UGAR updates

UGAR administers programs that provide funding for Dartmouth undergraduates to engage in faculty-mentored research:

• Mentors must be employed by and have a faculty appointment at Dartmouth
• Funding is via fellowship stipend rather than hourly wages, but students must be eligible to work in the U.S. to participate.
• To be eligible for UGAR funding, research experiences must contribute to the student's academic development.
• The following types of projects are NOT eligible for UGAR funding: 
  • Administrative or clerical (tasks typically compensated via wages such as maintenance of a website, editing of a publication, scheduling research participants, etc.)
  • Curricular (development and/or assessment of course materials)
  • Commercial (tasks related to development of a commercial product)
  • Institutional (tasks related to strategic direction of an institutional initiative)

Specific programs have additional criteria. Some key elements are listed below. Please click on the links for additional information and criteria.

Undergraduate Research Assistantships at Dartmouth (URAD): part-time research while taking classes

• Applications are accepted each term for research in the following term
• Students submit an application form and faculty endorse the application.
• Students must derive a clear academic benefit from the research. These experiences are considered to be the equivalent of an academic class in terms of time commitment and learning outcomes.
• Due to funding limitations, faculty may be limited to a maximum of 12 terms of URAD funding per year (summer through spring)
• Remote research is not eligible for funding.

James O. Freedman Presidential Scholars: two-terms of part-time research during junior year while students are on campus and enrolled in classes

• Eligibility is based on GPA and applications are only accepted in the spring.
• Students submit an application and faculty endorse the application
• The program is intended to prepare students for honors thesis research, and the relationship of the research experience to the student's major is considered in the selection process.
• Faculty mentors must be eligible to be primary advisors for student honors theses in their academic department or program.

Leave-Term Research Grants: full-time research during a leave term

• Students must be intellectually engaged and play a key role in the project. Students who are starting out in research or serving primarily as research assistants are not eligible.
• Students submit an application and written proposal, and faculty submit a recommendation. That recommendation is a key part of the selection process.
• The research may be on or off campus, but there must be a rationale for the location of the research (e.g. working directly with the faculty mentor on campus; engaging in field research off campus)

Honors Thesis Research Grants: funding for expenses directly related to honors thesis research

• Most honors thesis awards will be between $500 and $1500. In some cases, grants of up to $2500 will be considered if there is a compelling justification.
• UGAR honors thesis grants are intended to supplement other funding sources (including funding available through departments and programs). Students are required to apply for all other potential sources of funding to be eligible for UGAR funding.