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Undergraduate Research Assistantship Program
Overview
FAQ
Submission Instructions
Proposal Deadlines
Review Process
Successful Proposals Examples
Currently Funded Projects
Time Sheet Fall 2008
Overview
Since 1997 UNCG has invested more than $750,000 and supported more than 600 students in
the Undergraduate Research Assistantship (URA) program.
The URAs offer highly motivated students the opportunity to work closely with a faculty member on
his/her research, scholarship, or creative activity.
Faculty and students in all academic disciplines are encouraged to submit proposals. Faculty members, in consultation with students, complete a four part application, due in January or March (depending on when funding is requested).
The proposals are reviewed by a faculty committee, with the quality of the proposal as the primary selection criterion.
The URA program is funded through the indirect costs generated by external grants awarded to UNCG.
Students can earn up to $2,000 ($1,000 per funding period) for their work and must present their work at UNCG's celebration of undergraduate research held each spring.
FAQ
May a faculty member work with a freshman on a URA?
Students must have a sophomore, junior, or senior status beginning August 2008. The URA program does support post-Baccalaureate degree seeking students who are enrolled at UNCG in an undergraduate degree program.
What is the minimum G.P.A. a student needs to have to be eligible for a URA?
Students must have at least a 2.7 GPA at the time of application.
May a transfer student be awarded a URA?
Yes, if the student has completed 30 credit hours at UNCG as of August 2008.
Must the student be enrolled full time while completing an URA?
No, a student may be enrolled part time while applying and/or carrying out a URA.
How many students may a faculty mentor support through the URA program in a given academic year?
A faculty mentor may request support for up to two students a year. This can be accomplished in one of two ways. 1.) a faculty mentor could submit two unique proposals, one with each student. 2.) a faculty mentor can submit one proposal that supports two different students. In the latter case, a faculty mentor should clearly distinguish the unique role each of the two students will play in the project as well as the skill development of each of the students.
How many different proposals may a faculty mentor submit in an academic year?
The same faculty mentor/student team may submit one proposal in an academic year.
Since a faculty mentor can work with up to two students, the maximum number of proposals a faculty mentor can submit is two.
May a faculty mentor use URA funds to support a student as part of their large, on-going research program?
Yes, however in large on-going research programs cases, it is the incumbent upon the faculty mentor to clearly delineate the role a student will play in the overall project as well as the skill development of the student(s).
What type of faculty members may apply to the program?
Mentors do not need to occupy tenure/tenure-track lines but must be a faculty member. Individuals who are on post-doctoral assignments are also eligible to apply. If the mentor is not tenured or in a tenure-track position, an additional page to the application is required. See the instructions page for details.
When are URA proposals due?
Projects/Proposals requesting summer support must be submitted on or before the January deadline. If that project/proposal is not funded that same project/proposal may not be resubmitted for the March deadline (i.e., any revisions of the same proposal will not be reconsidered). Here is a table that clearly shows when proposals are due.
How do I apply for a URA?
Click HERE for instructions on how to submit a URA proposal.
What is the stipend amount of a URA?
Students are paid a $1,000 stipend for a given funding period (summer, fall, and spring semester). Mentors may request a maximum of $2,000 for each student.
May a student receive both credit and a URA for the same project?
No, at the time of the application the student and faculty member must outline how the course credit works towards the project will compliment that done while getting paid from the URA program.
Submission Instructions
Please review the information below carefully.
There are four parts to the URA proposal. In the table below we outline details with respect to:
how each part is to be submitted, and specific information about each part with respect to formatting and content.
| Item |
How to submit |
Details |
1. On-line coversheet |
Electronically |
Click here for the form.
First deadline to submit is
5 p.m. EST on January 23, 2009.
Second deadline to submit is 5 p.m. EST on March 20, 2009.
|
2. Title page |
Print and staple to project/proposal description,
then bring to
OUR, 1613 MHRA Bldg
|
A. Title of the project
B. Faculty mentor’s name
C. Student’s name
D. Date of submission
E. Both the faculty mentor and the student must sign the cover sheet *(if the mentor is not in a tenure-line position see the note under the table for further instructions) |
3. Two page project description |
Print and staple to title page, then bring to OUR office |
The actual project description cannot exceed two pages in length. Standard 1 inch margins on the top, bottom, left and right sides. You must use font Times New Roman (size no smaller than 11).
The project description should be written in jargon-free English, and include the following sections
A. Project goals (Hypothesis, objectives, etc.) making sure to explain how this is scholarship for your academic discipline
B. Methods the student will utilize to achieve goals
C. Role of the faculty mentor
D. Role of the student
E. Demonstrated outcome with respect to what the student will gain and what your research program will gain
|
4.Reference and/or Literature Cited page
|
Print out and staple to project description, bring to OUR office |
You may have up to ONE page of References/Literature Cited. This page should only contain a list of cited works.. If the project description "happens" to spill over on this page, the URA committee will not consider your proposal for funding. |
* If the mentor is a faculty member in a non-tenure line a letter from that person’s supervisor is required to address how the completion of the project and mentoring of the student will continue if the mentor leaves UNCG prior to the completion of the project.
Deadlines for URA Proposals
| Funding period |
Summer 2009 |
Fall 2009 |
Spring 2010 |
Proposal is due before 5 p.m. |
| URA requested |
x |
|
|
January 23, 2009 |
| URA requested |
x |
x |
|
January 23, 2009 |
| URA requested |
x |
|
x |
January 23, 2009 |
| URA requested |
|
x |
|
March 20, 2009 |
| URA requested |
|
x |
x |
March 20, 2009 |
| URA requested |
|
|
x |
March 20, 2009 |
Review Process
After a URA proposal has been submitted, OUR makes copies of your proposal then distributes them to a faculty committee.
Each member of the committee reviews the proposal independently and assigns the proposal a score. After each member assigns
the proposal a score, the committee meets to discuss the proposals and decides which proposals to fund. The primary criteria is the quality of
the proposal.
While the committee discusses the proposal, Dr. Crowe takes notes so that those not chosen for funding receive some feedback
as to why their proposal was not selected.
A proposal can receive a maximum of 30 points based on the following
(Max 5 points) A. Project goals
(Max 5 points) B. Methods the student will utilize to achieve goals
(Max 5 points) C. Role of the faculty mentor
(Max 5 points) D. Role of the student
(Max 5 points) E. Demonstrated outcome with respect to what the student will gain and what your research program will gain A.
If a URA proposal is missing a given section, the proposal receives a score of ZERO for that section.
Successful Proposal Examples
Click on the faculty member's name to see an example of a proposal selected for
funding in 2008-2009. Please note that the CURRENT guidelines have sections A-E while some of these proposals do not. Please make sure your
proposal has sections A-E. (see instructions for applications for more details)
| Faculty member |
Department |
Academic Unit |
| Patrick Lucas |
Interior Architecture |
School of Human Environmental Studies
|
| Roy Schwartzman |
Communication Studies |
College of Arts and Sciences |
| Paul Silvia |
Psychology |
College of Arts and Sciences |
|
