A Software Engineering Course at
The Evergreen State College
Resource Proposals
Call for Proposals for Project Funding from Lemelson or
Microsoft
"In 1993 Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson founded the Lemelson National
Program in Invention, Innovation and Creativity. Based at Hampshire
College in Massachusetts, the Lemelson National Program recognizes the
relationship between the educational system and a strong economy, and
therefore seeks to promote invention and entrepreneurship among
college students."
As you know, the Student Originated Software program was awarded a
Level II E[ntrepreneurial]-Team grant of $11,000 to foster the
formation of project teams. Approximately $5,000 is now set aside to
support specific purchases that will
help all students in the program.
Our intention is to work quickly so that you can get the funds
and buy what you need!
What is Due:
initial drafts - asap
next drafts -- about the end of January?
Doug and Judy will read initial proposals and give you rapid
feedback if you get proposal drafts to them by then.
WE EXPECT THAT MOST PROPOSALS WILL BE NO LONGER THAN 2-3 PAGES,
AND EXPECT 5-PAGES MAXIMUM. YOU MAY ATTACH APPENDICES.
What your proposal should contain:
A one paragraph description of the project.
A statement as to the entrepreneurial or social value of your
project.(This is Lemelson guideline.) A note about your software landscape and how you will proceed to distribute your software, who you expect to use your software, why you expect that they
will want to use it, and how you expect to get it into their hands
would help make your case!
What you need, and justification for it.
Include a description of what you're asking for, and say in what
ways that is critical to the formation of your team. To make your case,
you might say what your project would have to do if you were not to
get this item, what you planned to do before we got this money, and
what else (if anything) a grant would make possible.
Include a detailed estimate of the cost of the item, where your
requests can be purchased, and the date by which you need it. If you
are asking for funds for more than one item, prioritize your
requests.
If you are requesting equipment or software, say what will
happen to it when your project is over, and how it will be returned
to the
college (for this Level II lemelson funding) by June or September.
The grant says that anything purchased is the property of the college, so
you should consider whether there any any ways to improve the chances
that the stuff you want will be useful to the college after June
(compatability issues, etc...)
You might be able to keep equipment purchased with Level III funding.
If you are applying for Lemelson money, indicate that you have
read
the draft agreement with Lemelson Foundation on intellectual property
and royalties, and that you agree to abide by this.
You will have to sign this agreement and the Evergreen intellectual
property agreement before we release the money to you. A draft of the
former will be on reserve in the library. You already have copies
of the latter.
Summarizing a few groundrules (from Lemelson):
Your project must have entrepreneurial or social value.
You must agree to abide by the royality and intellectual property
agreement.
You may not pay for equipment that was purchased prior to January
15,
and perhaps not for equipment that has already been purchased before your
project-grant is awarded.
You must return all equipment or software to the college by June (or
possibly September).
Summarizing a few groundrules (from Microsoft):
You will have to create a web page that describes your use of
the software.
Criteria used to distribute the funds:
Compatibility with the principles of the Lemelson program --
innovation that has entrepreneurial or social value.
criticality of the requested equipment to the project, and
quality of current state of the project work, and team's
progress to date.
Other things being equal, we will try to distribute the funds
among all teams who apply (we have approximately $6,500)
We could place on reserve in the library:
Lemelson grant guidelines (under which we wrote our proposal).
Our (SOS) proposal to Lemelson.
A final agreement for intellectual property and royalty payments
(as soon we have it).
Our correspondence with them (includes a draft of the above
agreement).
(Ask for Student Originated Software - Lemelson) Good luck to everyone! We are delighted to have this extra money
to help your projects along, and look forward to helping you write
the best possible proposals.
