Richard Barber Interdisciplinary Research Program
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For the first time, new collaborations are forming and looking for students during our academic school year. We expect to also continue our highly successful summer program with applications accepted this Winter. The four funded projects for the 2021-2022 school year are:
Since 2010 Richard Barber has generously funded our research program that has brought together researchers from across WSU for transformative research and educational experiences.
Our program fosters collaboration between faculty and students from the College of Engineering, the School of Medicine, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. This year includes a focus on student mentorship and expands the undergraduate schedule to a full-time work load. We aim to have this research experience be a meaningful experience for helping the students develop scientific approaches to problem solving and fostering their high-tech careers.
Funding opportunities for past and future program participants
The Richard Barber Interdisciplinary Research Program is excited to be expanding the opportunities for interdepartmental teams of researchers for September 2021 through April 2022. Funding opportunities exist for WSU undergraduate students and interdepartmental faculty research collaborations.
FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS NEW TO RESEARCH
1) WSU undergraduates who wish to become Barber Fellows
Undergraduate students who wish to join an interdisciplinary project are encouraged to apply to join our program via https://forms.gle/5CkRhW2kdogFd6sKA by Sept 15, 2021. Collaborating faculty members will select undergraduate researchers to join their project and become Barber Fellows. New Barber Fellows will be paid an hourly wage for their research this academic year and will be eligible for additional funds to attend conferences and apply for fellowships.
FOR CURRENT AND PREVIOUS UNDERGRADUATE BARBER FELLOWS
2) Academic-year research support
WSU undergraduate students who have been previously included in our summer research program and are continuing their research may apply to receive funds for their salary and research expenses. Applications are due Wednesday, Sept 15 via https://forms.gle/KtqLsZps7oK3G4vZA. Additionally, your primary research mentor must complete this form by Sept 15: https://forms.gle/3Bt6byJUZXZWYtsc8.
Additional supplemental research funds can also be requested throughout the upcoming academic year with this form https://forms.gle/UqJHbooxKkzRM2vX9. These supplemental funds are intended for specific research expenses that were unanticipated at the start of the academic year.
3) Peer-reviewed publication costs
Barber Fellows who significantly contributed to a peer-reviewed publication as part of their Barber-supported research may request up to $1k to cover up to 50% of the costs of publishing their publication. To apply, please complete this form https://forms.gle/psK6iqGbz7AWm7xp8 after your paper has been accepted for publication.
4) Travel expenses to a present at a conference
Barber Fellows who would like to present their research at a scientific conference or symposium may request funds to support their travel. Up to $1k may be requested to cover up to 50% of their travel expenses. These funds may be used for multiple conferences, if appropriate. To apply, please complete this form https://forms.gle/J6usJHSFj6rmCZ9GA after your presentation abstract has been accepted by the conference or symposium organizers.
5) Fellowship submission award
Barber Fellows are eligible for $500 awards for the submission of a fellowship to support their undergraduate or graduate research. The fellowship should include funding for your full-time salary and research expenses for at least 3 months of work from an external funding agency. By submitting the fellowship proposal, the student is eligible for this award. Example fellowships include the NSF REU, NSF GRFP, and NIH UGSP. To apply for this award, please complete this form https://forms.gle/9nZKs9B7Gq5nNWZC7 prior to submitting your fellowship proposal to the external agency.
FOR NEW FACULTY COLLABORATIONS
6) Interdepartmental research project awards
Collaborating STEM faculty members from different academic departments are eligible to apply for project funding. Collaborations that received Barber funding during the Summer 2020 or Summer 2021 are not eligible. Project proposal submissions are due Wednesday, Sept 15, 2021. This program is designed to be seed-funding and foster collaborations that are collecting preliminary data for external proposals and training new undergraduate researchers. This award will fund the hiring of two undergraduate researchers, the partial salary of graduate students, and assorted research expenses. Proposal details can be found here < https://tinyurl.com/na465e2j >.
FOR PREVIOUSLY SUPPORTED FACULTY COLLABORATIONS
7) Grant submission award.
Awards of $1k per PI are available for Barber mentors who collaboratively submit multi-year grant proposals to an external funding agency for their interdisciplinary research. To be eligible, the external grant proposal must bring new money to support interdisciplinary research at WSU if funded. To apply, please complete this form https://forms.gle/FoseBeb4r8Ni9Qrm8 after your grant has been submitted.
Program History
Over the past ten years, the Richard Barber Interdisciplinary Research Program has provided opportunities for students to participate in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research while building collaborations between diverse academic departments. Over 136 WSU students and 16 different academic departments have participated. Many of the collaborations initiated via this program have continued to prosper, and many of the students have launched successful scientific careers. We are very proud of our past successes and are excited about our future improvements to the program.
This year we aim to increase the diversity in research projects, including theoretical and experimental research in the basic and applied sciences. The program includes full-time undergraduate support, encouragement of scientific outreach, and continuity in research support.
Program Structure
The primary activity of the Richard Barber Interdisciplinary Research Program is our summer research projects. This year, we will support ten research projects that each include faculty mentors from different complementary departments, undergraduate student researchers, and experienced graduate students or postdoctoral researchers. By bringing together researchers with diverse academic backgrounds and experience levels, we aim to provide an educational and productive research experience for all program participants. Faculty members from across WSU will develop their research mentorship team and propose research projects that exemplify the program goals. The winning projects will be selected by peer-review and by Mr. Barber. The winning project mentors will then select the undergraduate applicants that are likely to both contribute the research and benefit from the opportunity for full-time research experience over the summer.
With approximately 6 researchers per project, our summer program will bring together over 60 faculty members and students from across WSU. We will host program-wide meetings at the beginning and end of the summer to meet each other and share our research results. Additionally, there will be undergraduate-only meetings biweekly to foster community and provide peer support. The most important meetings, however, maybe the weekly project-specific meetings in which the undergraduate students will be able to see the interactions between their mentors, practice presenting their research results, and help develop the evolving research plan during the summer. Undergraduate researchers will submit an end-of-the-summer research report and present their results at a program-wide research fair to celebrate their accomplishments.
Budgetary Considerations: Incentives, Supplements, and Extensions
Stipends for the students and faculty will be partially tied to their completion of the program. Students will receive their final stipend payment upon submission of their final report and presentation of their research at a research fair. Faculty members will receive their stipends upon submission of their final report.
Successful summer projects may be eligible for funding extension during the academic year. The demonstration of success from the summer research and a plan for future success is expected. We hope to additionally provide funding to support travel to scientific conferences, external seminar speakers of interest to multiple research groups, publication fees, or other research expenses. The total budget available to such supplements is still under discussion with WSU and Mr. Barber.