Investigator Participation Programs

The activities required in Broader Impacts statements for funding agencies are becoming more sophisticated and the pressure to produce results from these activities is increasing dramatically. YNSI provides investigators with effective and efficient opportunities to accomplish the required broader impacts goals for grant proposals and science outreach missions, and assists investigators with a variety of options (not limited to the following list). To accomplish these goals, investigators may budget activities for Broader Impacts of their grant proposals for the following programs.

1. Summer Camps: Investigators have several options if they wish to support summer camp participation and/or facilitation.

• Allocate funds for a particular number of students to attend summer camps: Investigators who have allocated funds for individual student participation in established YNSI summer camps or may utilize YNSI for promotional services and student recruitment and registration.
• Facilitate individual sessions during summer camps: Investigators may choose to direct one or more sessions during a summer camps, using the curriculum available from YNSI, and/or participate in student field trips and extracurricular activities.
• Recruit graduate students to serve as summer camp counselors: Investigators may recruit and appoint graduate students in their labs and departments to serve as camp counselors, using criteria established by YNSI.

2. Summer Research: High School student researchers must be admitted to the University where they are working as “visiting students”, registered within the department they are working in as “volunteers”, and must complete any safety training associated with working in University laboratories. Investigators have two options if they wish to support student summer research.

• Will Host student(s) in lab and pay them a stipend: Investigators who have allocated funds to cover the stipend and laboratory fees for student summer research may utilize YNSI for promotional services, student recruitment and registration, and appropriate academic admissions. Investigators may define their own participant descriptions and requirements and recruit their own student researchers.
• Will Host student(s) in lab, but cannot pay stipend: Investigators may indicate they are willing to host student researchers even if they do not have current funding for the stipends.

3. New Programs: If established YNSI summer programs do not meet the needs of individual investigators, or if investigators are interested in developing STEM experiences for students directly related to a particular grant proposal, YNSI can assist in the development of such programs. Experiences for students could include, but are not limited to, day camps, summer camps, Saturday science series, and laboratory field trips. Investigators may utilize the expertise of YNSI and its 11-member Advisory Committee which includes science and science education experts for assistance with curriculum development, facilities planning, promotional services, student recruitment and registration, and overall event management.

4. Assessment: Through the services of the Bureau of Sociological Research (BOSR), YNSI provides measurements and obtains assessment data from student(s) and participating faculty for NE EPSCoR and individual investigator proposal reporting purposes. Measurements may include, but will not be limited to, questionnaires, telephone surveys, mail surveys, in-person interviewing, case studies, product collection, and focus groups. YNSI will provide annual reports with recommendations to support continuous program improvement. A summative report will: 1) document progress toward program goals, 2) highlight effective strategies, and 3) provide recommendations for sustaining, improving, and replicating practices.

5. Additional Assistance: The following list describes additional services provided by YNSI. Investigators may take advantage of these services when participating in the assistance programs listed above:

• Curriculum Development: Student activities must be developed in accordance with national and state science standards for the specific grade levels supported. YNSI can assist in the development of such activities or direct investigators to existing high-quality educational materials and assist in tailoring materials to fit individual’s needs.
• Promotional Services: YNSI provides state-wide and local student contacts necessary to promote student activities to appropriate educators, families, and students for optimal communication.
• Student Recruitment and Registration: YNSI provides the appropriate recruiting materials for thorough and efficient student recruitment and registration purposes.
• Event Management: YNSI provides the experience necessary to ensure appropriate and successful management of student activities and events.

Procedures

Once an investigator chooses the type of program(s) or assistance he or she wishes to support, the appropriate agreement forms must be completed and submitted. This process also aids in the creation of the necessary Broader Impacts statement and related budget for any outside grant proposal an investigator may be preparing.

Pre-Grant Requirements

1. YNSI Agreement Form: Complete the YNSI Agreement form, which can be found on the Forms Page. The required information is described below, and can also be found on the Agreement Form.

• Indicate what activities your proposal will be supporting, number and grade level of students supported, and your participation level (or your lab’s participation) in various camp activities.
• Include the following three items: a short description of your proposal’s area of research, planned student activities (for summer researchers), and what YNSI services you will require.
• Complete the Broader Impact section including the YNSI Broader Impact Template and include a second paragraph describing the individual details of your proposal. This section is also to be used when preparing a grant proposal for a funding agency.
• Sign and submit this form to NE EPSCoR. Contact the YNSI Coordinator for assistance in completing the form.

2. Budget Instructions: Complete the YNSI budget form, which can be found on the Forms Page and include the YNSI budget justification, sign, and submit to NE EPSCoR. Signed submission of this budget information grants NE EPSCoR permission to charge the indicated cost object number for the specified total. Any funds not charged by the end of the grant period are at the investigator’s discretion. This budget is also to be included when preparing a grant proposal for a funding agency.

Post-Grant Requirements

Proposal Status:

Proposal Accepted-Notify NE EPSCoR of grant start date, funds availability, and update account information if necessary. The YNSI Coordinator and NE EPSCoR support staff will complete contractual obligations including, but not limited to, obtaining the required institutional support and assurances, project planning and facilitation, recruitment services, student admissions processing, stipend administration, and assessment activities.

Proposal Declined-Notify NE EPSCoR.

1. Stipend Distribution for Student Researchers: If the investigator has requested that YNSI distribute student stipend funds for summer researchers, provide NE EPSCoR with participating students’ ID information and transfer student stipends funds to the assigned YNSI account. Sign students’ completed time sheets and submit to NE EPSCoR. NE EPSCoR will distribute student stipends.

2. Assessment and Reporting: The YNSI Coordinator will notify the Lead Investigator of appropriate assessment tools, reporting duties, and deadlines. Reporting forms will be available for download and submission on the YNSI website.