth to the Appended Materials. Supplemental text and figures in the appended materials are not permissible if they clearly seek to circumvent the page limits of the Narrative.

Submit one (1) one electronic copy of the proposal (with required signatures) to KopchickFund@ohio.edu. Use the subject header “Kopchick UG Proposal”. 

Electronic copies must be submitted as a single file in Adobe Acrobat format (Mac users must include the file extensions .pdf in the file name). Electronic copies must contain the entire proposal, including appendix, unless authorized prior to the deadline. 

Proposals must be received no later than 4:00 P.M. on the deadline date. 

If there is anything about your proposal that requires special handling or consideration, it is essential that you contact KopchickFund@ohio.edu.

A final report that describes significant outcomes, discoveries, or results must be submitted to KopchickFund@ohio.edu, within four months following expiration of the award. Use the subject header “Kopchick UG Report”. 

If this award results in additional, external funds, please list the sponsors and amounts. No future VP for Research and Creative Activity‐funded internal awards will be made to the applicant without receipt of the final report.