Student Grants/Awards

Roy T. Abbott III Memorial Prize in Geosciences

The Roy T. Abbott III Memorial Prize in Geosciences will be awarded to that student in the senior class whose major is geoscience; who, in the judgment of the faculty of the Geosciences Department, has demonstrated the most enthusiasm and improvement in the undergraduate program; and preferably, a student who has been admitted to a graduate school for further study in the field. 

Mente et Malleo Research Award

This award is dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. John S. Bradley, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Armstrong, and Dr. and Mrs. Charles McKendree.

The Grant

The income from an endowment fund, established by three students of the Class of 1974, Patricia Armstrong, Margaret Bloomer, and William McKendree, to encourage seniors to carry out independent research in geoscience. The fund, which is expected to grow by additional gifts from other friends of the Geosciences Department, yields and annual stipend that is used to support a senior research project. In any given year, the dollar amount of the grant shall not exceed either the available income from the endowment fund or the student's proposed research budget. (The grant itself will be given to the chosen applicant at the beginning of the fall semester and will be followed by the presentation of an appropriate certificate at Honors Convocation in the spring.)

Eligibility

Seniors majoring in geoscience or following a double major or a self-determined major including geoscience, are eligible for the grant. All students are equally eligible for the grant without regard to personal financial need.

How to Apply

To be considered an applicant must submit a formal GE 371 Independent Study proposal, complete with a proposed budget, for data-based research to be completed during the senior year to the chair of the Department of Geosciences by April 15 of the junior year. A committee, composted of all teaching faculty of the Department of Geosciences and one junior student (majoring in geoscience) who is elected by all undergraduate geoscience majors, will select the student to receive the award by May 1. The grant will not be made in any year when the committee fails to receive an acceptable proposal from a qualified candidate by the April 15 deadline.

The committee shall award the Mente et Malleo Research Grant on the basis of the following criteria:

    1. The relevance of the proposed research to the student's field of interest in the geosciences
        and the overall quality of the research.
    2. The applicant's ability to conduct the proposed research and communicate the results of that work.
    3. The appropriateness of the proposed research budget.

The Chair of the Department of Geosciences may modify the conditions of the grant, eligibility provisions, and procedures for applying, as may be required by changes in the College schedule or organization.