[photo] Undergraduate research

About UROP

The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program enhances undergraduate education by providing financial support to students who wish to engage in independent research, creative projects, or the presentation of their own research at conferences. Students may independently design their projects, or propose a project related to some aspect of the research of a supervising faculty member. In either case, a regular faculty member (T&R or SPF) must endorse the proposal and supervise the project. A small number of grants are also available for the combination of intensive summer language study and research.

Learn more about Undergraduate Research - a short video from ISLA

Participation in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program is an intense educational experience that exposes students to the entire process of research, from writing the proposal, conducting the research, analyzing data, to bringing the project to closure in the form of a written final report. A satisfactory project must be consistent with the standards of good scholarship. It should give evidence of a sophisticated grasp of a problem as well as an effective approach to that problem. The project should involve some new data or information, an original viewpoint, a new synthesis, the application of a new technique, or the use of a new method of analysis.

UROP provides support for research and creative projects through two programs: Research and Materials Grants and Summer Fellowships. Research and Materials Grants provide up to $1,500 to be used toward the purchase of materials and supplies, travel, and other project needs. Summer Fellowships provide funding to allow students to concentrate their time on a project without making it necessary to hold also a summer job to pay expenses. Students may apply for 1, 2, or 3 months of summer funding at $1,500 per month (maximum $4,500). The application process is the same for both programs.

Eligibility: Students will normally be eligible to receive only one interim grant per academic year. All students in good academic standing pursuing an undergraduate degree in the College of Arts and Letters are eligible for participation in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. Students with only a minor in the College of Arts and Letters can apply if the faculty supervisor is a member of the College. Neither a specific grade-point average nor extensive experience in the chosen research field is required. Graduating seniors in their final semester are eligible to participate in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, but must submit their proposals before their final semester actually begins. For Summer Fellowships, priority is given to Juniors, although projects from Sophomores and graduating Seniors will be considered.

For the College of Arts & Letters Definition of Undergraduate Research, click here.

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Direct any questions to:
Pat Base
Senior Administrative Assistant
Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts
101 O'Shaughnessy Hall
631-7531