Application Instructions

Sections 1-4 of this application should be completed by each person in a jointly authored project. If a resume or curriculum vitae contains all of the information needed for Sections 1-4, that may be substituted.

Section 1: Applicant Information

1. Name and title
2. Institution and address
3. Telephone

Section 2: Education

List in reverse chronological order all colleges, universities, and professional schools attended. Include degrees received and their year as well as pending degrees.

Section 3: Experience

List the professional employment you have held, starting with the most recent. Include dates and a brief description of the nature of your duties.

Section 4: Other Accomplishments

1. Honors, scholarships, or prizes you have received.
2. Membership in honor societies and in learned and professional organizations.
3. Research projects you have contributed to or completed.
4. Papers you have published or have submitted for publication.

Section 5: Project Design

Provide the following information concerning the project. Begin each section on a separate page and type the applicant’s last name in the upper right hand corner of each page.

Introduction to the problem

• A brief introduction of your research topic – what your research topic is about. This introduction will provide your audience the background information on the topic you are studying.
• A brief statement of the research problem – what the problem is that needs to be solved. Problem statement points out the area that has problems and can be improved by the results of your proposed study. Basically, you are telling people what you think needs to be “worked on” in the area of your research topic.
• Your research question – what the question is that you seek to answer via your proposed study. You need to formulate your research question based on your research problem, and present it in the question format with a question mark at the end.

Literature Review

A brief review of the research literature on your study variables and their relationships. Such literature includes studies presenting theories, empirical data and methodology about the variables in the research question. The purpose of the literature review is to identify studies that have been done on your research topic and identify the gap in the literature that can be filled by your proposed study. The literature review should be organized topically/thematically and should not be organized by article. Discuss the results of any feasibility studies, surveys, or questionnaires that influenced the decision to submit this grant application.

Methods

Precise statement of methodology and analytic techniques, include:

• Quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods design;
• Study population;
• Sampling design;
• Data collection instruments or description of existing data (if using data that has already been gathered);
• Data analysis techniques.

Project Timeline

The project schedule should provide expected completion dates for all major stages in the project, possibly including the completion of the thorough literature review, design of instrument (e.g. questionnaire), Human Subject Committee review, data collection, data analysis, completion of the rough draft, etc.

Budget

Provide a budgetary breakdown for all expenses related to the project. Indicate those expenses for which you are seeking assistance from MACMLA.

Letter of Support from Library Director

Provide a letter from your supervisor stating their support for the research project to be conducted by a member or members of the library.

Appendices

Attach examples of any questionnaires or user surveys. Attach a bibliography of publications relevant to the proposed project and any discussion pertinent to the proposed project.

For an example of a grant application, please see the successful 2016 application.

Submission Instructions

Upload completed applications via the MAC RAC Grant Submissions form no later than  ___. Contact Samantha Kaplan (samantha.kaplan@duke.edu) with any questions or if you encounter any technical issues.