Purpose: Independent Research Fellowships will be awarded to enable qualified students to carry out independent research activities in any field taught at the College, or to undertake projects in the creative or performing arts. Among the activities for which these fellowships might be sought are laboratory, library, museum or archival research; fieldwork; and creating or learning to perform a work of art. These fellowships are meant to expand the opportunities available to students to pursue intellectual and creative interests.

Funding: Awards are given annually of up to $4,000.

Information Meetings: Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 8:00 PM in LDC 104. Also Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 7:00 PM in LDC 104

Deadline to apply: Friday, February 13, 2009 by 5 p.m.

Eligibility:

• Fellowship awards are intended for juniors to use during the summer prior to their senior year or winter break of their senior year.
• Students studying any discipline are eligible.
• All applicants must be in good academic standing.

Selection Criteria: Independent Research Fellowships are intended to provide students an opportunity to undertake projects of their own design off campus. Such projects may be carried out independently or as a part of a research group. In the latter case, the project must be able to stand alone as an independent component of the larger group effort.

Award selection criteria include project feasibility as well as connectedness of the project to current work and future goals at Carleton (how well the project fits a student and what the student is trying to accomplish at Carleton) and beyond.

Successful proposals: Students may view successful proposals in the Associate Dean of the College office, Laird 131. Click here to see examples.

Application Process: Applicants should submit SIX, double-sided copies of their proposal to Elizabeth Ciner, Associate Dean of the College, in Laird 131. An electronic copy should also be submitted to Karen Moldenhauer. The application includes:

• A Paragraph (no more than 100 words) describing the project.
• Names of two recommenders. Please note that using Carleton faculty or staff as recommenders is usually the best choice. Non-Carleton recommenders may disadvantage you as they may not know Carleton and the selection committee does not know them. Use your judgment in this as in all other areas. (IMPORTANT: It is the student's responsibility to ask faculty/staff for letters of recommendation by February 1, 2009.)
  - Faculty can submit the Faculty Recommendation Form or write a letter of support and send it to Elizabeth Ciner, Associate Dean of the College.
  - The deadline for recommendations is 5 p.m. on Friday, February 13, 2009.
  - Please give the recommender a copy of your proposal.
  - Two letters of recommendations are required for all fellowships.
• For research involving human subjects, Institutional Review Board (IRB) applications should be submitted electronically. If selected for a fellowship, IRB applications will then be considered for approval.
• A description (of no more than 650 words, double-spaced) of the research undertaken or project pursued.
• Outcomes you expect to achieve (no more than 100 words).
• A plan of implementation and/or schedule of activities.
• A brief a statement (no more than 250 words) exploring your qualifications for undertaking this work and the relationship of the research or project to your educational goals.
• A budget.
• Permission to share your proposal.