If Shelly Wu, a biology junior, wins the Richard Frank Grant, she wants to use the money to study algae growth on submerged bodies to determine their time of death.

The Richard Frank Grant is a $6,000 grant awarded each spring to one or more students to put toward individual research in their field of study. The grant serves the dual purpose of “not only providing students the opportunity to obtain funding, but to help and teach students how to fill out grant information,” said Joshua Miller, SGA College of Social Sciences president.

Individuals applying for the grant must attend one of three informational meetings, get a letter of recommendation and fill out two forms, one describing their research and another about the financial aspects of the project.

The grant is open to all fields of study as long as the research will further the education of the individual and contribute to the betterment of Loyola.

According to the grant’s bylaws, “The majority of the research must be conducted during the semester in which the applicant applies,” and students have one year to complete their research.

Past projects have included reed making for oboe students, quantifying the expression of nuclear receptors related to arthritis and the production of a one-act play.

“Technically, the students are responsible for the funding considering student fees are the resources of the SGA’s budget. SGA is indirectly responsible for the grant’s funding,” Miller said.

Typically, six to 10 students apply for the grant each spring. Regardless of whether or not they are chosen to receive the money, students like Wu say they receive post-graduate experience by applying for the grant.

“It will give me a realistic, great experience because in grad school I want to further my research. I know I’ll have to go through the grant process again, so I’ll be more familiarized and better prepared for the process,” Wu said.

The grant will be awarded to one or more students on March 3.

Mary Jameson can be reached at [email protected]