Getting university sponsorship requires that you present interesting and cutting edge research to the university sponsorship committee. You must convince them that your research work is worth supporting financially. In addition, you will need to consistently obtain high marks in classes within your concentration. You should also present a clear budget that shows what the money you are requesting will go toward.
As a student, your job is to study and conduct research that contributes something new and exciting to your chosen field. It is up to you to come up with a presentation that clearly delineates your research. Your presentation to the sponsorship committee should cover your overall thesis, what question you are trying to answer by conducting your research, the sort of methodology that you have chosen to undergo, and any supporting research from established professors and academics in your field of study.
The second part of your presentation should make a clear case for why you need the university to sponsor or fund your project. Even if your university has a lot of money reserved for student research, you will still need to convince the committee that your work is worth supporting over another student's work in your subject area. One of the best ways to convince the committee is to have an endorsement from your department head or from a highly lauded professor in your field. In this way, the sponsorship program officials will see that key academics regard your research as important and worthy of a closer look. If you cannot obtain this kind of endorsement, you will have to develop excellent rhetorical and persuasion skills in order to truly impress university officials who may not know anything about your particular field.
It helps to have good grades when you are trying to secure university sponsorship. You should be at the top of your class, consistently making high grades in subjects within your specialty. Some schools offer high performing students the chance to tutor students who may be struggling in the same subject. If your university offers this type of tutoring program, take advantage of it because it will show the university sponsorship committee that you are dedicated to not only your field but also to the wider university community.
Developing a budget for your research project is key to getting funding. The sponsorship committee wants to see that you have carefully thought about how you will spend the money. You should be prepared to explain why you allocated a certain amount of money for each activity.
