Getting Started

At the start of the research term (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 Undergraduate Research. 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  • If you have not completed the requirements at that point, you will be marked as withdrawn from the term.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 information (only an option for the 2^nd term of the assistantship):

• Students may not receive both a stipend and academic credit for the same term of the Presidential Scholar research assistantship.
• Independent Study credit must be arranged through the faculty research mentor and approved by the relevant academic department or program prior to the start of the term of research.
• The faculty mentor ultimately makes the decision as to whether independent study credit is appropriate, and this option generally requires a bigger time commitment from the student than the stipend option.
• Some academic departments and programs 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, students must register for the course as they would for any other class. SURFD is not involved in the course registration process. Students who do not register for the independent study course by the end of the course change period for that term will receive a stipend in lieu of academic credit.
• Students whose faculty mentor is in Geisel or Tuck may not have the option for Independent Study credit unless their major department allows this.

Start of term confirmation:

• Prior to the start of each term of research, you will receive an email with a link to an online start of term confirmation form.
• You are required to submit this form, whether or not you plan to engage in the research in the designated term.
• In the term 2 confirmation form, you will be asked whether you plan to engage in this term of research for the stipend OR for academic credit.