CAST Outstanding Student Researcher Award

Undergraduate Student Guidelines

Purpose

The CAST Outstanding Undergraduate Student Research Award recognizes excellence in research conducted by CAST undergraduate students and annually identifies one student or a group of students who have participated in a project of significance.

Submissions must be made online using the application link above. A completed submission for award consideration includes the description of research which must include: Statement of the Problem, Methods, Statistical Analysis, Results, Impact of the Results, Dissemination of Results and 1 letter of support from a faculty member. These letters must address the following issues:The quality and validity of the research;

The importance of the research to the discipline;
The student's/students' level of participation in the project; and
Any pending or completed publications/presentations which have resulted from the project.

Please note: only one letter of recommendation should be submitted.

Eligibility

Current or former CAST students are eligible.
Entries must be received in the CAST Dean's Office by 4:00 pm on the first Monday in March.

Number of Entries

The use of department guidelines in determining the entry from each respective department is encouraged. While a given department may submit more than one entry, selectivity on part of departments is urged.

CAST Review

Entries will be reviewed by the CAST Research Council (CRC). The research will be evaluated using the following criteria:

Quality of the research work;
Clarity and explicitness of research documentation; and
Significance of the research to the field of study.

Application materials are due by the first Monday in March each year and selections will be made in late March. Applications will be reviewed by the College Research Committee to select the CAST Outstanding Undergraduate Student Research Award. The CRC may elect to not select an award recipient for a given year.

Awards

The author(s) of the research project that is chosen for the CAST Outstanding Undergraduate Student Researcher Award will receive up to a $100 award and a plaque acknowledging the award. Presentation of these plaques will occur at the CAST Spring Meeting.