Eligibility

LIFE Scholars must be enrolled for fall term 2024 or intend to complete a degree at Oregon State University. Students currently pursuing a baccalaureate or graduate degree at OSU and who are in good academic standing are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to undergraduate students.

Only faculty associated with the Center for Healthy Aging Research are eligible to serve as Faculty Project Advisors. Information on faculty associated with the Center is available on the CHAR website.

Award information

Maximum award is $1000 with a $1000 match from student's faculty advisor or department.

Departmental matches that bring total support to $2,000 are strongly preferred. Students should prepare their budgets showing the total amount requested from both CHAR and the participating department.

Use of funds

Awards are made to support scholarly, creative and research activities in the interdisciplinary field of aging. Center for Healthy Aging Research support will not be in lieu of existing grant funds previously budgeted for undergraduate research assistance. Work schedules are to be negotiated between the student and the Faculty Project Advisor(s).

Budget Items

Eligible for support

• Student salaries or wages
• Travel by LIFE scholar to conduct research
• Library costs (e.g., duplication costs, acquisition of reference materials)
• Expendable materials and supplies

Not eligible for support

• Faculty or postdoctoral student travel
• Equipment purchases
• Costs to prepare, copy or bind theses
• Travel to meetings or conference

Application procedure and deadline

To apply, please download the LIFE Scholars application form (docx) and follow the application directions.

The form will direct you to a Qualtrics survey where the application form and the following documents will need to be submitted:

1. Resume (including GPA)
2. Transcript (unofficial)
3. Proposal
4. Letter of support from faculty project advisor

All materials must be received via Qualtrics by 5 p.m. PST on submission deadline day.

Review procedure and criteria

The LIFE Scholars Advisory Panel will review all eligible proposals.

The Advisory Panel will provide a prioritized list of funding recommendations to the Co-Directors of the Center for Healthy Aging Research based on the quality of the proposals as determined by the review criteria. Funds will be awarded based on these recommendations.

The LIFE Scholars Advisory Panel is composed of faculty members appointed by the Center for Healthy Aging Research Co-Directors. Students should direct their proposals to a general audience, avoiding the use of jargon and unexplained acronyms.

The LIFE Scholars Advisory Panel will evaluate each proposal using the following criteria: (Not in order of importance)

Scholarly merit

• What is the relevance of the project to aging research?
• Would funding this project create a professional experience for the student that might not otherwise be accessible?
• What educational/experiential benefits will the student gain?
• Is the project interesting?
• Will the proposed activity significantly expand or diversify the student’s or scholarly base?

Nature of proposal

• Does the proposal provide a clear statement of overall project objectives?
• Does the proposal provide a clear statement of the student’s role?
• Does the proposal provide independent research study for the student?
• Are the proposed methods appropriate and accurate?
• Is the text of the proposal well written?
• Is the personal data well-prepared?

Leverage

• Will the project create opportunities to continue the research/scholarly experience for the student beyond the Center for Healthy Aging Research funding period?
• Will the project help position the student to pursue further scholarly, professional, creative opportunities (e.g., graduate school)?

Other considerations

• Is the student’s future educational or career plan related to the field of aging?
• Is this a new research experience for the student?
• Student GPA
• Has the student received funding from other OSU research sources?