The Honors Program and the Office of Undergraduate Research (SOURCE) collaborate in coordinating the funding application process.  The application is the same for both types of awards.  Typically, Honors juniors and seniors applying for thesis funding are considered for the Honors Program Awards.

When you fill out the funding application, you will state that you are a member of the Renée Crown Honors Program. If you are a junior, your funding will be applied toward your Honors Thesis project.

Yes, we encourage that. For example, you might apply for a Clements Internship Award, or for summer research support within your department.  We coordinate with many departments, particularly in the sciences and engineering, on funding opportunities.

If you receive funding from more than one source, you need to let each one know. It is not okay to accept funds from both for one project!  (This would in fact be an academic integrity violation.)

We want to make sure that as many quality Thesis projects receive support as possible, so we restrict honors thesis funding to one funding round per student.

However, you are still eligible to apply for Honors funding if you have received prior research funding through the SOURCE, perhaps during your first year or sophomore year.  You will be required to respond to additional questions about your previously funded project and submit a copy of the final report with the new application.

We strongly encourage you to attend.  We provide important tips on how to submit a successful application and there will be plenty of time to answer your questions.

It is well worth applying, approximately 75% of our students receive funding.

Come to the workshop for important tips and pointers, and here are two key considerations:

• • • • Your application should be as well-written as you can make it: clear, concise, persuasive. Work with your faculty Thesis Advisor on it.

• • • • Make it clear in some detail what you will do with the funding, and whether you will have access to the people and resources you need. Generalities are not helpful here. Let's say you want to study some aspect of international banking in Hong Kong. That's great, but when you step off the airplane, how are you planning to pursue your research? Be sure that you can clearly articulate a strategy.

• • • • Download the application instructions and carefully review the guidelines for preparing your application.

     

     

Funding applications are reviewed by a team of faculty reviewers from different schools/colleges across campus, representing a variety of disciplines.  The reviewers make recommendations to the Honors Director, who makes the final decision.

Typically, applicants are notified within 6 weeks after the application deadline. So in the Fall that's toward the end of November, and in the Spring notifications will be sent around end of April.

Yes - for Crown Thesis funding specifically, you have to be presenting (either oral or poster presentation) at a professional/academic conference. Conference funding can cover the incurred/anticipated expenses that include travel, accommodation and conference registration. If you just want to participate or attend a conference and want help with that, you should consider applying for an Honors Professional Development grant to support your participation in a professional conference.

Yes. If you are staying in Syracuse over the summer to work on your project, you can include a summer stipend in your budget.   For other locations, you need to give us your best estimate. Keep it modest, please! For foreign travel, try to find student hostels or other inexpensive lodgings.

You can make some adjustments to your budget if your Thesis faculty advisor approves the change. Any changes to your project that impact your budget need your thesis advisor's approval, and you should notify Honors that you need to submit an updated budget.

In rare cases you can, but you need to submit a full application with a compelling rationale for why the activity was crucial to your project.

Include it - if you think it's a reasonable request. The reviewers sometimes recommend partial funding, so they may not fund that particular item, but still recommend you for funding for the rest of your project. They won't necessarily reject your entire application if they don't think that one specific part is worthy of funding. Seek advice from your advisor, and also from your Honors Thesis Coordinator.

At this time, funding cannot be used for tuition, credits, or for study abroad or program fees. For example, let's say your Thesis examines whether there are eco-tourism programs that do an admirable job of building a durable infrastructure for Indigenous peoples and how those programs are financed. The Honors Program would not fund you to just attend a summer eco-tourism program in, say, Costa Rica, no matter how interesting it would be. We might, however, fund you to remain in Costa Rica for a few weeks after such a program to do research specifically about your topic as exemplified by local Costa Rican eco-tourism programs. You could apply for food and lodging and reasonable expenses during that period. This approach has led to very successful Thesis projects.

Crown Research Funds may also never be used to support academic payroll.  Our research grants are designed to support students doing research, and by definition and per University policy, we cannot require work in exchange for your funding. If you need options to offset living costs while you do your research, you will need to request a research 'stipend' for that amount.  Again, Crown grants may not be used for academic payroll. 

We discuss these and related issues at the funding workshops, so plan to attend at least one of the workshops.  Check here for the workshops dates and times.