Unformatted text preview:

1Term Paper Instructions: NSF “DDREAM" Proposals Vertebrate Physiology ECOL 437 (a Writing Emphasis Course) Bonine & Oh, Spring 2008 The term paper will be in the format of a research proposal for a (fictitious) National Science Foundation program—the “DDREAM grant” (Doctoral Dissertation Research Enrichment and Advancement Money). The proposal should focus on an aspect of non-human vertebrate physiology, preferably at the level of major physiological systems, the whole organism, or a comparative study across taxa. This is your opportunity to thoroughly research a topic in vertebrate physiology of interest to you, ask a novel and interesting question, present a well-reasoned hypothesis, and propose an experiment (or series of experiments) to test your hypothesis or hypotheses. Evaluation: Final submitted proposals will be evaluated by your instructors with respect to the following criteria: 1. Research Question: Why is the question interesting? Why should anyone care (apart from any medical application)? 2. Background & Hypothesis: Does the proposal reflect an adequate understanding of the topic? Is the hypothesis well-supported? Are alternative hypotheses presented? Are the predictions clear? 3. Proposed Research: Will the proposed research provide an adequate test of the hypothesis? Are the methods appropriate and clearly presented? Are the experiments feasible? Is requested budget clearly justified? 4. Editing & Formatting: Was the proposal thoroughly edited for spelling, grammar, and clarity? Does the format adhere to the guidelines described in the instructions? Are there at least 10 appropriate peer-reviewed scientific sources? Is the bibliography properly formatted? 5. Writing/Revision Process: Was feedback from peers/instructors incorporated? Was there marked improvement over successive drafts? Your proposal will also be reviewed (anonymously) by your peers in a mock review panel at the end of the term. Bonus points will be awarded to the final paper grade of proposals that were recommended to be “funded”. Each student will also be responsible for orally presenting at least one other person’s proposal to the panel. Important Deadlines: Your term paper grade is partitioned into 4 mandatory assignments: 27 February A tentative research question along with a paragraph describing why this question is interesting and 5 annotated references (20 points). ‘Annotated’ means a sentence or two about each reference with respect to findings and relevance. We urge you to come to us with an outline as well. Although not required, this will allow us to help you before you invest too much time in writing. 28 March A first draft of your proposal with 10+ references (45 points). Budget and cover sheet not necessary at this time. We will return this draft to you on about 02 April for you to edit and improve. 16 April Two copies of a second draft (20 points) for two randomly chosen peers to edit. Please DO NOT include your name on this draft (as to keep the author anonymous to the editor), but instead use a codename and tell the instructors your codename. Your review of your peers’ proposals is worth an additional 20 points. See ‘Critical Evaluation of a Published Paper’ handout for suggestions. 23 April Final complete proposal is due (70 points). [Also accepted 25 April with no penalty.]2Below are the instructions for preparing your NSF DDREAM proposal (adapted from www.nsf.gov). Please note that proposals that do not adhere to the guidelines below will be penalized and may be deemed ineligible for review. I. INTRODUCTION The National Science Foundation awards DDREAM Grants in selected areas of the biological sciences. These grants provide support of doctoral dissertation research to improve the overall quality of research. II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The duration and grant amount are flexible but must be justified by the scope of work and documented in the proposal. Grants are typically awarded for periods up to 36 months and for amounts up to $50,000. These awards are intended to provide funds for research expenses including: travel to specialized facilities or field research locations and professional meetings, use of specialized research equipment, purchase of supplies and services not otherwise available, fees for computerized or other forms of data, and rental of environmental chambers or other research facilities. Funds may be also requested for research assistants/technicians, but may not be used for stipends for the PI (i.e. you can’t pay yourself). The budget justification must explain how the requested funds are to be utilized. For purposes of this competition, NSF will not support research on the etiology, diagnosis, treatment of physical or mental disease, abnormality, or malfunction. Studies of animal models for such conditions, the design and testing of drugs or other procedures for their treatment are also not eligible for support. For this competition, NSF does not support technical assistance, pilot plant efforts, research requiring security classification, the development of products for commercial marketing, or market research for a particular project or invention. III. PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS Full Proposal Instructions: Proposals should explicitly include the following elements (it is highly recommended to use subheadings to organize your thoughts and help guide your reviewers): 1. Cover Page (download template .pdf from ECOL437 course website): Add project title, your name, and total funds requested to title page. Title should be concise but explain the main focus. Please do not reveal your name anywhere else in the proposal. 2. Project Summary (at least half a page, but not more than 1 page): Summarize the main question addressed in your proposal. Briefly present your hypothesis and proposed research. This summary should allow a reader (e.g., panel reviewer) to quickly understand what you plan to do and why the results will be important. 3. Project Description (8-10 double-spaced pages, 1 inch margins, 10-12 pt. Times New Roman, pages must be numbered). A. Introduction & Background – Explain the physiological problem at hand and identify the main question you will address. Present background on what previous research has found, and what remains to be discovered (i.e., what is known and what is not known). Include any relevant figures or tables. B. Hypothesis – Clearly state your main hypothesis that


View Full Document

UA ECOL 437 - Term Paper Instruction

Download Term Paper Instruction
Our administrator received your request to download this document. We will send you the file to your email shortly.
Loading Unlocking...
Login

Join to view Term Paper Instruction and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or
We will never post anything without your permission.
Don't have an account?
Sign Up

Join to view Term Paper Instruction 2 2 and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or

By creating an account you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use

Already a member?