The Lewis Center is allocating approximately 6 awards from $1,000 to $4,500 each in support of theses, Applied Policy Projects (APP's), client projects, Applied Management Research (AMR's), and law school related research projects to be used for research costs such as: 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 policy issues relevant to 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.
Examples of previous projects are at: http://lewis.spa.ucla.edu/publications/studentreports.cfm.
Application Checklist
Each application should include the following:
- 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.
- A one-page proposal containing an overview of the topic, methods, and relevancy to regional policy issues.
- A brief budget.
- A letter of recommendation from one faculty member for each person.
Budget and recommendation forms are available for download below. PLEASE NOTE: Travel will only be supported if it’s within the state of California and it’s clear that the communication can’t be achieved over the phone or by some other cost effective means. 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 (PDF)
Post-Award Forms
Download: Mileage Expense Report for Privately Owned Vehicles (PDF)
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 Friday, October 30th, by 5 p.m. Awards will be announced in early November / late December, and funds will be available late fall / beginning of Winter 2010. If you have further questions, feel free to contact us. Please submit hard copies of proposals, budgets, and letters of recommendation to:
John A. Mathews
Lewis Center Graduate Research Grant (GRG) Program
Ralph and Goldy Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
3250 Public Policy Building
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1656
Email: mathewsj@ucla.edu, Phone: 310-206-0573, Fax 310-825-1575
Frequently Asked Questions - Graduate Research Grants
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: Can I see some sample projects?
Projects from previous years are posted at http://lewis.spa.ucla.edu/publications/studentreports.cfm.
Q: Can we hire non-undergraduate students to work on the project?
Undergraduates are preferred. For graduate student assistants, the awardee must also pay their fees and
associated costs. NOTE: A portion of salary and benefits can be reduced if students are hired through
Federal Work Study via the Financial Aid Department. Certain restrictions apply (e.g., U.S. citizenship, B
average, early February deadline to hire work-study students for academic year). See
https://www.fao.ucla.edu/wscontract/ws_guide_student.pdf or
https://www.fao.ucla.edu/wrkstd%5Femployer/pdf/On_Campus_Employer_Guide.pdf.
Q: How do we go about hiring an undergraduate?
For non-work study students, word of mouth or job posting directly through undergraduate departments.
For work study students, awardees must complete and return a SPA Work Study form to John Mathews.
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: What hardware/software can we purchase?
In general, you do not have to purchase hardware/software that the Lewis Center already owns. If
equipment is purchased, it is the property of the Lewis Center and must be returned to us. Software that is
purchased may be installed on your personal computer. At the end of the project, the box, accompanying
literature, and license must be handed over to the Lewis Center.
Q: In general, how do we get reimbursed?
There will be 3 disbursement periods as stated in your contract. Designate one point person in your group
to submit receipts for each of the 3 periods. For each person who made a purchase that is to be
reimbursed, include a signed coversheet with the account holder’s name, student ID, and mailing address
(if you need checks mailed to you) with your original receipts. If you are paying by credit card, please
also include a copy of the credit card statement. You may block out everything but your name, the last
four digits of the credit card, and the line-item you are asking for reimbursement. The Lewis Center can
only reimburse expenses incurred during the grant period (between the time the contract is signed and the
end of the project in late June).
Q: How do we get paid for our reimbursable expenses?
- If you are a UCLA employee and have electronic fund transfer set up, the money will go directly to your bank.
- Otherwise, checks will be sent to your home address.
Q: How do we get reimbursed for phone calls?
Phone cards are not a reimbursable expense. You may book the Lewis Center conference room 3320A
Public Affairs Building through John Mathews to make phone calls. Phone numbers are to be provided
for reimbursement purposes.
Q: How do we get reimbursed for mileage?
Submit addresses for origin and destination and distances in between. The easiest way to do this is to use
Mapquest or Yahoo Maps. Gas is not a reimbursable expense since you are being reimbursed for mileage.
Q: Can we be reimbursed for expenses incurred prior to the start of the grant period?
No. Only expenses incurred during the grant period as specified on your contract may be reimbursed. In
addition, expenses that will not be reimbursed at any time include, but are not limited to, the following:
Graduate student awardee salaries, fee remission, phone cards, cell phones, meals, stamps (mail must go
through UCLA), and personal items.
Q: How is workspace allocated?
Check with your departments, but space may also be granted through the Lewis Center if available. See
John Mathews for details.
Q: How do we get access to a computer?
- You may use the computer labs available through your department or school if you have permission.
- You may use the SPA computer labs or other campus computer labs and have computing lab fees reimbursed.
Printable FAQ Sheet - Graduate Research Grants | 
