MCMLA Research Stipend

1. Preference is given to applicants who are practicing health sciences librarians with at least two years of professional experience.

2. A primary applicant must be designated and the primary applicant must be a MCMLA member. Student(s) can be listed as co-applicant(s) on the proposal but cannot be the main applicant on the proposal.

3. The scope and nature of the proposed research project should give evidence of an established methodology and a viable research design.

4. The research proposal should contain title, goals or objectives, methodology, significance, and budget; evidence of knowledge of the state of the art and existing published literature on the proposed research topic; and a description of the proposed means of disseminating the results.

5. The following criteria will be used to evaluate applications:

Regarding the Proposed Project: originality, importance to the profession, soundness of experimental design and detail, and feasibility of scope.

Regarding the Applicant: education and training, experience, research competence, and research potential. The name of at least one professional reference must be provided from a person capable of providing evaluation of the applicant's knowledge of the topic and an assessment of the applicant's research skills.

6. Research stipends will not be given to support an activity that is operational in nature or has only local usefulness.

7. The research stipend will be disbursed following announcement at the MCMLA Annual Meeting and receipt of a signed W9 form by the Chapter Treasurer.

8. A midyear report to the Research Committee will be required on or before May 1 following the research stipend’s presentation. This report should document completed project activities, list expenses to date, and provide a list of activities planned for the next two quarters. The Research Committee will submit the midyear report to the Executive Committee for inclusion in the meeting minutes, to the Treasurer and the Archivist.

A final report to the Research Committee is due by October 1 documenting the year's work on the funded project. The report should include a complete financial accounting as well as interim -or final -project results. The Research Committee will submit final report to the Executive Committee for inclusion in the meeting minutes and to the Treasurer and the Archivist.

9. At the conclusion of the project, a summary report must be submitted for publication to The Express, the newsletter of MCMLA and/or presented as a paper or poster at the next MCMLA Annual Meeting. Recognition of the MidContinental Chapter's support must be given in any publications or presentations originating from this project.

10. Applications will be acknowledged upon receipt.

11. Depending on the review of the received applications, the Research Committee may recommend that research stipends not be presented in a given year.

12. In accordance with IRS guidelines, MCMLA considers the research stipend as taxable income. The primary applicant for the selected proposal will be required to submit a completed IRS W9 form, if the awardee has a US Social Security number, or an IRS 8233 form, if the awardee does not have a US Social Security number and will receive a 1099 form or 1042S form in January of the following year after the research stipend has been awarded.

Awardees can opt to have funds submitted to their place of employment. If funds are to be dispersed to an institution, the institution is required to submit a signed W-9 from the institution to the Treasurer. This form would let the Treasurer know if the institution is tax exempt or not. If the institution is tax exempt, no 1099 would need to be issued at the end-of-year. If the applicant has the funds sent to a tax exempt institution, then the applicant is not responsible for paying taxes on these funds.