Iota Zeta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International

Standing Committees

Governance Committee:  This committee helps the Counselors, oversee chapter membership eligibility. The majority of the time needed for this committee is in the spring, around Induction.

Leadership Succession:  This committee manages the preparation, distribution and tallying of election ballots and helps to mentor members to assume leadership positions. The time needed for this committee is mostly limited to the few weeks in late spring and early summer when the election is conducted.

Research Committee: Coordinates research awards (academic and community awards); sponsor and/or participates in local or regional research presentations.

Communication Committee: Maintains Iota Zeta Facebook page; collaborates with Iota Zeta secretary to maintain Facebook, Iota Zeta page on SON website, PR for Iota Zeta events.

Programs & Activities Committee: Assists VP with planning and presenting the annual business meeting, continuing education programming, social events, networking activities, the Induction ceremony, and other events of interest to members.

Community Service Committee: Identifies, plans, and coordinates community service project(s) – large or small – of interest to committee members, as approved by the Iota Zeta board.

Membership Meetings
Iota Zeta meetings for all active members are usually held on the second Wednesday of each month during the academic year.  Meetings are from 5:00 to 6:30 pm and are held at The Bristol Restaurant, on Bardstown Road at 1321 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40204. Active members should expect to receive an agenda by e-mail one week prior to each meeting. It is important that members keep their profiles on the STTI website up-to-date to keep contact information and e-mail addresses current.

Executive Board Meetings
The Executive Board meets as needed, generally following the regular membership meeting. The Iota Zeta Executive Board includes the chapter president, president-elect, vice president, treasurer, secretary, counsellor, and committee chairs.

Annual Induction of New Members
The 2015 Induction of new members will take place on April 8^th at the Founders Union, Shelby Campus.

Membership Induction Criteria

Membership in the Iota Zeta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International is by invitation for students of the University of Louisville School of Nursing who meet the following criteria:

Criteria for Undergraduate Students (Traditional BSN) must:

• Have completed ½ of the nursing curriculum;
• Achieve academic excellence as indicated by a GPA of 3.5 or above;
• Meet the expectation of academic integrity.

Criteria for Registered Nurse Students (RN-to-BSN) must:

• Have completed 12 credit hours at current school;
• Have completed ½ of the nursing curriculum;
• Achieve academic excellence as indicated by a GPA of 3.5 or above;
• Meet the expectation of academic integrity.

Criteria for Graduate Students (Master's and Doctoral Students) must:

• Have completed ¼ of the nursing curriculum;
• Achieve academic excellence as indicated by a GPA of 3.5 or above;
• Meet the expectation of academic integrity.

Nurse Leader Candidates must:

• Be legally recognized to practice nursing in his/her country;
• Have a minimum of a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent in any field;
• Demonstrate achievement in nursing.

Iota Zeta Research Grant Application Guidelines

Purpose

The purpose of this funding is to provide seed money, pilot funding, or total funding for research with promising contributions to nursing science and/or practice. Significance, clinical relevance, and scientific merit of the research are critical factors in the review process.

To be eligibility criteria, the applicant must:

• Be a member of the Iota Zeta Chapter. Membership in Sigma Theta Tau International must be current at the time of application and funding. If there are multiple investigators, the principal investigator must be a member.
• Not have received Iota Zeta funding in the last 12 months.

Guidelines for the applicant:

• Electronically submit a completed research proposal in pdf format.
• Complete the research within 12 months of funding.
• Submit a final report to the Iota Zeta Research Committee upon completion of the research.
• Acknowledge the Iota Zeta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International as a funding source in any research presentation or publication that arises from the research.
• Agree to present research findings at a meeting of the chapter or another venue designated by the chapter.

The Research Committee will:

• Evaluate all research proposals for scientific merit and appropriateness of the budget.
• Rate and assign a score to each proposal.
• Select proposals for funding based on the evaluation scores and availability of research funds.
• Recommend to the Board those proposals selected by the Research Committee for funding.

Grant Funding Availability:

The maximum amount of these awards is $1,000 pending availability of funds.

General Instructions for Applicants

1. Completed applications will be accepted three times a year—January 15^th, April 15^th, and October 15^th and should be submitted electronically to the chair of the Research Committee.
2. All correspondence will be addressed to the principal investigator (the individual responsible for the conduct of the proposed research and submission of the final report).
3. The format for the proposal should be in the most current version of APA style (including title page, page numbers, and a running head).
4. Submit the application via email in one pdf document. Applications not in pdf format or in multiple documents will not be reviewed. The PI’s name and the date of submission must be included in the title of the file.
5. Submitted applications must be complete and should include the following:

a)      Abstract of the proposed research (250 words or less).

b)      Proposal body and references (see preparation of application for specific directions).

c)       Single-spaced proposal body that is no greater than 5 pages in length (references not counted in page limit). The font size must be Arial 11 point or Times New Roman 12 point.

d)      Biographical sketch of each investigator (NIH biographical sketch format SF 424 preferred but will accept CV or resume any of which should not exceed 2 pages)

e)      Appropriate appendices (see preparation of application for details).

Applications should be submitted to: Dr. Lynne Hall, Chair of the Research Committee at mlhall10@louisville.edu

• Preparation of the Application

1)      Title of Proposal – include key words that describe the type of research, population, and important variables.

2)      Abstract – a succinct description of the proposed research that includes the research purpose/specific aims, design, sample/setting, measures, procedure, and analysis plan. The       abstract should be 250 words or less.

3)      Proposal body (Maximum of 5 pages)

a)      Specific Aims – State the purpose of the study. Briefly describe the background for the proposed research. Include specific aims/hypotheses.

b)      Background/Significance – Briefly describe the conceptual framework that will guide the research. Critically evaluate existing knowledge and identify the knowledge gaps the proposed research intends to fill. Describe the importance of the investigation to nursing. Identify the next research steps and how this research fits into a larger program of research.

c)      Methods

i)     Design – Describe the research design to be used.

ii)    Sample and Setting – Describe the target population. Specify sample size, rationale for sample size, sampling technique, and sampling procedures. Provide inclusion and exclusion criteria. Describe the setting in which the research will take place. Include evidence of access to setting in appendices.

iii)    Measures – Describe the conceptual and operational definitions of the variables. Report the reliability and validity of the instruments used to measure each variable.

iv)    Procedure – Specify how data will be collected. Include a timetable of events. Discuss limitations of the research. Address research risks and the protection of the subjects.

v)     Data Analysis Plan – Describe the data analysis methods for each aim/hypothesis.

d)     References – Provide a references list using the most recent version of APA style.

4)      Appendices

1. Budget and Budget Justification– Include only expenses essential to the conduct of the proposed research. Funds may not be used for investigators’ salaries, expenses related to education, or indirect costs. Educational expenses not covered by these funds include expenses for preparation of theses and dissertations, travel associated with thesis/dissertation approval, tuition, and textbooks.
2. Documentation of review by appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or timetable for review. Research funds will not be released until the Research Chairperson receives documentation of approval by the IRB.
3. Documentation of access to subjects, letters of support if applicable. Include letters of support from individuals administratively responsible for access to potential subjects and other resources necessary to complete the research.

Questions about membership?

Contact:

Dr. Rebecca "Becky" Gesler, EdD, MSN, RN
Counselor
rjlang02.louisville.edu or 502-852-0713

or

Member Services
memserv@stti.org or 888.634.7575