UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

2016 Summer Scholars Group Photo

URSCA

UWRF Summer Scholars Program

The UWRF Summer Scholars Program offers undergraduate students with outstanding academic potential the opportunity to work closely with faculty mentors on research projects. The program provides undergraduates an opportunity to experience engaged, inquiry-based learning, which has been proven to enhance student development. Undergraduates may propose to assist a faculty member in an on-going research, scholarly, or creative project, or they may elect to work collaboratively with a mentor by designing a new project of mutual interest. Participation is encouraged from all colleges and disciplines (e.g. agriculture, business, education, the arts, humanities, social sciences, health sciences, physical sciences, etc.). 

Program Dates 

The program will run from Wednesday, June 1 through Wednesday, August 3, 2016.

Orientation and Chancellor's Welcome: June 1, 2016 from 11-12:30 pm.  We will kick off the Summer Scholars program with introductions over lunch. Students and their Mentors will share their project ideas and methodologies, learn about the program's process, and meet the Summer Scholars Facilitators, URSCA Director Dr. Lissa Schneider-Rebozo and URSCA Coordinator, Elizabeth Jordahl. Chancellor Van Galen, Provost Delgado, and other invited guests will also welcome our new scholars to the program.

Closing Meeting: September 12, 2016 from 5-8 pm.  Students will share their project updates with invited guests in required 5-minute PowerPoint or poster presentations. Dinner will be provided. A final group photograph and certificates of completion will conclude the program, although we anticipate that our program participants will continue their research agendas beyond the formal part of the Summer Scholars Program.

The program also features interactive professional development seminars and cohort-building activity during the month of June. We strongly encourage students and mentors who are conducting their research on-campus to attend these dynamic and (according to last year's cohort) profoundly useful and fun seminars.  Lunch will be provided for all attendees.  Seminar topics may include:  Research skills; Research ethics; Presentation skills; Professional Networking; and Graduate/professional school test preparation.

Eligibility

The UWRF Summer Scholars Program is available to full-time UWRF undergraduates in good standing who have completed their freshman year by May 2016 and plan to graduate no earlier than December 2016. Up to 30 Summer Scholars will be funded in the 2016 cohort. Undergraduates who apply should expect to devote at least 30 hours a week to their research agenda, and mentors should be consistently available for consultation and collaboration.  To be eligible to participate in the 2016 program, undergraduates and their mentors will be expected to attend opening and closing day meetings; during the rest of the summer they may conduct their research on-campus or off-campus (at regional, national, or international venues).   

Funding

Award Amounts:
Summer Scholar Projects: $3000.00 will be paid to each Summer Scholar as a stipend; an additional $500.00 can be requested in the itemized budget section of the research proposal for research supplies and expenses. Total possible student award may be up to $3500.00.  The stipend is payable in three installments, with the last payment activated upon completion of the program, and mentor acknowledgement of successful progress on the research agenda.  Expenses are payable with submission of original receipts or via an interdepartmental transfer.

Faculty mentors receive a $1000.00 award, payable as either stipend or expense monies, for directing a Summer Scholar.  In 2016, faculty mentors may direct up to three Summer Scholars for a maximum combined mentor award of $2000.00.  

Other important information about funding guidelines for expense monies:
Students may use up to $75.00 for poster printing for presentation of the proposed research, and where applicable, should be sure to include such printing costs in their itemized budget section of the proposal.

All purchasing must adhere to university policy, with equipment and non-disposable materials becoming property of the mentor's department on completion of the project.

Per state guidelines for differential tuition funds, grant monies cannot be used to purchase food, beverages, or incentives for human research subjects or participants.    

Notification of Award

The Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity will notify award recipients, typically within 6 weeks of the grant deadline.

Information

Terms and Conditions

Proposal Information

Application Deadline: All application materials must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. on March 10, 2016

 

To Apply

Undergraduate researchers must complete this online student application

and 

URSCA Mentors must complete this online mentor application. One mentor application per project/grant submission

Contact Us

Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity

ursca@uwrf.edu

715-425-3902

213 A  Rodli Hall

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