University Student Scholars Program
Description of 2009 - 2010 Program and Application Procedures
Deadline: Thursday, December 17, 2009, no later than 11:59 p.m. E.S.T.
Overview
The National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST) is a collaborative effort between Easter Seals and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). Its mission is to increase transportation options for older adults and enhance their ability to live more independently within their communities throughout the United States. Established in 2006, the NCST is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration in cooperation with the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Aging.
The NCST is once again pleased to announce an opportunity for currently enrolled university students to conduct a project that relates to older adult transportation. Through this program, the National Center on Senior Transportation anticipates awarding a number of post-baccalaureate students with awards up to $2,000 per award to expand upon current transportation/mobility-related projects to benefit older adults and transportation service delivery networks. Funding need not be used for new initiatives and can expand upon a project that is already underway.
Funds may be used to provide partial support to their research projects or for travel to disseminate research findings. The product generated as part of this program will be used to contribute solutions to transportation challenges that older adults, their caregivers, and the communities where they reside face. It is anticipated that products developed will be nationally distributed through the NCST library.
Guidelines
University student applicants have considerable flexibility in their project. Examples of final products might include, but are not limited to, research reports, articles prepared for submission to refereed journals or professional publications, tools and instruments or training curricula for use by aging network, human service, and transit providers. Proposed projects must be completed by June 30, 2010.
The intent of NCST is to fund projects that create products on a topic of significance related to senior transportation. NCST will review the student’s final draft product and make recommendations so that the resulting output will be ready for publication/dissemination. Priority will be given to those applications with direct relevance to the aging services network and/or transportation community. This year’s initiative will focus particularly on the following broad subject areas:
Cultural and ethnic diversity
Rural/frontier/tribal transportation for older adults
Access to mobility options and health status/healthcare costs
Program start-up and development
Travel Training
Mobility Management
Application Process
Eligible Applicants
University graduate students currently enrolled in academic coursework. Independent projects rather than group or class projects are eligible for consideration.
Evaluation Criteria
Projects will be selected based on the applicability, usefulness and anticipated impact of the product with the intention of adding to the knowledge base of driver safety and/or expanding accessible transportation options for older adults. Preference will be given to projects that reflect and contribute to the achievement of NCST goals.
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Helping older adults drive longer, safely, and integrate driving continuation into transit and community planning for better highway signage, connection with Departments of Motor Vehicles and other agencies that are essential for the effective coordination and deployment of senior-friendly mobility programs. -
Increasing the family of transportation services for older adults in their communities. -
Ensuring caregivers are included in efforts to educate families on transportation options -
Increasing human service agency awareness of how to provide and operate various modes of senior transportation -
Increasing the partnership between public transit and aging organizations to help communities increase ridership -
Targeting training and technical assistance programs in the family of services for older adults and how those services need to be structured to serve the needs of older adults, including under-served groups -
Increasing information at the community level for older adult transportation options -
Increasing community coordination of transportation resources to benefit everyone who uses transit
Reinforcing and promoting concepts of mobility management and travel training -
Creating new coalitions to further an understanding of the mobility needs for seniors and how to help them increase mobility -
Addressing barriers to implementing more transportation services for older adults -
Sensitizing operations staff, volunteer drivers and others about the perspectives and needs of older adults, especially for safe, appropriate, available, accessible transportation options
Proposal Requirements
The total application packet must not exceed 6 pages, single-spaced, 12-point font, including the proposal, letter of reference from faculty advisor and applicant resume. If any community partners are proposed, a letter of support from each of those partners should also be included. (Note: Partner letters will not be included in the six-page limit.)
WITHIN THE PROPOSAL, applicants should delineate how their project meets the aforementioned evaluation criteria and use the following format:
I. Title: The title accurately reflects the scope of the project.
II. Abstract: The abstract provides a brief description of the overall project. (not to exceed 150 words)
III. Introduction: This section identifies the applicant and provides evidence of his/her capacity to undertake the proposed project within the NCST timeline. Community partners, if any, should be identified here.
IV. Problem Statement: This section identifies the problem/issue to be addressed and provides evidence to support the contention that the problem/issue is significant, relevant, and addressable with the proposed project.
V. Goal and Methodology: This section provides a clear methodology describing how the applicant will develop the product and identifies resources or partners engaged to complete the project.
VI. Evaluation Plan: This section identifies the data analysis plan and/or the field-test or evaluation protocols used to evaluate the proposed project's usefulness.
VII. Project Timeline: This section provides a timeline of milestones to be achieved in the implementation of the proposed project.
VIII. Resources: State what resources are available to the project and how NCST funds will be used.
Send your completed application packet to ltucker@easterseals.com with Student Scholar as the subject line by Thursday, December 17, 2009, no later than 11:59 p.m. E.S.T.
Selection Process
NCST staff, select members of the NCST National Steering Committee, and select members of the senior transportation academic community will review all applications using the Evaluation Criteria noted above. If necessary, finalists may be asked to participate in a telephone interview.
Timeline
Proposal and Project Schedule
- Applications must be submitted by Thursday, December 17, 2009, no later than 11:59 p.m. E.S.T.
- Selected applicants will be notified on or about January 22, 2010 with finalized contractual agreements to be signed by February 5, 2010.
- Selected applicants will participate in an introductory conference call.
- A short progress report updating their work (using an NCST form) will be required. Due date for this report will be determined based on the timeline of the selected project.
- Selected applicants may also be invited to participate in a Webinar to share their research findings.
- The final report will be due to NCST no later than June 30, 2010.
Award Agreement/Distribution
Selected applicants will sign an agreement documenting the work that will be accomplished through their project. Awards will be distributed in two increments: One half of award amount at date of agreement, and the remaining half once the final product/paper is received.
Project Questions
Contact Lisa Tucker at the NCST (ltucker@easterseals.com or 866.528.6278) with any questions or for more information.
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