For Current Participants

At the start of the research term (and preferably before the term begins), students and their faculty mentors should meet to discuss:

• Work schedule: days/hours the student is expected to engage in the research
  • Students are expected to devote the equivalent time/effort to what they would for an academic class. That is estimated to be an average of 10 hours a week during a 10 week term (approximate total of 100 hours during the academic term).
• Expectations: what the student is expected to accomplish during the term
• Preparation: required trainings or certifications that the student may need to complete before starting the research
• Communication: schedule for the student and faculty mentor and/or other research supervisor to communicate about progress and next steps
  • This must be at least once a week and all or most of these meetings should be in person
• Tracking: establish a document or system to track student time spent on the research and the tasks accomplished
  • The tracking document is important in confirming whether students have met the requirements of the program as students do not submit timesheets (students are not paid hourly wages).
  • This is particularly important for international students as these hours may be considered work by the U.S. government
• Completion: You must complete the requirements of the term of research by the end of the academic term.
  • In most cases, this would be the last day of classes but can be extended to the last day of exams with permission from your faculty mentor and UGR. No extensions will be granted beyond that.
  • If you have not completed the requirements at that point, you will be marked as withdrawn from the term.
• Troubleshooting: what to do if the student has questions or difficulty with any of the research tasks or in identifying next steps in the project.
  • For students: it is your responsibility to let your faculty mentor and/or other research supervisor know when you have questions or need help with the research.
  • For faculty: it is your responsibility to provide adequate training and guidance as well as clear feedback about any problems or issues. 

The program requires a two-term commitment. Students are expected to devote the equivalent time and effort to what they would for an academic class (approximately 100 hours per term, based on 7-12 hours per week for 10 weeks). Students who successfully complete this requirement are eligible for:

• Term 1: Stipend
• Term 2: Stipend OR academic credit as Independent Study

Stipend information:

• Stipends are paid as a lump sum at the end of each term of research.
  • Payment of stipends is contingent on confirmation by the student and faculty mentor that the student has fulfilled the requirements of the program.
  • When students submit their confirmation forms, an email will be automatically generated to the faculty mentor. That email will contain a link to the faculty confirmation form.
  • Students who do not meet the requirements of the program will not receive a stipend for that term. Partial stipends are not an option.
• Students do not submit timesheets since payments are stipends rather than hourly wages.
  • It is strongly recommended that students keep a document tracking the time spent on the research and the tasks accomplished as this may be important in resolving any issues that arise during the confirmation process.
  • Maintaining a tracking document is critical for international students as these hours may be considered work by the U.S. government.
    • Consult with OVIS to be sure you understand any guidelines and restrictions based on your individual circumstances.
• Students may not receive additional funding or wages for the same research that is being conducted for the Presidential Scholars program.
  • If faculty want to pay students hourly wages for research beyond the requirements of the program, it cannot be for the same types of tasks. The IRS specifies that research conducted for a fellowship stipend is primarily for the academic benefit of the student, whereas research compensated via hourly wages is primarily for the benefit of the employer (in this case, the faculty mentor).

Academic credit

• This is an option only for term 2 of the assistantship
• The Independent Study must be arranged in advance with your faculty research mentor and approved by the relevant academic department or program.
• Some departments have specific requirements and pre-requisites for approval of research for credit, and students must satisfy these requirements in order to be eligible for independent study credit. 
• If the Independent Study is approved by the academic department or program, you must register for the course as you would for any other class.
• If you opt for Independent Study credit, you are NOT eligible for a stipend. 

This is an academic program, and close collaboration between the student and faculty-mentor on the research is required.

As specified in the ORC section on Presidential Scholarships, research assistantships "must be completed during R (residence) terms when both the student and faculty are on campus." This has the following implications:

Student location: students must be on campus during BOTH terms of the assistantship

• This requirement will not be waived for any reason.

Student enrollment: students may request an exception to the enrollment policy in specific circumstances. Requests will only be considered if both the student and faculty mentor will be on campus during the student's leave term AND if one one of the following is true:

• The student does not have two R terms during the junior year.
• The faculty mentor will not be on campus during the student's junior year R terms (note the additional requirements below for faculty location during the terms of research). 

Faculty location: if the faculty mentor will not be on campus during two of your R terms, the student may request an exception to this policy under certain conditions.

• Term of assistantship
  • Requests will be considered for the SECOND term of the assistantship ONLY if you have successfully completed the FIRST term of the assistantship with your faculty mentor on campus.
  • Requests will be considered for the FIRST term of the assistantship ONLY if you have successfully completed one or more terms of another UGR program with the same faculty mentor.
• On-campus supervision: your faculty mentor must designate an on-campus mentor for you, and this must be someone who is involved in the project (graduate student, post-doctoral fellow, etc.).

To request an exception to the ORC policy, submit the online waiver form.

• Waiver forms must be submitted a MINIMUM of 2 weeks prior to the start of the research term.

In considering whether to request an exception to the ORC policies, keep in mind that students often do not complete assistantships conducted during off terms and end up discontinuing the program. Those that are successful have a clear plan established before the start of the term and maintain regular contact with their faculty mentors. 

Consider submitting a 3 minute video about your research for a chance to win cash prizes! Short videos are a great way for you to share your research with the broader Dartmouth community. The MAD (Made At Dartmouth) Research Video Competition is jointly sponsored by UGR and the Jones Media Center (JMC) in Baker-Berry Library. Check out the website for information about the competition and deadlines.

The Jones Media Center can help with your video by providing loaner equipment as well as tips and advice about shooting footage and editing your video.