Undergraduate Enrichment Award


Purpose

The Taft Undergraduate Enrichment Awards enable students majoring in Taft departments to undertake projects that will enhance their learning experience in their major field. Individual or joint applications are accepted. Eligible projects include but are not limited to research expenses, travel to a library, archives, museum, or conference, a language immersion program, or an organized field trip. There is no limit on the number of students who may apply for the enrichment awards, and all awards are made on a competitive basis with none allocated to particular departments. Applications will be evaluated both on the potential value of the enrichment experience and the record of the student(s) applying. The current maximum award for an individual or a project is $2,000.

Applicants for Undergraduate Enrichment Awards for projects outside the United States are required to apply for funds from UC International http://www.uc.edu/global/grants_aid/uc_international_
programs_student_grants.html.
Those who receive a UC International grant must report such funding to the Taft Faculty Chair upon receipt of a UC International award notification.


Eligibility

To be eligible, students must be majoring in one of the Taft departments within McMicken College of Arts and Sciences and must have completed at least 15 upper division credit hours in their major by the end of the current academic year. Seniors are eligible if the project funded will be completed by the first day of classes of the last quarter prior to graduation.


Application Process

Each application must contain the following and be submitted in collated packets of six: 

1. Signed Cover Sheet
2. Detailed Statement of purpose that explains how project will advance the student's understanding of his or her major field. This should distinguish the enrichment goal beyond any course credit that might be earned through the project and detail specific anticipated impacts on one's intellectual development (250-300 words).
3. Detailed Budget and justification.
4. List of courses in your Major, credit hours, and grades received.
5. Full Transcript or Grade Report.
6. Two letters of Recommendation from professors in Taft disciplines who can speak directly to how the project will enrich the student's understanding of his or her major.
7. IGSA grant application cover, if project involves international travel.

Application deadlines can be found at the application deadlines page.


Reimbursement Procedures

The following procedures should be followed in order to insure reimbursement of travel and or research expenses:

• As you will be required to present receipts to obtain payment, please be sure to obtain receipts.  If you are using an e-ticket for air travel, please request a receipt from the airline which clearly indicates the travel points and dates, and the fare.  When in doubt, request a paper ticket.

Upon Return:  The grant recipient should complete an expense envelope (A113 for travel expenses) or Request for Payment (A114 for non-travel expenses). Relevant receipts should be enclosed. The envelope should be sent to the Taft secretary at ML 0369 no later than 30 days following your return. Please note that:

• Original receipts (including the boarding stub from your plane ticket) must be included in the envelope. ALL receipts for any expenses pre-paid by the university must be included.
• The total expenses claimed cannot be more than authorized, nor can line items be claimed that were not authorized.
• Any transfer between line items on approved budgets must be approved by the Chair of the Taft Faculty Executive Board.
• The expense envelope must be sent to the Taft secretary for processing and signature, even if other campus agencies are also funding the travel and or research. Department level processing to reimburse using department funds should be completed first and A113/A114 should then be sent to Taft.

Report

Upon the completion of the project, the student must submit a report of two or more pages to the Taft Student Awards Committee.