The offices of the Provost and Vice-President Academic, the Vice-President Research and Innovation, and the Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation (UBC Okanagan) are pleased to have supported the first funding recipients of the Program for Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE) in 2019.
2019 Competition Results
The January 2019 funding call for PURE sought innovative pilot projects that would broaden access to, and enhance undergraduate research experiences, in response to this key priority identified in UBC’s new strategic plan (Strategy 8 in Shaping UBC’s Next Century).
A steering committee across both campuses, composed of students, staff and faculty members and representatives of the Vice-President, Students; Vice-President, Academic and Vice-President, Research & Innovation offices developed the PURE call for proposals and received a total of 95 full applications from UBC’s two campuses.
Seventeen of these projects were funded, representing a 17.9% success rate and a total funding allocation of $1.3 million over two years, including $1M in strategic funds. A summary of these projects is below.
The principal applicants of the funded projects included twelve faculty members, three staff members and two undergraduate students. Eight projects are led by women and nine are led by men.
The projects were sponsored by a range of faculties, units and portfolios including Applied Science, Arts, Education, Forestry, Medicine, UBC Sauder, Science, Health and Social Development, CTLT, Materials and Manufacturing Research Institute, First Nations House of Learning, MOA, VP External and AVP International. Fifteen of the 17 funded projects received two-year funding awards.
Faculty, staff and students are invited to submit proposals for innovative projects that will expand access to and/or enhance undergraduate research experiences at UBC. Proposals should demonstrate how the requested funding will be used to support innovative pilot projects and the anticipated outcomes for students.
The principal applicant and confirmed team members, collaborators and partners and a description of the team’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. All applications from teams must have sign-off and approval from sponsoring Dean(s) of a Faculty/ies and/or a member of Executive.
The CVs/resumes of the team members up to a maximum of 5, including the principal applicant and the co-applicant (if applicable).
A description of the project, including goals, objectives and expected outcomes of the proposed project.
The role and involvement of, and/or consultations with, undergraduate students in the project.
If applicable, contributions (cash and/or in kind) from Faculties, departments and other partners.
Plans for sustainability of the pilot project beyond the funding end-date.
Plans for scaling the pilot project to benefit a significant number of students.
Evaluation plan that will be used to determine the project’s success/impact.
eligibility
Faculty, staff and students from both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses are eligible to apply for PURE. If the Principal Applicant is a student, the application must be supported and signed by a co-applicant who is a faculty member. Undergraduate student participation in pilot projects is essential.
AWARD DETAILS
A total funding envelope of $1 million is available for this competition. Teams may apply for projects between $5,000 up to a maximum of $50,000 for a one-year project and $100,000 for a two-year project.
A strong budget justification is expected to align specific activities with goals and expected outcomes. The PURE review committees will consider each budget item and may recommend funding only some budget items, or reduced terms.
The principal applicants of successful teams will be required to attend a post-award informational workshop with the VP Research & Innovation office.
REVIEW PROCESSES
Multi-disciplinary peer review panels composed of faculty, staff and students, and including external reviewers, at each campus will review the applications. Each campus will develop a ranked list of proposals based on final proposal scores. A cross-campus multi-disciplinary panel will then select proposals for funding.
SUBMISSIONS PROCESSES
The VP Research & Innovation office will held proposal development information sessions on January 22, 2019 (Vancouver Campus) and January 23, 2019 (Okanagan Campus).
Notice of Intent to Apply
In order to submit an application to the PURE competition, teams were required to submit a short Notice of Intent (NOI) in advance of the final deadline. The NOI is non-competitive and was used internally to plan review panels. At the NOI stage, it is not necessary to have approval / sign-off from a dean or executive, but the NOI list will be shared with appropriate deans and executive for informational purposes.
Application Submission
Applications for this funding call are submitted as a single PDF document comprising a 5-page, free-form proposal, the template title page,the template budget page and CVs.
Only applicants who submitted a Notice of Intent are eligible to submit a completed application for PURE funding.
Assessment Criteria
Specific assessment criteria for PURE include:
The project is innovative and positively impacts the undergraduate research experience at UBC. It should not be limited to an expansion of existing undergraduate research experiences or programs.
Ideally, the project demonstrates potential for curricular impact.
The project team membership and proposed activities reflect a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Projects that meaningfully engage Indigenous students are encouraged.
The proposal provides a clear project description including rationale, overarching goals and specific objectives.
