Reading, Writing, and Research for Undergraduates: Introducing Scholarly Inquiry by Writing a Grant Proposal

Abstract

George Mason University is committed to developing students as scholars. This course project strives to introduce scholarly inquiry to undergraduates with a real-world, hands-on assignment. Working through an actual RFP, students practice a wide variety of skills related to research and scholarship. This project can be taught in English composition courses, community health courses, nursing courses, and health promotion courses.

The American College Health Foundation makes annual awards of $2500 for proposals that foster healthy behaviors on college campuses. The proposals must follow specific guidelines and incorporate objectives from the Healthy Campus 2020 Program.à

Over approximately six weeks, students use the actual award proposal guidelines to:

• àIdentify the most important factors framing the proposal guidelines
• Identify a student objective from the Healthy Campus 2020 Program
• àResearch the health issue related to the Healthy Campus 2020 Student Objective
• àWrite an individual literature review about the student health objective
• àWrite a tentative proposal that addresses the student health objective
• àPresent individual proposals to the class
• àSelect some of the proposals for further development
• àWork in groups to submit a full proposal that follows the award guidelines
• àWork in groups to evaluate the proposals using the actual award guidelines
• àSelect some of the proposals for funding and provide written evaluations of the proposals