Seminars & Events
Fri., Feb 24- Dr. Laraine Glidden will present research as part of Psi Chi's Discovering Psychology Lecture Series. 3pm in Goodpaster Hall 195. Other Details TBA.
Fri., Mar 23 - Dr. Rebecca Ryan will present "Nonmarital Childbirth and Child Development: The Relevance of Marriage Propensity and Family Change" as part of the Psychology Lecture Series: Populations in Need. 3pm in Goodpaster Hall 195.
Fri., Apr 6 - Dr. Noemi Enchautegui-de-Jesus will present research as part of the Psychology Lecture Series: Populations in Need. 3pm in Goodpaster Hall 195. Other Details TBA.
+ VIEW CALENDAR for more details/later events
PsycSMP students should click here for SP12 meetings and deadlines
Grant News
In AY11-12...
Katerina Placek '12 was selected as the recipient of a 2011-12 Psi Chi Undergraduate Research Grant in the amount of $1,158.69. The award will support her SMP research "Early postnatal sensory stimulation as a means to overcomne emotional deficits from gestational exposure to fluoxetine" under the mentorship of Dr. Aileen Bailey.
Sasha Goluskin '12 was selected as the recipient of a 2011-12 Psi Chi Undergraduate Research Grant in the amount of $1,500. The award will support her SMP research, "Investigating the role of the 5-HT 1B receptor in the CA1 of rats" under the mentorship of Dr. Aileen Bailey.
SMP Spotlight
43 students completed an SMP in psychology in AY10-11. Congratulations to them all!
At the end of each year, mentors select particularly outstanding SMPs to be featured in our PsycSMP Showcase. 10-11 Showcase projects were written by Erin Cammarata, Kaitlin Gaylor, David Johnson, Ryan Miller, and Allison Teta.
What kinds of projects have our SMP students done?
Check out the database of past PsycSMP abstracts
Prospective PsycSMPs: A past student may have suggested a path for future research that you would like to follow!
Students can visit the College Archives (Calvert 009-ground floor) to read or view past St. Mary's Projects Mondays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (appointments recommended).
Access to a full SMP can depend on how a student completed a release form, but most SMPs can be read or viewed in the College Archives without restriction.
Electronic copies of SMPs are usually provided to faculty and staff upon request, but students are provided electronic copies of SMPs only with the permission of a faculty member.
Funding a St. Mary's Project in Psychology
As for any coursework, students are expected to bear reasonable costs associated with St. Mary's Projects. The College has determined that it is reasonable for students to be responsible for $200 of the project expenses (based on $100 per 4 credits). College funds are available for additional support. Submission of a budget, approved by the mentor, in excess of $200 serves as an application of support. The department chair and the SMP Coordinator, Angie Draheim, will review all applications and notify students of their awards. The average award is not expected to exceed $200 (though it may be considerably more $ for certain projects). Students who do not anticipate that their project expenses will exceed $200, and are therefore not requesting funds, do not need to submit an itemized budget.
Students requesting funds for their SMPs must prepare a comprehensive budget indicating all anticipated costs associated with the project. Potential categories of expense include travel (e.g. to remote data collection sites), contractual services (e.g. photocopying), supplies, equipment, postage and telephone (more detailed guidelines/suggestions available on Blackboard). The budget must be approved by the mentor and the request form (available via Blackboard) submitted to the SMP Coordinator in late October* (fall493s). Students will have a chance to submit /resubmit budget requests in early March* (first submission date for spring493s); it is better, however, to submit earlier rather than later.
*Current students should refer to their Departmental PsycSMP Syllabus or the online calendar of events for the specific AY due dates and to the SMP Blackboard site for all budget related forms/examples).
Students must maintain accurate records, including receipts, of project expenses. Before students may receive any reimbursement funds from a grant for their project, they must submit a summary of their expenses (using the final expense report form available via Blackboard) and the original receipts to their mentor for review, who will forward them to the SMP coordinator. The SMP coordinator will receive final approval for all reimbursements from the department chair.
Any reasonable expense that is directly related to a St. Mary's Project is, in principle, supportable. Where possible, however, students are encouraged to conduct the project (and the research for it) in ways that do not require outside support.
Funds for conference travel
Travel grants are also available from the Psychology Department for students presenting at professional meetings. To apply for a travel grant, submit a conference intent form (available on Blackboard) to the SMP Coordinator when budget forms are due.
Outside funding
Be aware that there are other ways to obtain funding, such as applying for a Sigma Xi grant for undergraduate research. Please see your mentor for assistance in applying for outside grants.
