Stan State COAST Undergraduate Student Research Support Program
2022-2023 Academic Year
The CSU Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology (COAST) is the umbrella organization for marine, coastal and coastal watershed related activities within the California State University (CSU). COAST promotes research and education to advance our knowledge of marine and coastal resources and the processes that affect them. As a group we also disseminate scientific information to stakeholders for informed decision-making and the development of responsible policy across California.
The scope of COAST includes:
- The open and coastal ocean;
- Coastal zones (bays, estuaries, beaches);
- Coastal watersheds: there must be clear and direct linkages between the organism, material or process in the watershed and the coast or ocean (e.g., anadromous fish, surface and groundwater flow, water quality). Work supported by COAST is NOT limited to California. Please visit the website for additional information.
COAST’s goals are to:
- Advance our knowledge of marine and coastal systems.
- Inform solutions for local, state, national, and global marine and coastal issues.
- Promote broad, inclusive, and diverse participation and workforce development.
The COAST Undergraduate Student Research Support Program provides funding to every campus in the CSU to support undergraduate student participation in faculty-mentored marine, coastal and coastal watershed research. The goal of this program is to engage students interested in pursuing marine-related careers and provide them with the opportunity to obtain the skills necessary to join a highly skilled, technologically advanced workforce while promoting and supporting CSU faculty research. To date, the program has successfully supported 535 undergraduate students at all campuses throughout the system. Details of Stanislaus State’s COAST Undergraduate Student Research Support Program can be found below.
Review of completed applications will commence on Monday, December 5, 2022, and will continue until all available funds ($9,119) have been awarded. Electronic submissions (a single PDF file) of the completed application should be submitted to Dr. Elvin A. Alemán (ealeman@csustan.edu), COAST Stanislaus State Campus Representative.
Students who are members of a group that has been historically excluded from marine and coastal science, including students who are Hispanic/LatinX, Black or African American, Asian, Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native; female; LGBTQIA+; first generation college students; economically disadvantaged; veterans; and students with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants of any race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, dis/ability or veteran status are welcome.
Stan State will administer the undergraduate research grants through the Dean’s office in the College of Science to support Stanislaus State students engaged in marine and coastal research. Both small and medium-size grants will be considered, until the available amount ($9,119) is fully awarded. Because of the ongoing pandemic, remote work is allowed if agreed to by both the student and the research advisor.
Recipients of funding through the COAST Undergraduate Research Support MUST
- Be a CSU undergraduate student in good academic standing at the time of application and during the award period (work done after graduation cannot be funded);
- Work with a CSU faculty advisor; and
- Participate in a clearly defined project that falls within the scope of COAST and is aligned with one or more of COAST’s goals.
COAST requires that students receiving funding through this program must work on or contribute to clearly defined research projects. Ideally, a student should be able to articulate the details of the project (context, hypothesis, methods to be employed, etc.) and describe how the support will facilitate participation. Work on joint projects is allowed but each student must be awarded a discrete amount of funding that can be tracked and reported. Each student must apply separately, be awarded funds individually, and write his/her own final report personally. It should be clear to the selection committee what each student is contributing to the project. We encourage all types of research and related activities that relate to the open and coastal ocean, coastal zones (bays, estuaries, beaches), and coastal watersheds (links between the organism, material or process in the watershed and the coast or ocean must be clear and direct).
Examples of undergraduate research-related expenses envisioned include, but are not limited to:
- Wages paid directly to student researchers ($15.00/hour; please note that this paid work might affect your financial aid package and the amount paid is taxable)
- Research supplies or materials
- Travel to field site to collect samples or to off campus facility to analyze samples
- Sample analysis costs
- Purchase of highly specialized software to analyze samples or data
- Travel to workshop or short course to learn skills directly related to research
- Travel to conference or meeting to present the results of research
Application (docx): Submit as a single PDF to Dr. Elvin A. Alemán at ealeman@csustan.edu
- Complete the COVER PAGE of the application (including student and faculty mentor signatures)
- Abstract (Limit 1/3 page)
- Project Description (Limit 2/3 page)
- Complete the itemized budget page and the budget justification for the funding requested.
- Incomplete applications may be returned without review.
COAST will also request an individual report directly from each student including a project abstract, budget summary describing how the award was used, and an award impact summary describing how the award affected them personally. Reports from students NOT working over the summer are due to COAST on or before May 3, 2023. Reports from students working over the summer are due to COAST on or before August 9, 2023. The Individual Student Report template is available online.
COAST support must be acknowledged by the student and/or their CSU faculty advisor in any publications (including Web pages) or presentations of any material based on or developed with the COAST support in the following terms: CSU Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology (COAST). The COAST logo is available in multiple file formats on the website.
Students are advised that they may be liable for State and Federal income tax on any funding provided directly to them as a stipend or wage, or that such funding could affect their financial aid package. Students are encouraged to consult with a tax professional regarding potential tax liability resulting from any support provided through this program. Because of Internal Revenue Service and other requirements, campuses may also consult with accounting, human resources and international programs staff to determine appropriate method of payment and any tax withholding requirements. Students are advised that any funding could lead to a decrease in other forms of financial assistance. Ordinarily, adjustments (if any) are made to loans first before other grants or scholarships. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with the financial aid office prior to accepting any support offered through this program to determine the potential impact of support on other forms of compensation provided through Stan State, including financial aid.
Updated: July 07, 2023