Application Guidelines

All new applicants must follow the process as outlined below.  For renewals, see section below.

An application for the AFRL/DAGSI Ohio Student-Faculty Research Program is comprised of the following documents:  

• Student application form
• Official transcript (s)
• Letters of recommendation
• Faculty application form
• Research proposal
• Signature form

The complete application package, with all required documents, must be received by DAGSI no later than 5:00 pm EST , January 31, 2006 .

To access the student and faculty application forms, as well as the signature form, click on the link at the bottom of this page and follow the instructions.  The application forms should be completed electronically, printed, and sent along with the research proposal, the signature form, and other supporting materials.

The following documents must be provided along with the application forms.  

1. Official Transcript (s).  Official transcript (s) listing all university coursework (undergraduate and graduate) is/are required.  Please request the transcripts well in advance of the deadline to ensure they arrive at the DAGSI office no later than 5:00 pm EST , January 31, 2006 .  They may be mailed directly to DAGSI from the Registrar’s Office or included with the application package.
2. Letters of recommendation.  Two one-page, signed letters must be submitted for each student.  One recommendation must be written by the faculty research partner.  This letter must include a statement indicating the level of assistance provided to the student in preparation of the research proposal.  The other recommendation should be written by someone familiar with the student’s academic and research record and capability.  These letters may be submitted with the application package or mailed to DAGSI under separate cover.
3. Research proposal.  Each proposal must address a single research topic.*  The document should describe the research proposed over a one-year timeframe.  The student is expected to have primary responsibility for preparing the proposal (if one could “quantify” the level of effort, it should be at least 80% student effort and at most 20% faculty effort).  Students and faculty are encouraged to contact the AFRL topic sponsor as they prepare the proposal.  Such collaboration should benefit the student/faculty team by enabling them to prepare a highly competitive proposal.

          Proposal format:

• No more than 5 text pages (one-inch margins all around; 12 point font; single spaced)

• No more than 5 additional pages for graphics, tables, charts, references/literature citations, and/or appendices

• The proposal must include:  statement of the problem; background and relevance to previous work; general methodology and procedure to be followed; expected results and their significance and application; potential impact on Air Force and/or Ohio economy; and literature citations where appropriate.  Any anticipated special requirements necessary to conduct the research (e.g. special equipment, computer resources, etc.) should be indicated.

• Note:  AFRL and DAGSI expect the bulk of the research to be done during the summer months of 2006.  If the full 8 weeks required by the student cannot be done during the summer, the proposal must include a plan that outlines how and when the required time will be accumulated.  The research MUST be front-loaded in the award year.  DAGSI will not pay tuition for a student in academic year 2006/2007 unless the research is underway by the start of fall term 2006.

* Any single proposal addressing two overlapping research topics must be approved by the AFRL sponsor of each topic.  The sponsors must sign a statement agreeing to the proposed combination of research topics.

4. Signature form.  The signature form must be printed out.  Applicants must then collect all required original signatures (student and faculty applicants; university authorizing official) and submit the form to DAGSI with their application package.

Each student and each faculty applicant may pursue up to two research opportunities.  A student may hold one award only.  A faculty member may receive one or two awards in a given cycle but may hold no more than three awards (new award(s) plus renewal(s)) in total at any one time.  Each proposal should address a single research topic UNLESS topic combination has been approved by AFRL.  Applicants should clearly indicate the topic title and number on the proposal.

Evaluation Criteria

The participating AFRL Directorates will review the applications, and each directorate will rank order the proposals submitted for its areas of research.  A joint committee of AFRL and DAGSI leaders will make the final award decisions.  Selection will be based on:  

• Technical merit of the research proposal
• Proposed utilization of AFRL and/or university facilities
• Academic merit of the student
• Potential for the research outcome to have a future impact on Ohio’s economy

Renewal of Existing Awards

The key criteria for renewal decisions are the student’s academic standing (in general, a minimum GPA of 3.0) and progress on the research (positive feedback from the AFRL sponsor and the relevant Directorate).

Ph.D. students in good academic standing who are making good progress on the research and receive positive feedback from AFRL stand an excellent chance of renewal.  If a Ph.D. level award is renewed, all components of the award (stipend for student and faculty, tuition, and miscellaneous expenses) will be renewed.

M.S.-level awards generally are considered to be one-year awards.  However, if a student can identify no other means of support, renewal of STUDENT TUITION ONLY (no student or faculty stipend or miscellaneous expenses) for a partial or full academic year may be considered.  In his/her section of the application, the participating faculty member should include an explanation of why no tuition waver or other sources of funding are available.  If the M.S. student is seeking renewal because he/she is entering a Ph.D. program and continuing the research at the doctoral level, please indicate that in the application.

Research teams seeking renewal of their fellowship award must fill out the “Application for Fellowship Renewal.”  There are three sections:  student application; faculty statement; and AFRL research sponsor feedback and recommendation.  All three sections must be submitted to the DAGSI office no later than 5 pm on Wednesday, February 15, 2006 .  The entire application may be submitted as one package, or the sections may be submitted separately if time or privacy is an issue.  Submissions may be emailed (), faxed (937-781-4005), mailed (DAGSI; 3155 Research Blvd. Ste. 205 ; Kettering OH 45420 ), or hand delivered.

DAGSI will inform AFRL of this renewal process.  However, it is the responsibility of the participating student and faculty to ensure that the AFRL sponsor completes his/her section and submits it on time.  Endorsement of the AFRL sponsor and his/her Technical Directorate is critical to the outcome of the renewal decision.

Please contact DAGSI with any questions about this process.

2005/2006 Forms

Student Application

Faculty Application

Signature Form

Renewal of Existing Award Application

Feedback From for AFRL Sponsors

Reporting Requirements / Research Program General Information /  Research Program Schedule / Research Program Topics / Application Form and Guidelines

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Updated: 11/30/05