2008-2009 Latino Students and the Educational Pipeline (LSEP) Grants

University of Georgia faculty are invited to submit research proposals related to the educational pipeline for Latino Students in Georgia. Three to five one-year grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 will be awarded in 2008. The program is sponsored and administered by the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach.

The LSEP Research Grants Program will consider applications for applied research projects related to improving the educational pipeline for Latino students in Georgia in the four topic-areas outlined below.

When a 4-year institution and a 2-year institution partner together for the goal of increasing the number of Latino transfer students from the 2-year institution to the 4-year institution: What is the impact of the partnership on numbers of transfer students? What are the best practices of the partnership? What are the lessons learned from the partnership?
Programs and activities for middle school and high school Latino students designed to increase student retention and completion of high school: What is the impact of these programs and activities? What are the best practices of these programs and activities? What are the lessons learned?
Programs and activities for middle school and high school Latino students designed to prepare them for postsecondary education (especially programs that prepare students in English, Science, and Math; and for taking the SAT and ACT exams): What is the impact of these programs and activities? What are the best practices of these programs and activities? What are the lessons learned?
Programs and activities for middle school and high school Latino student PARENTS: What is the impact of these programs and activities? What are the best practices of these programs and activities? What are the lessons learned?

The Grants

Three to five one-year grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 will be awarded in 2008. The program is supported by the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach with state funds and therefore subject to all University of Georgia policies, procedures, and deadlines for state funds. The Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach will work with the Office of the Vice President for Research to explore further funding opportunities for selected proposals.

Eligibility

Permanent, full-time public service, academic tenure-track, and clinical faculty members are eligible for this grants program.

Proposal Criteria for the 2008-2009 Latino Students and the Educational Pipeline grants:

Proposed research projects will be examined for quality and significance relative to the four topic areas outlined above. Special consideration will be given to proposals which reflect collaboration across academic and public service and outreach units, and which demonstrate capacity for subsequent support from external funding.

In the review process, the following will be considered:

Communication of Relevance and Presentation of Proposal: Does the proposal clearly address one of the four topic-areas? Have the proposal format guidelines been followed?
Project Design: Are the objectives clearly defined, and is the basic question to be answered clearly identified? Are all necessary facilities or research sites available? Does the proposer have the necessary background and expertise? Is the research project well planned with an appropriate timetable? If applicable, has the IRB approval process and/or other OVPR approval processes been initiated in anticipation of beginning the project.
Unit support: Does the proposed research project have support from the department, unit, school, or college? Unit heads, in their letter of support, should outline how the project complements the goals of the unit.
Budget: Have all items requested been justified? Does the budget clearly indicate the extent of unit participation? Is the amount requested reasonable and consistent with the total funding available to this grant program? If equipment is requested, has the possibility that it is already available elsewhere on campus been explored? If support for undergraduate, graduate, or professional students is requested, is it clear that their activities are essential to the proposer’s research program?
Appropriateness to this Program: Is the proposal consistent with the “seed funding” concept in which longer-term financial support is sought from external sources? Will the proposed project lead to further funding from external sources if continued support is needed and normally available in this area of research?

Funding Guidelines and Requirements

The Latino Student and the Educational Pipeline grants are intended to support the development of research. The program is not intended to be a source of support for ongoing research, nor is it an alternative source of funds for research already developed to a level that normally would justify support from external sources. However, research that provides analysis for new strategies within an existing research project is an acceptable submission for review. Latino Student and the Educational Pipeline funds should not be used as matching funds, where such funds are required as part of an external proposal. Latino Student and the Educational Pipeline funds may be used for:

Support for undergraduate and graduate student involvement in the research (Latino Student and the Educational Pipeline funds are not intended to support student thesis or dissertation research). Proposals requesting undergraduate or graduate student participation should make clear the role played by the student in the research and highlight how the research contributes to the student’s learning experiences.
Travel expenditures required by the research project (excluding travel to professional meetings or conferences).
General expenditures for supplies, equipment (itemize items over $1,000), and materials required by the research project (Latino Student and the Educational Pipeline grants do not support expenditures for computers).
Supplementary funds and additional support for the project should be described.

Review and Awards

Proposals will be evaluated based on the listed proposal criteria by a committee appointed by the vice president. Recommendations made by the committee will be considered by the vice president for final funding decisions. The committee will take into account the nature and number of exemplary projects that can be awarded with available funds and may recommend partial funding for selected projects.

Funding Obligations and Timeline

As part of a funded project, project leaders may be asked to share their experiences with a variety of communities (e.g. schools, university student groups, or community groups).

Acknowledgment: Public acknowledgment of funding through the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach Latino Students and the Educational Pipeline Grants Program should be included in any printed programs, reports, press releases, or publicity materials. Please use the following single line of text for such acknowledgments:

This project is supported by an Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach Latino Students and the Educational Pipeline Grant.

Project Timeline:

Announcement date: January 18, 2008
Guideline and criteria review meeting: February 20, 2008 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 Noon (Fanning Training Room)
Proposal deadline: April 4, 2008
Award notification: May 7, 2008
Research conducted: July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009
Final Report: August 31, 2009

Final Report: A final report for the research project must be submitted by August 31, 2009.

Latino Students and the Educational Pipeline Grants - Final Report Guidelines

Please provide the following information:

A narrative description of the applied research project, including the topic area, proposed research question(s), methodology used, and findings. Please describe how the research findings relate to improving the educational pipeline for Latino students in the state of Georgia. If University of Georgia students were involved in the research project, please describe their role.
If applicable, detail plans to conduct further research in your topic area.
A line item accounting of how the funds were spent. Please explain any variances from the proposed budget.

Application Materials include:

A completed Latino Student and the Educational Pipeline Funding Request Form

Available at http://outreach.uga.edu/publications/
Complete the form, obtain required signatures, and include the completed form in the application packet.

A proposal that addresses each of the grant criteria

Maximum of 4 pages, no smaller than 12 pt. font

A budget summary and narrative description stating an explanation of each line item

Line items may include: support for undergraduate and graduate student involvement in the research; travel expenditures; general expenditures for supplies, equipment, printing/copies, mailings, and materials required by the research project (LSEP grants do not support expenditures for computers). Any supplementary funds and additional support for the research project should be described as part of the budget narrative.

A letter of support from the department/unit head or dean
A current 2-page curriculum vitae for the proposer
Copies of applicable research compliance materials such as IRB*
Optional: A letter of support from the proposed-project partner

Application materials must be submitted by close of business (COB) on April 4, 2008. Five copies of all materials must be sent to:

Maritza Soto Keen
Director, Latino Initiative
Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach
Cobb House
1224 S. Lumpkin Street
Athens, GA 30602-1656

If you have questions, please contact Maritza Soto Keen at 706-542-7887 or .

Please note the following:

*Institutional Review Board approval. If the proposed project involves activities that are considered human subjects research, IRB approval must be secured. While a faculty member may submit a proposal prior to IRB approval, it is recommended that an IRB application be submitted to the Human Subjects Office at the time the grant proposal is submitted to avoid unnecessary delay in the event that the project is funded. Verification of IRB approval must be submitted before grant funds are awarded. If a determination is needed as to whether the proposed project requires IRB review and approval, please contact the Human Subjects Office at 706-542-3199 or

For more information please refer to the Office of the Vice President for Research web-site: http://www.ovpr.uga.edu/.