The Lewis Center is allocating approximately 6 awards up to $2,500 each to support capstone projects (e.g., client project comprehensive project/thesis) research costs for data, software, travel for data collection, production of a final report, and undergraduate research assistance. No other costs will be allowed. Priority will be given for research focused on regional issues in Southern California. Access to a computer and space at the Lewis Center will also be available. The program will not cover graduate student salaries, tuition remission, meals, etc.
This program is open to second year master's students working on a capstone project who are enrolled in the master's program in the School of Public Affairs. Examples of previous projects are at: http://lewis.spa.ucla.edu/publications/studentreports.cfm.
Application Checklist
Each application should include the following: 1) a cover sheet with title of the project, each group member's name, department, student ID number, current and permanent addresses, phone and e-mail addresses. If all group member's names and information cannot fit on one sheet, use a continuation page. 2) A one-page proposal containing an overview of the topic, methods, and relevancy to regional policy issues. 3) A brief budget. 4) A letter of recommendation from one faculty member for each person. Budget and recommendation forms are available for download below. Awardees must complete their project by the end of the academic year and submit one final hard copy of the paper and one PDF format electronic copy based on the project for the Lewis Center Working Paper or Student Thesis series. See FAQs at the end of this section.
Proposal Forms
Download: Budget Form (Excel File)
Download: Letter of Recommendation Form (MS Word)
Post-Award Forms
Download: Mileage Expense Report for Privately Owned Vehicles (MS Word)
Download: Travel Reimbursement Form (Excel file)
Download: Check Request Form (Excel file)
Download: Human Research Application Forms & Checklists
Deadline to submit all proposal materials is November 19, 2007 by 5 p.m. Awards will be announced late in November, and funds will be available beginning Fall 2007 and Winter 2008. If you have further questions, feel free to contact us. Please submit hard copies of proposals, budgets, and letters of recommendation to:
Margaret Johnson
Lewis Center Masters Student Research Support Program
Ralph and Goldy Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
3320F Public Policy Building Los Angeles, CA 90095-1656
Email: mcjohnso@ucla.edu, Phone: 310-206-0573, Fax 3l0-825-1575
Frequently Asked Questions - Master Student Thesis Awards
Q: How detailed should I be on the budget worksheet?
In general, please be as detailed as possible when coming up with the budget, especially if you are purchasing data (tell us what the data is) or purchasing supplies in excess of a few hundred dollars.
Q: At what rate should I hire a student assistant?
Please refer to the student assistant titles and rates listed below. Be sure to use those title codes since many pay titles sound alike but may not apply to students.
Student Assistant Descriptions
Q: Can I see some sample projects?
Projects from previous years are posted at http://lewis.spa.ucla.edu/publications/studentreports.cfm.
FAQ Sheet - Master Student Thesis Awards | 
