The UConn IDEA Grant Experience


Project Development Course
The UConn IDEA Grant Community
What UConn IDEA Grant Recipients Have to Say

The UConn IDEA Grant Program is about more than just receiving funding. It’s about having a valuable learning experience that helps you explore a topic of interest, develop skills that will prepare you for a career or graduate study, test out career and/or academic options, and build a network of like-minded peers engaged in innovative and creative projects.



Project Development Course

All UConn IDEA Grant recipients are required to complete a non-credit online project development course prior to beginning their project work.

During the course, recipients work through a series of modules that help them refine their project plans, make arrangements for project supervision, secure research approvals if necessary, evaluate how and with whom to share the results of their work, and prepare to engage in a self-directed project. Through participation in the course, recipients will have the opportunity to share their project and receive input from their IDEA Grant peers and OUR staff. The course will take around 40 hours to complete and will be facilitated through HuskyCT.

The online course helped to make the project more cohesive and complete. When I first received the grant, I was nervous because of the uncertainty of what the project would entail. The online course helped to lay it all out so that I began thinking about all the crucial components early on such as the budget, timeline, supervision plan, and even cover letter and resume to realize how this project would support my educational experience. Although I did not stick exactly to my original proposal, timeline, and budget I was able to use both as a reference point and recognize if I was still on the right track as setbacks occurred.

Makayla Davis ’14, Spring 2013 UConn IDEA Grant Recipient

I enjoyed learning about the other projects in my cohort. Whenever I met individuals throughout the year, having the initial interest and basic understanding that resulted from the online course stimulated conversations and friendships.

– Peter Logue ’14, Spring 2013 UConn IDEA Grant Recipient

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The UConn IDEA Grant Community

During the academic year there are social events and skill-building workshops for UConn IDEA Grant Recipients to help build a sense of community and facilitate networking opportunities for the group. Social events provide an opportunity for IDEA Grant recipients to get to know their peers and share information about their projects. Skill building workshops focus on topics of interest to the group, including public speaking and presentation skills to help prepare recipients to present the results of their work, and a discussion of how to incorporate their UConn IDEA Grant projects into their resumes and cover letters.

At the end of the academic year, there is a reception to celebrate the accomplishments of the IDEA Grant recipients who have completed their projects and to welcome the next group of recipients to the Program.

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What UConn IDEA Grant Recipients Have to Say

Applying for an IDEA Grant forced me to reconsider what was possible as an undergraduate artist and gave me the ability to think beyond the range of things I had thought were possible. I am currently doing things I never thought I would be achieving so early in my career as an artist, especially not as an undergraduate. I have received an enormous amount of support for the work I started during my IDEA Grant. Additionally, IDEA has greatly affected my future goals by giving me the confidence to imagine and then create large projects as well as the confidence to apply for opportunities I had thought were out of my reach.

– Antonio Campelli ’15, Spring 2013 UConn IDEA Grant Recipient

When I applied for the IDEA grant, I wanted to pursue a project that was unlike any of the classroom experiences I could gain at UConn. By working in the field that I am interested in pursuing a career in, I was able to gain valuable insight that I do not believe would have been possible otherwise…This project has helped me to realize how relevant and obtainable my future goals are. I have been very fortunate that I have learned what I am passionate about early on in my academic career so that I was able to tailor every possible opportunity at UConn towards my goals.

– Jake Sippel ’14, Spring 2013 UConn IDEA Grant Recipient

I developed a greater sense of awareness from research to classroom to the world and community. I am able to contextualize the work I do in research in different angles. I have also developed creativity and problem solving skills, necessary for my engineering future…I have learned to write proposals, actualize an idea, communicate, and self-advocate. These are skills that I will require in graduate school, and being an independent investigator has helped me prepare for this future.

– Ari Fischer ’15, Spring 2013 UConn IDEA Grant Recipient

I definitely gained skills in interviewing and research design as a result of this project, and I started to refine my overall skill in analyzing qualitative data quickly and effectively. I got some experience with poster presentation and I was able to actually implement a service in the Writing Center, so there was a tone of communication and coordination that happened with that.

– Ricky Holtz ’14, Spring 2013 UConn IDEA Grant Recipient

I have learned much about the theory and technicalities of filmmaking through the documentary’s planning, production, and post-production. I have also learned about the process of acquiring funds for my work, including crowd sourcing and grant writing. I have also developed a greater appreciation of the connections I have made during my time here at UConn, as I could not have done what I did without the help of UConn faculty and other students.

– David Pereira ’15, Spring 2013 & Spring 2014 UConn IDEA Grant Recipient

The UConn IDEA Grant had a large impact on my dramaturgical career. I now have the skills for both production dramaturgy and new play development. Also, originally I always thought I would want to work in repertory style theater, working on classic works, but now after having had the experience of working directly with a playwright I know I want to work in new play development. 

– Anna Woodruff ’14, Spring 2013 UConn IDEA Grant Recipient

Through completing the IDEA Grant project I have improved my ability to think analytically and be persistent when setbacks occur……Most importantly I learned perseverance is key to undertaking any challenge or creative project. Although I faced many setbacks throughout the year, I remained eager to learn the process of conducting a research project from submitting a proposal, receiving a grant, obtaining IRB approval, designing study measures, recruiting participants, collecting data, analyzing results, and presenting my findings to others. I am thankful for this opportunity and know that from this experience I will always be a lifelong learner and seek out opportunities that may present themselves as challenging because I know I can tackle it.

 – Makayla Davis ’14, Spring 2013 UConn IDEA Grant Recipient

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