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Looking for funding to bring your ideas to life at Sears think[box]? The Student Project Fund provides financial support for CWRU students who need materials, equipment, or prototyping resources to advance their projects.

Open to undergraduate and graduate students from ÐÓ°ÉÊÓƵ, the Student Project Fund supports: 

• Individual and team-based extracurricular and personal projects. 
• Projects related to a competition. 
• Entrepreneurial projects that require prototypes.
   

Please note that course-related or research projects are NOT eligible for funding.

Eligibility for the Student Project Fund

To be considered for funding, the applicant must be a full-time CWRU undergraduate student (taking at least 12 credit hours) or a full-time CWRU graduate student (taking at least 9 credit hours or one credit hour of thesis).

Application Timeframe

Applications Open: Sept 8, 2025

Applications Close: Oct 17, 2025, 11:59 PM EDT

Notification of Awards: Early November

Signed Agreements Due: Nov 17

How Funds are Awarded and Used

To receive an award, the scope of the proposed project must be technically feasible with realistic deliverables achievable before the reporting deadlines detailed on this page.

The maximum amount of funding available per project is $2,500 to cover costs such as materials, equipment, manufacturing costs and other related expenses. Funds may be used to pay for external prototyping or machining services when the work cannot be performed at Sears think[box]. 

Please note funding will NOT be awarded to support any of the following: 

• Food, drinks or entertainment 
• Stipends for project team members or others 
• Fees for contractors or consultants 
• Marketing materials, prizes, or giveaways 
• Travel or travel-related expenses 
• Expenses that do not appear on an approved budget 

Review Committee

The Student Project Fund Review committee reviews and approves projects and award amounts, as well as interim and final reports. Members of the review committee are: 

• Manny Bansal, Fabrication Engineer
• Danny Smith, Prototyping Engineer
• Sarah Dallas, Prototyping Manager
• Joseph Minnich, Operations Engineering Manager

Review Criteria

The review committee for the Student Project Fund considers all proposals and notifies applicants by email as to the status of their application(s). Proposals are considered based on the following criteria:
SMART Goals: Have you or your team selected goals for your project that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound)?

• Technical Feasibility: Can you or your team realistically reach the goals you set out given your existing skill set(s)?
• Monetary Feasibility: Is the requested funding appropriate for your project goals?
• Innovation/Functionality/Creativity: Does the project involve a creative aspect, a technically challenging or educational aspect, or a new idea or process? We’re looking for projects that will help you develop your professional and technical skill sets.
• Think[box] Utilization: Does the project make use of think[box] equipment and services?

Fund Administration

Receiving a financial award from the Student Project Fund at Sears think[box] provides a valuable learning opportunity to develop professional skills including project management, budget ownership, fiscal responsibility, and professional reporting.

If you are awarded funds, you are fully responsible for their use and management. You are expected to keep accurate financial records and a summary of transactions, and must scan receipts to include in your project’s interim and final reports. Please be aware that monetary awards of $600 or more are taxable and, if you receive an award higher than this amount, you will be issued a Form 1099 at the end of the calendar year. Please consult a tax professional for options on how to offset this income or list it as non-taxable income on your income tax forms.

Reporting Requirements

If you’ve received financial support from the fund, you must submit an interim and final report by the dates enumerated in the Student Project Fund Agreement. 

All recipients of funding also agree to participate in the Student Project Fund Showcase.

Interim Report Submission Deadline: Feb 1

The interim report must include:

• A description of your project goals and progress to date
• Photos, drawings, and/or renderings of your work
• A completed Expense Report, following the Expense Reporting Instructions
• Scans of all receipts indicated on the spreadsheet
• A summary of project purchases to date

Final Report Submission Deadline: April 10

The final report must include:

• A description of the completed project
• Photos, drawings, and/or renderings of the final project
• Results from any competition(s) or presentations
• A completed Expense Report, following the Expense Reporting Instructions
• Scans of all receipts indicated on the spreadsheet
• A summary of project purchases to date
• Project Highlight Video
  • Create a 1–3 minute video highlighting your project's process and final results.
  • Creativity is encouraged.

Student Project Fund Showcase: April 17

Share your project at the Student Project Fund Showcase Event hosted at think[box] on April 17.

Fund Disbursement

If you are selected to receive support from the Student Project Fund, you will be required to sign an agreement indicating acceptance of the terms outlined for the Student Project Fund before you receive the award.

At that point, you will receive payment of 50% of the total award value, with payment for the remaining 50% of the total award to be issued after you’ve completed your interim reporting requirements. 

When the final report is due, you will be contacted to arrange the return of unspent or undocumented funds to Sears think[box].