Graduate and undergraduate opportunities at Marsh

The George Perkins Marsh Institute Announces the Albert, Norma and Howard '77 Endowed Research Awards for Projects Relating to Sustainability

The Albert, Norma and Howard '77 Endowed Research Awards are intended to support student-initiated research projects that advance both our understanding of opportunities for greater sustainability in the human use of resources and the environment and practical improvements that can be implemented. Preference will be given to original and innovative projects, as well as projects that cannot be carried out without the support from Geller Awards. Successful applications will balance originality with evidence of support from a faculty mentor, who will help guide the funded work. After completion of their projects, awardees will be expected to report findings from their work and present these findings at an appropriate university forum. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for awards.

Given the intent of the Geller Awards, proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• relevance to practical approaches to advancing sustainability
• originality and innovation
• clarity and feasibility of research plan
• ways in which the project will contribute to linking knowledge to action
• potential for the Geller support to enable a project that may not be possible without the award
• evidence of meaningful interactions with a faculty mentor for the project and/or linkages to ongoing research (but not at the expense of originality and independence)
• cost-effectiveness (i.e., whether the budget is reasonable)
• whether the application is from an undergraduate or graduate student.

Subject to the quality of applications, we anticipate making approximately six awards in amounts ranging from $1,500 to $2,500, and several smaller grants, up to $1,250. It is the intention of the committee to award at least one-third of regular and small awards to undergraduate projects, again subject to the number and quality of applications received.

Content of Applications

1. The application must contain a cover sheet that includes
   
   
   • the project title
   • the student's name and department (of major or graduate work, as applicable)
   whether the project is an undergraduate or graduate project
   • proposed duration of the work (dates)  contact information for the applicant including address, phone and email
   • the total funds requested, and whether the proposal is for a regular or small project
   • the identity of the faculty sponsor
   • a project summary of no more than 300 words


2. Applications must contain a 3 to 5 page description of the proposed project which
   
   
   • describes the issue or problem that the project will address;
   • describes the objectives of the project;
   • describes how the project will be conducted and, for projects involving more than one student, how the tasks will be divided or shared among the participants;
   • discusses anticipated results and benefits and how they will be documented;
   • places the proposed work in the context of any other related studies and activities and explains why this project is worthwhile.


3. If the proposal is for a portion of a larger faculty or student project with a more extensive budget, the project description (#2 above) must state clearly and explicitly how financial support from a Geller award will complement the larger project. This is included in the 3 to 5 page limit.


4. Also indicate in the project description whether the proposed project is part of your final paper, thesis, dissertation or class work; and provide a short description of any other sources of funding for this project. This is included in the 3 to 5 page limit.


5. Proposals must also include a one-page proposed budget with a clear explanation of the purpose of the proposed expenditures. This budget is NOT included in the 3 to 5 page limit.


6. Projects should include a bibliography and be properly cited. This bibliography is NOT included in the 3 to 5 page limit.


7. Before submission, proposals should be reviewed and approved by a faculty advisor who should be clearly identified on the cover page of the proposal.


8. Proposals exceeding page limits will not be accepted.


9. Proposals should be single spaced, with one inch margins and no smaller than 12 point font.

The deadline for applications is November 9, 2009. A faculty committee that shares Howard's interests in student research and activism for sustainability will select the successful proposals. Announcement of the awards will be made in early December, and awards will be available for work beginning January 2010. Applications should be submitted electronically as pdf files to Pamela Dunkle at the Marsh Institute. Questions on the Geller Awards or proposals should be directed to Robert Johnston, Director of the George Perkins Marsh Institute.

The History of the Albert, Norma and Howard '77 Endowed Research Awards: The Geller Student Research Awards were established by the family of Dr. Howard Geller. Howard graduated from Clark in 1977 with a degree in Physics and in Science, Technology and Society (now Environmental Science and Policy). He earned graduate degrees at Princeton and the University of Sao Paolo and became the first executive director of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE). After twenty years of accomplishments at ACEEE, including contributions to the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 and the Energy Policy Act of 1992, he left ACEEE to found and direct the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) in 2001. Remembering his own experience as an activist student researcher at Clark, through these annual awards Howard hopes to support other Clark students as they combine research with action that moves society toward sustainability.

A faculty committee that shares Howard's interests in student research and activism for sustainability selected the successful proposals of the following students and their proposed projects for 2008-2009:

	Lily Ray, "Teaching the Land Managers: Collaborating with Athabascan Subsistence Users to Create a Book on their Experience with Wildfires".
	Gabriel Rand, "The Effect of Wind Turbines on Sustainable Behaviors and Values in Hull, MA".
	Hamil Pearsall, "Community Contributions to Urban Vegetation Cover in Hunts Point, South Bronx".
	Mary Lawhon, "Electronic Waste Recycling in South Africa: An Exploration of the Environmental, Social and Economic Impacts".

After completion of their projects, the awardees will present their findings at appropriate University forums.

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Our faculty are not just teachers and scholars. They care about what happens in each student's progress to academic maturity, acting as mentors, respecting individual learning styles, and taking pride in pushing each student beyond his or her own expectations. That's why our faculty of experts give undergraduates the unique chance to work side by side with them.

Today, more than 50 percent of the undergraduate students are involved in research with a faculty member. (Read about Clark students' research.) You can find out more about pursuing academic research by talking to your faculty advisor or the head of your chosen major. Plans are also in the works for a Virtual Research Center, where research opportunities will be posted on this site. Watch for more information in the next few months.