Eligibility for funding

• Must take the UC1000-The Gulf South course either the semester before of after the summer of their project
• Must have at least 3 semesters remaining as an undergraduate (includes summer semester)
• Must be enrolled as a full-time student in the following fall 
• Must have a minimum 2.5 college GPA
• Must be in good standing with the university

Restrictions

• Students cannot earn wages from both the Gulf Scholars Program and another funding source for the same hours worked on a project
• Students may work up to 40 hours a week as long as they are not enrolled in any summer courses.  If taking summer courses, the max number of hours permitted is 20 per week.

Rolling application open until April 23^rd.

See available projects in the Gulf Scholars Project section on our mentor database (click here for link to database).

• • Click here to access link to Project Application Form
  • You must have one letter of recommendation emailed to lsudiscover@lsu.edu.  You can ask a faculty member, instructor, or supervisor.

If you are having issues with any of these links, please email  lsudiscover@lsu.edu  

All students who are accepted for Gulf Impact Project Funding must fulfill the following requirements:

1. Attend the mandatory orientation.
2. Take trainings/workshops.
3. Present summer project at end of summer event and at LSU Discover Day in the following spring.

• Applications accepted up to Sunday, April 23^rd
• Decisions sent out by May 17^th
• Mandatory Program orientation will occur on May 22^nd

 

• Bi-weekly timesheet link
• Employee trainings link
  • Powerbased
  • Governmental Ethics
  • Cyber security
  • Accessibility
• Research trainings
  • CITI Responsible Conduct of Research certificate link
• LSU Institutional Review Board (IRB) for human subjects research link
• LSU Discover workshop schedule link
• LSU Discover Day student conference link

Adding your project to the mentor list

Have a project in mind?  Or are you open to student ideas?  Add your name to the Gulf Scholar Project mentor list.  

Click this link to add your name and information to the list.

Who are we recruiting?

Full time freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Minimum 2.5 GPA and in good standing with the university.

How long do students have to complete their Summer Impact Projects? 

10 weeks.  Extra time can be evaluated with set benchmarks. Students are encouraged to work on their projects during the summer. However, they can continue to work on them during Fall and Spring semesters with any remaining funding from the summer. 

Do students have to be physically located at LSU during their Gulf Impact Project?

It depends. Some students will work in Gulf communities (in Louisiana or in Texas, for example) so they need to be present. Other students may work on projects that are perfectly appropriate for remote work. Please message us if you have any questions about this. We are happy to work with you to address your concerns.

How large of a reach is the Gulf? What is considered “coastal”?

We have adopted a very broad definition of coastal or gulf-centric: states within the Southern United States coastline meeting in the Gulf of Mexico.  Outlying areas may be considered when appropriate, by the Program Director. For example, if a project is conducted in north Louisiana near the Mississippi River and the project subject may be immediately applicable to people who live near the coast (such as resilience or subsistence), we will work with you to integrate a gulf influence into your project.

Is there assistance for faculty when crafting their projects?

Yes. Mentors are available to assist faculty; let us know if you need a Coastal Coach. 

How is this program different from LSU Discover’s Project Grants?

Gulf Scholar Summer Impact projects are centered on the Gulf and students can receive up to  $6,000 for wages, supplies, and travel related to their project.  The Gulf Scholars Program has been built into the LSU Discover program for administrative purposes.

Students who participate in a summer impact project will also be encouraged to participate in the Gulf Scholars Program which includes workshops, excursions, activities, and gulf centric courses. By 2024, we will have a “Gulf Renaissance Scholar” graduation distinction for those students who complete various activities of the program. 

How are students selected for the Summer Impact Projects?

Based on the criteria you outline in your project form, we will match students to your project.  We will send you the applications from the students we feel best match your project, and you will have final approval on which students are selected.

Can we connect with other grants?

Yes. To maximize our impact across campus, we encourage people to use grant money to support students.

Further, we encourage faculty to inquire to the students if they have Work Study, President's Student Aid (PSA), President's Future Leaders in Research (PFLR) or other support we can use first.