Details
Download Application
The Team
Find at least one friend who would make your team interdisciplinary – for instance, biology and anthropology, or history and finance. This project is geared to upperclassmen, but if you have a whiz-kid first year who would like to join in, we’ll let it slide.
Faculty members and outside experts can provide advice or information, but you must conceive, write and carry out your proposal.
The Proposal
Submit your proposal to bigideas@smu.edu by January
31. Need a template? Download one in Word or PDF format.
Your proposal must include
- Project title (Big iDeas usually have catchy names.)
- List of participants, including years and area(s) of study
- Statement of the problem
- How this project will address the problem
- Rough timeline of activity
- Anticipated benefit (Big iDeas impact lots of people in significant ways.)
- A rough budget (things like supplies, equipment, travel or computing time)
The budget is subject to SMU grant expenditure policies, so the purchase of computing or video equipment must be specifically justified, and grant money can’t be used to purchase phones.
Proposals will be reviewed by a panel appointed by the Provost. The panel will include students, faculty and members of the Dallas community.
The Timeline
January 31 – All proposals due
February 22 – Review panel announces proposals to fund
March – Projects presented at the Big iDeas Symposium
August 30 – Final day for funds to be extended
September – Progress updates presented at the Big iDeas Progress Symposium
Additional Details
When does the project have to be completed?
There is no specific “finish” date for all projects in general. Rather, when a team’s proposal is accepted, the review panel will discuss with each team a realistic reporting time, given the rough timeline set out in the proposal and the review panel’s input on that timeline and the project. The teams will be expected to exercise diligence to comply with the timeline and reporting time. And, as noted, all teams will be expected to report on their progress at the Fall 2008 symposium.
What should the end product look like?
Given the diversity and range of topics, the team’s final report might take a variety of forms. At least a basic written discussion of the team’s work, analysis, and conclusions should be completed. Otherwise, the nature of the project, and guidance from the review committee, will help determine the appropriate form of completion.
Can I get course credit for my project?
The Big iDeas project is not, by itself, a credit-granting course. Depending on the project, however, a student within a team might seek academic credit for work on the project in accordance with the rules that apply to particular courses or to independent studies work in general.