Gary S. Neiman Graduate Research Scholarship Award Fund Guidelines

Gary S. Neiman

The Gary S. Neiman Graduate Research Scholarship Award was established to honor Gary S. Neiman, Ph.D., Dean Emeritus upon his retirement from the former College of Health and Human Services. Dr. Neiman served as the Dean of the College of Health and Human Services from 1999-2009. After earning his doctorate in Speech and Language Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1973, he gained extensive experience in clinical care and research. During his service to Ohio University, he promoted research, helping the College increase its productivity by obtaining external contracts and grants and promoting student engagement in research-related endeavors. The Gary S. Neiman Graduate Research Scholarship Award Fund was funded by alumni, current and former faculty, and friends of the College as a way to honor Dr. Neiman in perpetuity.

Purpose

The purpose of the Gary S. Neiman Graduate Research Scholarship Award Fund is to provide a full-time, degree-seeking, College of Health Sciences and Professions graduate student with resources to support an approved research project including travel expenses to professional meetings, the purchase of equipment required to complete the project, and other necessary costs associated with completing the research and/or presenting the findings at a professional level.

Submission Timeline

The application is due March 3, 2025.

What does this Award Fund?

The Gary S. Neiman Graduate Research Scholarship Award Fund is intended to cover direct project-related expenses such as materials and equipment related to research. A portion of the award may also be used for expenses related to travel or registration for conferences to disseminate information related to the proposed project.

Funding may not be used to cover the purchase of equipment available on the Ohio University campus or available on loan at a lower cost. Items purchased before the first day of the Fall semester of 2024 cannot be reimbursed.

Availability of Funds – AY 2025-2026

At least one recipient will be chosen and receive up to $500 for the 2025-26 academic year and the funds will be available for use after the first day of fall semester 2023. Expenses will be monitored/ managed by the faculty mentor and department administrator. Depending on the availability of funding, more than one award may be made.

Eligibility

To be eligible, the student must meet all of the following criteria: (a) be a full-time, degree-seeking, graduate student enrolled in or accepted for admission to an eligible academic program within the Neiman Research Award (July 26, 2021) College of Health Sciences and Professions; (b) be a full-time major at the time funds are spent; (c) eligible academic programs include accredited graduate programs housed in the College of Health Sciences and Professions; and (d) have a research mentor who is faculty within the College.

The application must be reviewed and endorsed by a faculty mentor from within the College. The funds may not be used after the awardee has graduated and must be spent by the last day of April 2026 at the latest.

SUBMISSION

Application instructions

Students must complete an online application for the 2025 CHSP Gary S. Neiman Graduate Research Award and be prepared to upload the proposal.

Date Due

March 3, 2025

Proposal Preparation

Please refer to the Proposal Preparation Guide for details on the formatting and contents of the proposal.

Use of humans and animals as test subjects and Institutional Biosafety

Regardless of the nature of the project, if human subjects are involved, the primary investigator must have approval from the Office of Research Compliance for the Institutional Review Board (IRB). For animals used in research, approval from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is required. In addition, where appropriate, the research mentor must have a current and approved institutional biosafety (IBC) plan. You may apply for the Gary S. Neiman Graduate Research Scholarship Award Fund while these approvals are pending, but you must not begin the research project until all approvals are received.

Funding

A faculty committee will review grant proposals, will determine the relative scientific merit of the proposals, and will recommend a final recipient to the dean of the college.

Budget

A complete budget must be included to help demonstrate how the funds will be utilized and to establish how the award might help solidify the completion of the project. If the applicant has obtained additional funding, the source and amount should be identified. If proposals have been submitted, but are in review, these should be identified as well. The award amount requested may be adjusted. It is the principal investigator and faculty mentor’s responsibility to spend their funds directly on items identified in the budget. Funds must be spent by April 30, 2026. No extensions will be granted.

Final Report

If awarded, each principal investigator is required to submit a final report on how the award was utilized. The report should be submitted no later than May 1, 2026, or at the end of the project, whichever comes first. The final report will include the following:

• How the funds were spent.
• Status of the project and its outcomes.
• Plan for dissemination of results.

This report will be provided to Dr. Gary S. Neiman.

Proposal Preparation Guide

Instructions

Use the headings provided to guide you in providing the essential content. Use 12pt Times New Roman font, single-spaced with one-inch margins. Do not exceed five (5) pages total including the cover page, budget with justification, and reference list. Your text should be clear, concise, and free of typographical errors. The grading rubric will parallel each of the following sections.

Cover Page

The cover sheet must include:

1. Title
2. Student Name
3. PID
4. Academic Department or School
5. IRB or IACUC and/or IBC approval number
   1. If not currently approved, please identify and explain when approval will  be sought
6. Student Name/Date and Signature
7. Faculty Mentor Name/Date and Signature

Note: Include the following verbiage near the Faculty Mentor signature - signifying that I will mentor the student and, if awarded will ensure the budget is spent as outlined in this proposal and agree the student is currently and will be a full-time student in a CHSP graduate program when the award is expended; will not be accepted without signatures.

Verify the following about the cover sheet:

• Is it complete?
• Are the appropriate signatures acquired?

Introduction

• Is the research problem clearly explained?
• Are the specific aims of this project identified?
• Are hypotheses stated?

Significance/Impact

• Does your project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in your discipline?
• If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved?

Method/Approach

• Are your overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project?
• Are the institutional support, equipment, and other physical resources available to you (the student investigator) adequate for the project proposed?
• Do you use concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions that are novel/new/innovative? Please explain.
• Does your research overlap or complement the work of your faculty mentor? If so, explain how your research project is different or distinctive.

Budget

• Did you itemize all the costs associated with your research project?
• Have you applied for funding from any other source?
• Have you received funding for this project from any other source? How will this award be utilized above other awards received?
• How will the Gary S. Neiman Graduate Research Scholarship Award Fund ensure the successful completion of your project?
• How will you spend this grant?

Dissemination

• What is the proposed timeline for this project?
• What year are you planning to present the results of your project at the Ohio University Student Research Expo? (This is required.)
• Are you planning to present the results of your project at a regional or national meeting, or in a journal? (Please provide specifics).

References

• Did you include all references cited in your proposal?

Questions

Please e-mail Dr. Janet Simon, Associate Dean for Research

Final Report

Due May 1, 2026, or at the end of the project, whichever comes first.

• Must include:
• Student Name
• Title of Project
• Faculty Mentor
• Award Cycle (year)
• The final report is limited to 1 page and will include the following:
  • How the funds were spent.
  • Status of the project and its outcomes.
  • Plan for dissemination of results.

This report will be provided to Dr. Gary S. Neiman.