Departmental Honors Research Grants

1. An applicant must be a member in good standing of the Clemson University Honors College.
2. To receive funding, students must be enrolled in an honors course included as a requirement of an approved Departmental Honors Program.
3. Preference is given to students engaged in a two-semester independent study or research experience as part of their Departmental Honors requirements. Also, preference is given to proposals that provide evidence of cost-sharing by other funding sources.
4. Funding is normally given only for individual research projects, not for field trips, class projects or other activities that are part of general course requirements.
5. Normally, students may receive funds for a maximum of two semesters. Only under exceptional circumstances and depending on availability of funds will a student be eligible for a third semester of funding.
6. Students have 24/7 access to their Departmental Honors Research Grant application via the online application status portal (Departmental Honors Research Grant section). No reminders are distributed regarding missing faculty endorsements. It is applicant’s responsibility to be aware of and follow-up concerning missing endorsements. Endorsements submitted after the semesters final deadline are not considered.

Apply through the InfoReady portal. Please note that the InfoReady application is not compatible with the Safari web browser. For the best experience, access the application using an alternative browser, such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge.

Login using your Clemson credentials and then select the link to the appropriate grant application for which you are interested.

Application updates will be provided through the InfoReady portal.

If you have questions, please email melisso@clemson.edu.

1. The Departmental Honors Research Grant application consists of the following sections:

   1. Objective/problem statement

   2. Research/project summary

   3. Assessment plan

   4. Budget (including matching funds)

2. IMPORTANT: The research/project summary must be written by the student in a manner that can be understood by reviewers from diverse academic disciplines. Proposals laden with jargon, technical terms or complicated formulae will be rejected.

3. In cases where an individual project is part of a research program involving others (Honors students, faculty, etc), the project summary should clearly explain its relationship to the team endeavor.

4. The budget form must itemize all anticipated expenses. Projects that request lump sums for unspecified or insufficiently justified expenses will not be funded. (see Expenditure Conditions)

5. In cases where the student is requesting a second semester of funding, the proposal must include a brief summary of what was accomplished in the previous semester.

6. An online endorsement form completed by the student’s principal research advisor must be submitted in support of all student grant applications. When the student application is submitted, an email is automatically generated to the research advisor identified within the student application. The email will contain the URL for the Faculty Endorsement Form.

In situations where the research project requires Institutional Review Board approval, the applicant/student will be asked to submit IRB approval. 

IRB approval documentation must be received in the same semester as the grant application. IRB approval documentation that is received after the end of the award semester will not be considered, and the student shall be required to reapply for funding in a future semester.

1. If funds to purchase equipment are requested, the proposal must clearly explain the purpose of the items and how they will be used. Please note any equipment purchased with a DHRG belongs to the University and is assigned to the Clemson Honors College when the Departmental Honors coursework ends, unless deemed otherwise appropriate. Normal supplies (e.g., typing paper, notebooks, pens, drawing pads) should not be requested.

2. Funds may be provided for project-related travel. Funds may not be used for conferences. Students that need conference attendance funding should apply for Conference Travel Grants.

3. Funds may not be used for photocopying, printing and binding.

4. Funds may not be used to compensate faculty or consultants for services rendered.

5. Awarded funds must be expended by the end of the academic year in May, unless permission has been granted for use during the summer. Students who anticipate doing their research in the summer should apply for funding in the preceding spring semester.

1. Proposals are reviewed and evaluated by faculty and staff members of the Clemson Honors College.
2. Proposals will be evaluated on quality of grant writing in addition to research merit.
3. Awards are made on a semester basis in fall and spring. Normally, grants may not exceed $500.

For questions about the grant process you may contact Melissa Hawkins at melisso@clemson.edu.