Where are project funds housed?
There is an Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program Project Funds account in each mentor’s department.
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When do funds become available for use?
The total amount of project funds for year-long fellows is $1,400 and will be disbursed in two installments. The first installment ($700) will be accessible the first day of Summer semester, (May 22 , 2008), and the funds will be available until the last day of class in Spring, 2009.
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How is the second installment of funds accessed?
The second installment of funds will be transferred after the mentor has submitted (via email) to the Program Coordinator an itemized summary of how the first portion was spent. The Coordinator will forward the request to Giovana Brannan who will release the second half of the project funds.
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Who has access to the funds?
It is the mentor’s responsibility to use the funds in a way that best supports the fellow’s research goals. The mentor must approve and submit all purchase requests to the department account manager.
University policy does not permit students to be directly reimbursed for purchases made with their own money, so it is imperative that purchases are processed through the department by either direct charge, purchasing card, or vendor voucher.
If you anticipate concerns about this policy with regard to a specific purchase, please contact Giovana Brannan or Leanne Lamke with your questions in advance of the proposed use of funds. A substantial lead time increases the likelihood that we can find a way to cover the costs through regular channels.
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Can funds be used to purchase equipment?
Yes. All equipment purchases become the property of the department and will remain under the auspices of the mentor.
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Can funds be used for student travel?
Yes. Direct charges, purchasing cards, or vendor vouchers should be used whenever possible to cover expenses. A Travel Voucher should be prepared and signatures obtained from the relevant Department and College. The Voucher should then be routed to Giovana Brannan who will forward it to Accounts Payable. This additional step facilitates the process because the request is for reimbursement to an undergraduate student..
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Can funds be used for mentor travel?
No. Exceptions may be made if the travel is essential to the student’s research and would not be undertaken if the faculty member was not serving as a mentor in the program.
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How are the separate travel funds accessed?
Each year-long fellow receives $200 in travel funds. These funds are housed in the Office of the Vice President for Research. When the signed Travel Authority is forwarded to Giovana Brannan, include a memo indicating that the $200 should be applied to the travel.
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What happens to funds that are not used by the end of Spring semester, 2010?
The money is returned to the Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program and used to support future travel to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). There is not ongoing money in the fellowship budget to fund travel to this conference. NCUR conference travel for the 2009 - 2010 fellows will be supported largely through unused funds from the 2008 - 2009 fellowship year.
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