CREU: Frequently Asked Questions
- How many pages long should the CREU program proposal be?
There is no set limit, but around 6 pages seems appropriate to cover the required information. We have had proposals from 4 pages to 10 pages long. By the way, the suggested number of pages here refers to the length of the project writeup, not including the personal information pages and other required information.
- In the budget, are we allowed to include an academic-year stipend of $3,000 for each student?
As of 2007-2008, you may request an academic-year stipend of $3,000 for each student from an underrepresented group. In addition, an optional summer stipend of $4,000 per student can be requested for the summer following the academic year. Note that students that graduate in May do not qualify for the summer stipend (they would not be undergraduates at that point).
- I am an international student majoring in CS at a U.S. university. Are international students eligible to participate in the student undergraduate research program (CREU)?
Starting with the 2010-2011 program, international students must hold US citizenship or have permanent resident status in order to be funded by this program.
- Does CREU support projects at Canadian universities?
Proposals from Canadian universities cannot be funded from the NSF grant that supports CREU. However, in the past CRA-W has been able to directly fund a limited number of proposals from Canadian universities.
- May faculty receive funds from the CREU program?
No. Funds from the CREU program are intended to directly support students.
- Are faculty able to use the additional $1,500 for travel for themselves?
Yes, faculty may use funds from the additional $1,500 (if requested) to accompany their students on conference trips related to the project. We expect the students to be active participants in the conference because they are co-authors of a paper being presented or by presenting a poster themselves.
- Can we use the extra $1500 to purchase a laptop? Or an iPad?
No. We do not support the purchase of "general purpose" computing equipment. Any request you make of equipment must be clearly stated and justified in the proposal.
- What do you consider "underrepresented"?
The CREU program is funded by an NSF BPC grant. The BPC defines "underrepresented" as follows:The Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) program aims to significantly increase the number of U.S. citizens and permanent residents receiving post secondary degrees in the computing disciplines, with an emphasis on students from communities with longstanding underrepresentation in computing. Those underrepresented groups are women, persons with disabilities, African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.
- The office of sponsored programs at my institution wants to know to whom is this grant issued?
This is not a research grant, it is considered a stipend for the students and the other money is treated as a reimbursement of incurred expenses. The stipends are awarded directly to the students. That is, the students are paid directly by CRA. The funds are not awarded to the faculty sponsors or their colleges/universities for disbursement. As a result, there is no overhead allowed.
