Students applying for the award must have a faculty letter of support to complete their application package. The letter will be become the property of the library and will not be returned.Support letters are a key part of the evaluation process for Clemson Libraries Undergraduate Research Award. The awards committee relies on the discipline-specific expertise of faculty members overseeing student research.
The letter of support should include the following:
- How long the faculty member has known the student and in what capacity
- An assessment of the project’s overall quality (e.g., what makes it worthy of this award?)
- An evaluation of the research methods selected and the appropriateness and application of those methods
- The strength and merit of the research topic within the discipline or field
- How the student or project engages with recent and relevant scholarship in the discipline
- Please comment on how the depth and breadth of resources consulted compares to other projects of this type
Other questions to consider when writing the letter of support:
- How did the student approach research for this project? Were there areas of struggle or challenge? If so, how did they address them?
Please submit your letter of support in .pdf format. Letters must be received by April 1, 2024 at 11:59 pm EST. If you have any questions, you can contact the awards committee chair, Sahara O. L. Scott, at saharas@nullclemson.edu.