Research Award Application Form

Directions: Fill out the form below. As part of the form, a link is provided to upload your proposal as a PDF document.

The deadline for submission is October 15th, 2026
Have your faculty research advisor submit a letter of support (using the “faculty support letter form”) by the above due date.
Your PDF document should contain the following sections. Proposals that do not contain all of these sections will be rejected and not considered for funding.
Title
Author(s) Name(s)
Main body
Literature Cited
Budget (Itemized budget items with representative vendors).
Timeline for completion
Plans for presentation (Presentation at Sigma Zeta strongly encouraged. Presentation at a similar convention acceptable).
Criteria for award decisions:
- Experimental Design: Clarity of goals, hypothesis and/or research question
- Quality of Writing: Well written, proofread, example of good scientific writing
- Literature cited: Representative of field of research and properly and completely cited
- Length, Budget, Timeline: Feasibility of completion based on methodology and timeline proposed
- Strength of letter of support from research mentor
Pay close attention to the word count of the main body of your proposal. It should not exceed 450 words. Proposals with a main body that exceeds this limit will be rejected and not considered for funding.
When considering items to include in a budget, please note that Sigma Zeta National does not fund travel, salaries, or hourly wages for individuals.
If your research involves human subjects or vertebrate animals, be sure to include the pertinent documentation from your institution’s IRB or IACUC committee showing your research has been approved. Also include any chemical/waste handling, and any relevant safety protocols. Research proposals that require such approval, but do not contain the proper documentation, will be rejected and not considered for funding.
Progress Report (expected) on use of the research award to include status of project and future plans if project not yet completed — must be submitted to Sigma Zeta by the National Convention following research award.
Final Report (expected) on research project must be submitted within a year following research award.
Should you have any questions, reach out to the Executive Director at sigmazeta.science@gmail.com.