Western Innovation Training Fellowship

Faculty mentors should combine the following elements into a single pdf document and email it to rsp@wwu.edu using the subject line "WIT Fellowship Proposal" followed by the appropriate track (i.e. WIT Fellowship Proposal: Fundamental Research Track or WIT Fellowship Proposal: Use-Inspired Research Track).

1. The proposed research agenda, limited to two pages including any figures. This portion of the application should be developed by the faculty Mentor. Refer to guidelines below for advice on narrative content.
2. Up to one page of cited references.
3. A statement up to one page prepared by the Fellow addressing their interest in the topic, motivation, their background or prior academic, life, or work experiences providing evidence of preparedness for contributing to the project’s success, and how the Fellowship would help them achieve professional goals. Note that no prior research experience is required.
4. A letter of recommendation prepared by the Mentor or another qualified individual providing their overall assessment of the student's potential to contribute to project success; their degree of motivation, curiosity and interest in the research experience; and how they would benefit from the experience.

Two-Page Narrative Content Guidelines

Please be sure to write your narrative for an audience of colleagues who are not in your discipline. Explain methods or techniques that are specific to your field and may not be clear to someone from another field. Avoid technical jargon and offer sufficient background information to assist the reviewer in understanding the merit of your proposal.

Ensure that figures, charts, or other graphics are readable and fit within the 2-page narrative limit. Include a timeline, specific anticipated deliverables, and plans for disseminating your findings, as appropriate. All proposals should address the potential practical impacts of the research, even if currently the research is primarily motivated by advancing fundamental understanding. Applicants are encouraged to divide the narrative into sections as follows:

• Introduction and background.  Define the problem or question your project addresses and discuss its importance, including the unsolved need, prevalence, and currently existing solutions or understanding. Identify whether this is a fundamental research or use-inspired research track proposal.
• Intellectual merit and innovation: Describe the advantages of your approach relative to current standards and/or to any competing approaches. If applicable, outline the potential for generalizing to other problems.
• Approach: Describe specific aims, pertinent preliminary data and outline how you plan to use the award to establish proof of concept. Include milestones linked to a projected timeline.
• Team. Describe the team, qualifications, and anticipated impact for students beyond the Fellow.
• Beyond: Briefly outline your plan to move the project forward after an award, including any specifics outcomes relative to readiness to apply for translational opportunities, protection of intellectual property, or external funding.