Mary Ann Bolton Undergraduate Research Award
Rod Library annually awards Undergraduate Research Awards to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary research, scholarship and creative work of UNI’s undergraduate students thanks to a generous donation by Mary Ann Bolton (Class of 1970).
- Eligibility
- Award Amounts
- Important Dates
- Application Form, Evaluation Rubric, & Additional Information
The awards are given to students who demonstrate excellence in research using library resources conducted in support of an undergraduate paper or project carried out under the guidance of a UNI faculty member or approved mentor.
Three awards will be given:
First Place - $1,200
Two (2) Runners-up - $800
Eligibility
- Full-time, undergraduate students at UNI from any major at the time of project completion are eligible to participate. This includes students who graduated in 2024.
- Projects must have been completed for a UNI credit-bearing course OR for a university sponsored project, in any format or medium (e.g., print, video, painting, photograph, website, mobile application, 3D models, construction).
- Projects must have been completed no earlier than spring semester 2024.
- Projects must be original work and not previously published.
- Individual and group projects are eligible. Applications must come from individual students, and the essay must reflect the work of that student. However, the project may be individual or group / collaborative work.
- A completed application includes a personal essay, a final version of the research paper or creative work (except for honors theses), a faculty or professional and scientific staff letter of support, and a copy of the assignment or project requirements. All four parts must be included for the project to be eligible for evaluation.
- If a student submits more than one project to be considered for an award, each project must be complete and distinct, and each requires a separate letter of support. Each student will only be eligible to win one award during an award year.
- Eligible applicants from the past year are encouraged to apply again.
- Only applications received prior to the cut-off date (April 25, 2025) will be considered for the 2024-25 award cycle. Any application received after that date will be added to the next year's award cycle.
Submission Process and Guidelines
Applicants are required to complete and submit the following:
- An online application form, including a short abstract describing the project
- Upload the following through the application form:
- A personal essay of 800 to 1,200 words (not including citations). The essay can be used to inform the committee about the research process, research tools used, project, and/or other criteria spelled out in the rubric linked below.
- A final version of the research project/creative work including a complete bibliography of resources. (In the case of honors theses, a Complete Rough Draft may be submitted, but will be judged as a final product.) The award winner will be encouraged to have their essay and project made publicly accessible through UNI ScholarWorks.
- A copy of the assignment or project requirements.
- A letter of support from the faculty member or professional and scientific staff you have listed in your application.
Please note: All final projects and other application materials must be submitted electronically in order to be considered.
View the complete evaluation rubric.
Past Winners
2024 Winners
- Madeline Roubik, "How is International Orchid Trade Regulated, and How Effective are Those Regulations?"
- Lydia Berns-Schweingruber, "Our Hands are Tied": How State Educational Diversity Laws Affect Iowa Public Educators and How Educators Respond
- Sara Petersen, Culturally Competent Strategies for Tutoring Writing with International ELL Students
2023 Winners
- Lydia Berns-Schweingruber, "An Analysis of the Relationship Between K-12 Public Education Spending and Student Academic Achievement in Iowa"
- Elizabeth Tulley, "Breaking the Marble Ceiling: The Construction of Athena in Greek Thought"
- Samantha Ehler, "Language Development and Poverty: Considerations and Applications for Speech-Language Pathologists"
2022 Winners
- Natalee Lyons, “A Descriptive Analysis of Intuitive Eating on the UNI Campus”
- Witt Harberts, “Made in China: Decline of Unions and Stagnant Wages in the U.S.”
- Sandra Thiman, “The Gender Bias Burden on Business: Women's Access to Credit in Bahrain”
To see more information about past award winners, visit the Mary Ann Bolton Undergraduate Research Award page in ScholarWorks.