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Frequently Asked Questions about Berkeley Grants-in-Aid of Research

  1. Do I have to be a member of Sigma Xi to apply?
    No, all UC Berkeley students are eligible to apply. However, student membership in Sigma Xi enhances your eligibility for national awards and offers many great benefits. To find out more, visit the Sigma Xi National web site.

  2. What's a consumable supply?
    These are items used (consumed) during the course of your proposed project. These include things like lab or field supplies, but do not generally include equipment that may continue to have a long life in your professor's lab.

  3. What makes a good proposal?
    Simply state your research question, the hypotheses you plan to test, what you plan to do to answer it, and the potential significance of the results. The national office offers good tips on proposal preparation. Follow these, and you'll be on your way to an effective proposal.

    Other tips: Ask friends in another area of science to read it. If it makes sense to them, it will probably make sense to a reviewer. Remember: reviewers might not be in your field; avoid jargon and stick to vocabulary that a science literate citizen would understand.

    Spell-check!

    You say to limit our project descriptions to a single page. Can I use a really small font to pack more information onto the page?

    Please, no. If the reviewers go blind reading your proposal, it is unlikely it will be funded. Please use a 12-point font with 1-inch margins on all sides.

    For reams more advice, just type GOOD GRANT PROPOSAL into an internet search engine and you will find a wealth of pages addressing this subject.

  4. When will awards be made?

    Awards are made in mid-April at the annual awards banquet. We hope you will be there to join us!

    If you have more specific questions about certain aspects of your proposal and how it relates to the UCB Grants-in-Aid-of-Research program, e-mail Ellen Simms, the committee chair.

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