The ILWA Impact Grant is a research funding opportunity for USU faculty and researchers who wish to do a project regarding land, water, and/or air that can make a difference on policy within Utah. The research grant is an annual, one-time award of $15,000 from the USU Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air.
The Application Process
The application for the ILWA Impact Grant opens March 1 and closes at midnight on March 31. Proposals for the impact grant are submitted via Qualtrics.
Criteria for the grant include:
- The research will focus on a land, water, or air issue affecting the Intermountain Region (preference given to Utah-focused research.)
- Preference will be given to research that can inform policy at the local, state, or federal level.
- The research must be conducted within a specific, limited time frame, with a termination date no later than 18 months from the date of the award.
- All faculty must be USU faculty members. Cross-disciplinary faculty groups are encouraged, but not required.
Grant applications will require:
Part 1:
A one-page project description explaining the scope; anticipated relevance of findings to land, water, or air; and broader impacts for the research.
Part 2:
A one- or two-page summary of the project. Please include procedures, methods, relevant literature, or previous research findings with bearing on the project in that summary. List any of the relevant items below in that document:
- Personnel involved
- Equipment involved
- Measurement procedures or methodology
- Data collection and management
- Relevant management plans
- Relevant literature (may list at the end of the summary)
- Student involvement (undergraduate or graduate) with names and A numbers, if known
- How students will be monitored and mentored
- How student involvement will benefit their education and future careers
Part 3:
Prepare a budget for the research project with specific details on how grant funds will be used. This budget can be a spreadsheet or table. Items NOT allowed on the budget include:
- Tuition/fees
- Literature review costs
- Course buyouts
- Conference travel (travel required to conduct research IS allowed)
- Membership and dues
- Non-USU faculty, personnel, or students
Part 4: (Optional)
Supporting documentation can also be submitted with the application. Supporting documentation may be information on matching funds, images or plans relevant to the project, human or animal subjects, hazardous materials involved, etc.
Selection Process
All proposals will be given equal consideration by an ILWA committee. Awarding will be announced after April 15. Projects that involve USU students with bearing on policy focused on a Utah-based land, water, and/or air issue will be given preference.
Research Publication and Impact
The faculty and students involved in the research will agree to submit a report to ILWA on the findings of the project. ILWA will use the research to provide direct information to Utah policymakers. This may be in the form of inclusion in an annual report on land, water, and air; part of a document or report as part of a broader effort to address critical environmental issues; and direct publication on the ILWA website. Authors will be given credit for their work.
The research can also be used by the authors on their own websites, submitted to a recognized journal or publication, and/or incorporated into a larger research project.
Students involved in the project should also be coached on how to reference their work as part of their CV or resume and encouraged to present their research at events such as USU Student Research Symposiums, USU Research on Capitol Hill, or conference poster sessions.
Questions?
Questions on the impact grant and proposal process can be directed to:
- Michelle Smith, ILWA Administrative Assistant | michelle.smith@usu.edu
- Anna McEntire, ILWA Associate Director | anna.mcentire@usu.edu
Need Ideas?
Learn about the Atmospheric Ammonia project that received funding from the ILWA Impact Grant.