Rationale * Benefits * New Requirements: Gervase Programs: Learning to Lead

GUROP seeks to enhance the academic status of undergraduate research, and to assure that students participating in research will have increased intellectual involvement in research projects. If you would like to work with our talented undergraduates in this way, we invite you to begin the process described below.

• Faculty who intend to sponsor undergraduate research assistants should submit to GUROP descriptions of their research interests and indicate the requirements (skills) desired in possible research assistants. Completing the online form will allow all students to see your research interests. We advise competing the research project description even if you do not presently have a GUROP assistant selected.
• Research partners should complete the Faculty-Student Agreement and return by the deadline (Friday of the second full week of classes).
• All students participating in research for a minimum number of hours per term (60 hours) will have a simple notation (not credit) added to their transcripts [Undergraduate Research Assistant, (semester)], provided the student-faculty research team applies for GUROP and completes the end-of-semester evaluation forms.
• All students doing ample research during the academic year, and/or who have a successful proposal for mentored or independent research will be eligible to apply for competitive grants (2009 amount TBD) to fund a full-time research experience (typically in the summer term).
  
• NB: beginning in Fall 2008, GUROP will limit the monetary compensation that has been part of regular (semester) GUROP and invest that amount into many more full-time summer fellowships. This is not a reduction in overall financial support, but a reallocation of the dollars to the more intensive summer experience which has proved more valuable for both student and faculty mentor.
• GUROP will provide some minimal term-time funding for those students who most qualify for financial aid (per a "needs analysis" confirmed by the Student Financial Aid processes). A limited amount of funds will be set aside each semester for this purpose, and the early submission of the Faculty-Student Agreement form is highly advised. Students need to authorize (sign appropriate section on Faculty-Student Agreement) that Student Financial Aid office provide very basic information about a student’s level of financial need.
• Students may be compensated through a faculty member’s own sponsored research funds, or through departmental work/study funds. If faculty have such funding, and would like to help pay a research assistant, please indicate that on the Research Project Description.
• Both student and faculty researchers will complete and submit a simple evaluation of their progress at the end of each semester. Beginning in Fall 2008, GUROP also will initiate the availability of recording research progress via a web log ("blog").
  
• GUROP will offer discipline-specific workshops and other assistance over the course of the year as students use what they learn through the research process to further their post-graduate educational and career plans.