The proposal clearly articulates specific, well-defined outcomes that are achievable. Where applicable, dissemination strategies should be outlined, for example, published articles in peer-reviewed journals, abstracts, conference presentations (e.g. the Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conference) posters, reports etc.
The proposal describes the roles, involvement and/or consultations with undergraduate students.
Plans for sustainability and scaling of the project to benefit a significant number of students, particularly under-represented student populations.
The proposal outlines an evaluation plan that identifies outcomes criteria that will be used to assess the project’s success/impact.
Where feasible, the project demonstrates cash/in-kind commitments from partners.
The proposal outlines the research mentorship/teaching that will be offered to undergraduates by faculty, post-doc, and/or graduate students.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The VP Research & Innovation Office hosted two information sessions on the 2019 competition.
Timeline
January 7, 2019
Competition Launch
January 22, 2019
8:30 – 11:00 a.m.
(Optional) PURE Information Session (Vancouver), Location: The Centre for Brain Health, 2215 Wesbrook Mall
January 23, 2019
9:30 – 12:30 p.m.
(Optional)PURE Information Session (Okanagan), Location: SCI 333, 1177 Research Road
February 4, 2019
11:59 p.m.
Deadline to submit a Notice of Intent.
March 4, 2019
11:59 p.m.
Final proposal deadline.
Week of March 18, 2019
Panel meetings, notifications
March 29, 2019
8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Vancouver pre-award workshop (required for all successful proposals) Henry Angus Rm. 037, 2053 Main Mall
TBC, 2019
Okanagan pre-award workshop (required for all successful proposals)
FAQs
What is the source of the definition for undergraduate research?
The definition of undergraduate research is taken from the report of the UBC Vancouver Senate Undergraduate Working Group which is a working group of the Senate Teaching and Learning Committee.
Are Access Studies students eligible to apply even if they’re not registered in a specific Faculty where a Dean can sign approval?
Yes. Please contact the VPRI or appropriate Executive office contact for discussion of the process to follow.
In the event that several Faculties are involved in the project, which Dean should provide approval?
Please obtain approval from all Deans involved.
When is sign-off from a member of executive required?
When the project proposal is primarily affiliated with, or led out of an executive portfolio such as VPRI or VPS, or it is a joint project proposal from a Faculty and an executive portfolio, the principal applicant should obtain sign-off from the appropriate member of executive.
Are part-time students and international students eligible to apply?
Yes.
Is it possible to apply for an extension to the project?
Yes, no-cost (with no additional funding) extensions may be granted. Extension requests should be submitted to the VPRI office and provide the following information: - Additional time for completion of the project and expenditure of funds may be requested, up to a maximum of 2 months for one-year projects and 4 months for two-year projects from the original end date of the project. - Rationale for request and justification for use of any remaining budget.
When will final project reports be due?
All one-year projects must submit final project reports by August 31, 2020. Two-year projects must submit final project reports by October 31, 2021.
What are some examples of eligible expenses?
Travel expenses; student/staff support/stipends; costs associated with workshops, retreats, planning meetings, speakers, communications etc; project materials and supplies; equipment costs; data analytics.
Are course releases eligible expenses?
Yes, provided there is a letter of support from the Head/Director of the unit or Dean of the Faculty as appropriate.
How many team members are allowed as part of the project proposal?
There is no maximum. There may be any number of team members. There are no requirements about faculty:student ratio.
Are all team members required to submit CVs/resumes?
No, up to a maximum of 5 CVs/resumes, including the principal applicant and co-applicant (if applicable) may be attached to the proposal.
Are cash and/or in-kind contributions required for the proposed project?
No. We are not suggesting there is a need for cash/in-kind contributions from external partners. However, where feasible, Faculties/departments should report any cash or in-kind contributions being made to a project.
Are postdoctoral fellows eligible to apply for a pilot project?
Yes. If the term of the PDF appointment is shorter than the length of the pilot project, including a co-applicant to the project team is advised.
Can non-UBC faculty, students or staff be part of the project team?
Yes. However, the Principal Applicant must be a UBC person.
Is there a limit to the number of applications an applicant can submit?
The limit is one application as Principal Applicant. However, there is no limit to the number of proposals a person can be on as a team member.
Are UBC co-op students eligible to participate in projects?
Yes. Please be sure to follow co-op program guidelines (e.g. positions must be posted/advertised). Co-op student salary is considered an eligible PURE expense.
We acknowledge that UBC’s two main campuses are situated within the ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam people, and in the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation and their peoples.