Program information

Students in URAD assist faculty with their research.

• Students participating in the program are not expected to generate their own independent research projects.
• The program does not match students with faculty. See UGAR's tips and resources on how to find a faculty research mentor.
• The nature of the work and skills required will vary depending on the project, and students should communicate with their faculty mentors about the expectations prior to the start of the assistantship.

Students are expected to engage in the project for 7-12 hours per week throughout the academic term (approximate total of 100 hours).

• A stipend of $1000 will be issued at the end of the term, contingent on confirmation by both the student and faculty research mentor.
• Timesheets are not required since payment is via stipend rather than hourly wages, but it is strongly recommended that students maintain a document tracking the time spent on the research and the tasks accomplished.

It is expected that the assistantship will be conducted during terms in which the student is enrolled in classes and the student and faculty mentor are on campus.

• If this is not the case, students will need to provide justification, and a plan for communication with the faculty mentor, on their application form.

Students are eligible for a total of 5 terms of UGAR funding for part-time research assistantships.

• Students are eligible for URAD once they have completed two terms of enrollment. For most students, this will be spring of the first year (apply in the winter for research in the spring).
• Once students have completed 35 credits, they are no longer eligible for URAD.
• For students who are or have been participating in UGAR research assistantship programs:
  
  • Sophomore/Junior Research Scholars: all funded terms count toward total terms of URAD.
  • Presidential Scholars: the first term counts toward the total terms of URAD but the second term in the program does not.
  • Other part-time research programs (e.g. WISP, Neukom Scholars) do not count toward URAD eligibility.

Students apply for URAD in the term prior to the term of research. Acceptances to the program are limited to one term per application.

• Students who would like to continue a project in a subsequent or later term must submit a separate application each term.
• There are no restrictions on the number of faculty mentors and/or projects per student, up to a maximum of 5 terms per student.

Note the following restrictions:

• Students may not receive funding and academic credit for the same research. Therefore, students who are getting independent and/or honors thesis credit for the research are NOT eligible for URAD.
• Students may not receive funding from more than one source for the same research. Therefore, students receiving wages for the research or participating in other funded undergraduate research programs (e.g. Neukom Scholars, Human Development Fellowships, Mellon Mays Fellows, E. E. Just Fellows, Stamps Scholars) are NOT eligible for funding for the same/similar research from URAD.

Be sure to also review the general eligibility guidelines for UGAR programs.