Hulda Crooks Research and Public Health Practice Grants

The purpose of the School of Public Health student-initiated basic or applied research and public health practice grants is to encourage Loma Linda University School of Public Health students to become involved in the practical application of their educational experience through research and public health practice. To receive a grant, students are required to submit proposals that will be reviewed and competitively judged by the awards and traineeship committee. Grant applications must be submitted to the applicant’s Program Director by January 13.  The awards and traineeship committee may move to announce a second submission date later in the year based on availability of funds.

Two categories of grants are available:

  1. Grants up to $2,000 for DrPH/PhD students.
  2. Grants up to $1,000 for MPH/MSPH students.

*Please note that, although the awards and traineeship committee has established a maximum amount for which the student may apply, the proposal may be only partially funded.

The grants are available to all currently registered Loma Linda University School of Public Health students.  Please note that only future or current research endeavors are funded.  Do not apply for funds to cover expenses for completed research activities.

In awarding grants, the committee will consider but will not be limited to: quality of proposal; quality of research design; resource allocation; community impact; timeliness; likelihood of future funding; level of involvement from collaborative partners; educational benefit to the student; likelihood that the project can realistically be completed in the proposed time frame; and support of the school's mission.

Projects may be proposed for a “tag on” grant to an already funded project. For this type of request, the application would be expected to address a specific question or idea not funded in the original grant. Students are encouraged to be creative in project proposals. For projects that are achieving positive results, funding extensions may be requested.

Grant Application

Proposal Format

  1. One copy of the proposal must be submitted to the Office of the Executive Associate Dean by January 27. (If this date falls on a holiday or weekend, please submit by the following school day.)
  2. An electronic copy of the proposal in Microsoft Word must also be submitted.
  3. The proposal must be typed, single spaced, and in 12 point font. It may contain diagrams and pictures.
  4. The body of the proposal should not exceed 10 pages in length.  All pages must be numbered.  Please use a single staple or clip to secure the pages.  The appendices should not exceed 15 pages in length.
  5. The proposal must have, as a cover page, the checklist, signed by the faculty sponsor.

Cover Page

The cover page must be the checklist.  The checklist information must be typed and signed by the applicant and the applicant’s program director, stating that they have reviewed the proposal and that it is in agreement with all website instructions, application guidelines, and checklist requirements.  Any proposal that does not meet all of these requirements may be returned to the student.

Page 1:

a. Proposal title (written as if for a scientific journal)

b. Names of principal investigator, faculty sponsor, and co-investigators

c. Total dollar amount requested

d. Abstract of not more than 200 words

Page 2:

A complete budget and justification, indicating which items the grant funds would cover.  The budget must include all other sources of funding, resources, and equipment.  Please note: This grant does not fund previously completed research, the presentation and publication of results, private internet or phone accounts, software purchased by the School of Public Health, airfare, or mileage to campus from the researcher’s place of residence.

Page 3:

A condensed curriculum vitae or bio sketch, which should include the researcher’s current degree/course being pursued and current academic load.  It should also contain his/her best contact phone number and email.

Page 4:

A letter of support from the faculty sponsor.  Please incorporate the letter into the proposal.  Do not include the letter in a separate, sealed envelope.

Pages 5-9:

Project description, including specific aims, a condensed background and significance, experimental design (if research) or project description (if public health practice), and timeline.  Please ensure that the methods and design are adequately covered.  If human subjects are involved in the research, this issue must be addressed.  The timeline should be realistic.

Pages 10:

References, single-spaced.

 

Appendices: (optional)

Additional materials considered relevant to the proposal but not required in the body of the proposal may be included in an appendix.  Examples include a questionnaire, instrument details, drug information, informed consent forms, guides and scripts, IRB clearance, etc.  Appendices not to exceed 15 pages.

TIPS:

  • Doctoral students should not cut and paste pieces of their dissertation proposal for this application.  Due to the page limit, it would be best to begin anew and determine what information is essential for the reviewers and the committee to understand the project and reach a decision.
  •  If you will be including minors in your study, you must get approval from the IRB before submitting a Hulda Crooks Grant application.  Please start the IRB process early, allowing one to three months to obtain approval. http://research.llu.edu/HumanStudies.asp
  • If you are involving a school in your research, you must include a letter of support from school.

 

Consideration process

Awards and Traineeship Committee:

The awards and traineeship committee is made up of diverse selection of faculty and staff from several offices and programs of the LLU SPH.  The committee will take into consideration each application and all of the corresponding reviewers’ comments before deciding whether to fund the application.  After the committee meets, the student will be informed of their decision. The student will be notified when the funds are available and how they can obtain them.

Revisions:

Any application that does not meet the requirements may be returned to the student and his/her advisor.  Under some circumstances, the committee may give the student an opportunity to revise and resubmit.  If the student chooses to do so, the revised application must include a cover letter to the committee summarizing the changes made.  Changes within the body of the application must be clearly indicated.

Upon completion of funded research:

The awards and traineeship committee requests that all Hulda Crooks Research and Public Health Practice Grant recipients provide a report to the committee upon completion of the funded research.