[ Honors Program ]

Swords Scholars Grant Proposal

“He [or she] who has hit upon a subject suited to his [her] powers will never fail.”  -- Quintus Horatius Flaccus, 8 B.C. [brackets, M.K. Mulvaney]

The following grant proposal must be submitted to compete for grant funding for support of the Honors Independent Research. Grant funds may be used for expenses such as: 

• Project supplies, such as specialized software purchases, laboratory equipment, or transcription equipment
• Travel expenses or field observations and experiences
• Attendance at seminars or conferences contributing to your research focus
• Professional stipends for “unusual” expense of student time in completing the project

Funds are not limited to the above, but rather may also be assigned to additional “worthy” expenses, at the discretion of the Honors Program Director and Honors Committee. Grants ranging from $300 to $500 per project are awarded on a competitive basis.

Applicants: Keep in mind that a proposal is a “persuasive document.” Convince your readers that this is a significant research endeavor, worthy of grant funds and “Swords Scholar” designation. Good luck!

Proposal Components
The proposal must include the following components:

1. Cover Letter
   • Introduce yourself and your project (briefly). The cover letter should describe your participation in the Honors Program to date, indicate your reason(s) for selecting this particular project, and identify your faculty sponsor, indicating his/her expertise. 
2. Title Page
   • State the title of the project, student and faculty sponsor names, and date of submission. 
3. Table of Contents
   • Designate all components with appropriate page references. 
4. Proposal Abstract
   • Create a succinct, summary statement (approximately 150 words) identifying the project, its major objectives, and anticipated results. (HINT: Write this last—after you’ve worked out the details below.) 
5. Project Description
   • Provide an introduction with appropriate background information to focus the project.
   • Describe the project, including objectives in pursuing this project, methodology, anticipated resources, anticipated results, etc. (Note: This is the most extensive part of the proposal—probably two to three pages—and it’s where you’ll “make your case” for deserving these grant funds.) 
6. Timetable
   • Create a timeline indicating specific anticipated dates for completion of the various stages of the project: gathering data, transcribing notes, analyzing research, preparing the written document, presenting results, and so forth, as appropriate. 
7. Project Participants
   • List all participants involved in the project, including faculty sponsor. 
8. Budget
   • Itemize all anticipated expenses for completion of the project. 
9. Dissemination of Information
   • Explain venue(s) for public dissemination of research results; e.g., presenting at the Elmhurst College Research & Performance Showcase; presenting at a regional or National Honors Council Conference or other conference site as appropriate; publishing results in Investigations or elsewhere.