Summer Studentship Grant Evaluation Criteria

This page contains information on how the Summer Studentship Grant will be evaluated by the grants panel

Project Relevance and Academic Development (max 20 points)

  • Does the proposed project clearly align with applied microbiology and AMI’s goals?
  • Does the project contribute meaningfully to the student’s academic and professional development?
  • Will the experience enhance the student’s practical skills, research capabilities, or understanding of microbiology in real-world contexts?

Project Relevance (10 points)
Highly Relevant – 10 pts
Moderately Relevant – 6 pts
Marginally Relevant – 3 pts

Impact on Academic Development (10 points)
Significant Impact – 10 pts
Moderate Impact – 6 pts
Limited Impact – 3 pts

Project Originality and Scientific Merit (max 20 points)

  • Does the project demonstrate originality, creativity, or an innovative approach?
  • Is there evidence of strong scientific design, appropriate methods, and potential for valuable results?
  • Does the project encourage independent thinking or introduce new perspectives within applied microbiology?

Level of Originality (10 points)
Highly Original – 10 pts
Somewhat Original – 6 pts
Slightly Original – 3 pts

Scientific Merit (10 points)
Exceptional Merit – 10 pts
Good Merit – 6 pts
Basic Merit – 3 pts

Financial Need and Budget Justification (max 30 points)

  • Does the applicant demonstrate genuine financial need for support?
  • Is the requested funding proportionate to the project’s scale, duration, and local cost of living?
  • Are all cost items (stipend, materials, consumables) clearly justified and essential to delivery?

Financial Need (15 points)
Critical Need – 15 pts
Moderate Need – 10 pts
Minimal Need – 5 pts

Budget Justification (15 points)
Fully Justified – 15 pts
Partially Justified – 10 pts
Poorly Justified – 5 pts

Research Plan and Feasibility (max 20 points)

  • Is the research plan clearly described, achievable, and well structured?
  • Does the project demonstrate a realistic timeline for completion within the studentship period?
  • Are available facilities, supervision, and institutional support adequate for success?

Research Plan’s Detail and Clarity (15 points)
Highly Detailed and Clear – 15 pts
Moderately Detailed and Clear – 10 pts
Vaguely Detailed – 5 pts

Feasibility of Completion (5 points)
Highly Feasible – 5 pts
Moderately Feasible – 3 pts
Less Feasible – 1 pt

Supplementary Documents (max 10 points)

  • Are supporting materials (e.g., student CV, letter of support) complete, relevant, and persuasive?
  • Do they demonstrate the student’s preparedness, motivation, and suitability for the project?

Strong Support – 10 pts
Adequate Support – 6 pts
Limited Support – 3 pts

Scoring Guidelines

Total Possible Score: 100 Points

90–100: Exceptional — exceeds all criteria; strong academic and project merit.
70–89: Strong — meets most criteria effectively; well-structured and feasible.
50–69: Adequate — meets basic requirements; some areas need strengthening.
Below 50: Needs Improvement — insufficient detail or limited relevance to AMI’s objectives.