Student Research Fund

• Supports undergraduate and graduate student travel to deliver a research presentation at up to $500 per student while funds last.
• Priority will be given to faculty-mentored projects in which a faculty member formally sponsors the student’s application, linking student funding directly to active faculty research agendas.
• Designed to foster the dissemination of student research via travel support; sponsoring faculty are encouraged to structure funded projects toward co-authored publications, presentations, or other joint scholarly output.
• Open to both undergraduate and graduate Radow College majors conducting research.

The Student Research Travel Award exists to support research-related conference travel for Radow College’s undergraduate and graduate students, while strengthening the connection between student research and faculty scholarly productivity.

This award prioritizes faculty-mentored applications, in which a faculty sponsor formally associates the student’s project with their own research pipeline.

This approach is intended to foster a college-wide practice of mentored, co-authored scholarship that both builds student research skills and promotes faculty publication output.

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• Currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student at Kennesaw State University pursuing research within a Radow College discipline.
• Requested amount must not exceed $500 per student per application.
• Faculty-mentored applications in which a Radow College faculty member formally sponsors the application and confirms an active mentoring or supervisory role will receive priority.
• Where a faculty sponsor is named, the sponsor must briefly describe how the student’s project connects to the sponsor’s own research agenda and the anticipated joint work product (e.g., co-authored paper, conference presentation, poster presentation, etc.).
• Students may receive this award once per academic year; renewal applications for a continuing project must show research progress from the prior award.
• Graduate and undergraduate applications are evaluated separately, where appropriate, to ensure a fair comparison across career stages.

• Application Submission: Student must complete a short application via the college’s designated system (InfoReady).
• Required Components:
  -  Brief project description (1–2 pages): research question, methods, and significance, written at a level appropriate to the student’s stage (undergraduate or graduate).
  -  Itemized budget request (up to $500) with justification.
  -  Faculty sponsorship statement (where applicable): a brief note from the faculty mentor confirming sponsorship, describing the connection to their research agenda, and naming the anticipated joint work product.
• Internal Review: Applications will be reviewed by the Radow College Associate Dean of Research.
• Notification & Award Setup: Students whose applications are approved will be notified in writing via email. Funds will be distributed through the college’s standard student funding/procurement process.
• End-of-Project Summary: Awardees must submit a brief summary of the project outcomes and, where applicable, the resulting joint work product completed with their faculty sponsor.

Applications are reviewed by the Radow College Associate Dean of Research with priority given to faculty-mentored projects that clearly connect to an active faculty research agenda and articulate a plausible path to co-authored output. Awards are competitive and not guaranteed based on eligibility alone.

Examples of Allowable Expenses:

• Travel Related Expenses associated with presentation to a conference (e.g., Conference registration, plane fare, hotel*, mileage, ground transportation, etc.
• *NOTE - VRBO, AirBnB, and other similar forms of peer-to-peer lodging are not approved forms of accommodation and cannot be covered by these funds.

Not Allowable:

• Tuition, fees, stipends, or salary in lieu of coursework or degree requirements.
• General living expenses unrelated to the specific research project.
• Equipment purchases intended for personal or long-term use beyond the project.
• Retroactive reimbursement for expenses incurred before award notification.
• Funding for coursework-required projects carrying academic credit, unless the research clearly exceeds standard course expectations.
• Research materials and supplies directly tied to the project (e.g., lab supplies, specialized materials, books or resources not otherwise available).
• Participant incentives or compensation for human-subjects research.
• Data collection costs (e.g., survey platform fees, transcription of student-collected interviews, printing of research instruments).
• Requests exceeding $500 per student (must be scaled down or supplemented by other funding sources).

All funding must be expended or encumbered by the date noted in your written award notification and is subject to standard institutional budget and procurement policies.

• Primary Deliverable: Delivery of the presentation at a conference as described in the application, using funds for their stated purpose.
• Faculty-Sponsored Deliverable: Awardees are expected to work toward the anticipated joint work product (e.g., co-authored manuscript, joint conference presentation or poster) within a reasonable timeframe after project completion.
• End-of-Project Summary: A brief written summary (approximately 1 page) detailing  project outcomes, must be submitted to the Radow College Associate Dean of Research at project completion.
• Presentation Encouraged: Awardees are also encouraged to present their research findings at a Radow College or KSU-hosted student research symposium in addition to the professional conference.
• Acknowledgment: Any resulting presentation, poster, or publication should acknowledge Radow College Student Research Travel Award funding support.
• Non-Completion: Students who do not complete the funded project or submit an end-of-project summary must provide a written explanation for non-completion; this may affect their (or their faculty sponsor’s) eligibility for future student research support.