Projects Qualifying for an Assistantship
Any research or creative activity pursued under the supervision of a University of Utah faculty member is eligible. Research or creative activity is defined to include projects that pursue evidence to test hypotheses, projects designed to solve specific problems, or artistic creations. A directory of faculty willing to sponsor undergraduate projects is available, as is counseling on how to proceed, in the Office of Undergraduate Studies, Sill Center. The faculty directory is also available online at: http://www.ugs.utah.edu/urop/directory/index.htm.
UROP assistantship funding is limited to one new and one renewal student per faculty sponsor during any semester. Faculty may call 581-8070 for further information.

Additional Opportunities for UROP Assistantships

There are a few other opportunities in addition to the usual assistantships, made possible by the following:

Student Eligibility
Any student seeking an undergraduate degree at the University of Utah and attending school full-time (at least 12 credit hours) during the semester in which they are participating in their project is eligible. Applicants must not be on academic probation, disciplinary probation or suspension. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. Students must consult with a faculty member willing to sponsor research or creative work. Applicants must be eligible for University employment and must report their earnings when applying for other sources of financial aid. Students eligible for work-study may apply their work-study funds to a research position. Students usually work 10 - 15 hours per week and time cards are submitted each pay period. Each student may submit only one application per semester and is eligible for up to two semesters of support. See Assistantship Renewal Guidelines.
Depending on the availability of funds and the quality of the proposal, applications may be 1) funded, 2) returned for revision, 3) partially funded or 4) not funded.

Application Deadlines

All applications materials (including letters of recommendation) must be turned in no later than 4:30 PM on the date specified. Submit all application materials to:

Jill Baeder
Assistant Director, UROP
Office of Undergraduate Studies
Sill Center 581-8070 fax 585-3581
baeder-j@ugs.utah.edu

Absolutely no late or incomplete applications will be accepted, regardless of circumstances. It is the student applicant's responsibility to ensure that her/his application is complete.

How to Apply

A complete application consists of five items:
Please, NO STAPLES!

The signed, completed two-page application form.

A written project proposal with your and your faculty sponsor's signature.

Two letters of recommendation. One letter must be from the sponsoring faculty member.
Letters of recommendation should be mailed, e-mailed (baeder-j@ugs.utah.edu) or delivered to the same place. Faxed letters are also accepted at (801)585-3581.

Student signed Letter of recommendation waiver.

University of Utah Transcript. The transcript does not need to be official. You can purchase one for $3.00 from the transcript office in the Student Services Building, or it can be printed off the Internet. To print it off the Internet go to http://www.utah.edu. Then choose Students, Registration and Student Records, Secured Student Access (enter your student I.D. and pin#), then View grades. Print the past three semesters (if you have been at the U. fewer than three semesters, then just print those). Go to View Academic Summary and print that page.

Proposal Preparation

Proposals must provide a thorough discussion of each of the five topics listed below. Proposals should be typed, double-spaced and no longer than five to six pages. The proposal must include a title, applicant name, faculty sponsor name and department. Please note that you are writing for a technical audience. The faculty reviewer is an expert in your area or discipline. Proposal and application materials are reviewed and rated on a 1-10 scale. Depending on the availability of funds and the quality of the proposal, applications may be 1) funded, 2) returned for revision, 3) partially funded or 4) not funded.
It is expected that proposals will be free of grammar/spelling errors and must include appropriate citations. Failure to follow proposal preparation instructions will result in disqualification.

New proposals must include:

A clear, complete description of your project or nature of artistic work, your method of inquiry and expected outcome:
a. Describe the problem under investigation

b. Identify and discuss the relevant sources to demonstrate familiarity with
the area of research or creative work that you are proposing.

c. Where applicable, include a clear statement of the research hypothesis and its relevance to the topic under investigation.

d. Discuss expected outcomes.

Describe the specific research or creative activities you will be engaged in and identify a timetable allotted to each major portion of your project during the semester.

Discuss the relationship of your project to the research or creative work of your faculty sponsor.

Discuss your educational objectives in undertaking your project. Describe past experiences which prepare you for this project and your future goals.

The proposal must be signed by the student and the faculty sponsor.

Letters of Recommendation

Two letters from professors familiar with your classroom or research capabilities should be included. One of the letters must be from the faculty sponsor for your proposal. Note that both the student and faculty sponsor must sign the "Budget Page" of the application form and the project proposal. A renewal request must include a letter from the faculty sponsor and does not require a second letter. See Assistantship Renewal Guidelines. Letters should address the student's ability to perform the proposed work. Students are requested to waive their right to view letters of recommendation by signing the Letter of Recommendation Waiver. Letters of recommendation may be sent directly to the UROP office in a sealed envelope addressed to Jill Baeder, Administrative Program Coordinator, UROP, 132 Sill Center, may be faxed to (801)585-3581 or e-mailed to baeder-j@ugs.utah.edu. Letters that arrive after the deadline will disqualify the student's application.

Human or Animal Research Approval

Projects dealing with human subjects. Projects that deal in any way with human subjects must be approved by the University's Human Subjects Committee. This includes questionnaires, surveys, interviews, observations and secondary use of data such as medical charts. APPROVAL MUST BE OBTAINED before your proposal can be submitted for UROP review. Consult page 1 of the UROP Assistantship Application Form for further information about obtaining approval.

Projects dealing with animals. Projects that deal in any way with live animals must have the approval of the University's Animal Care Committee. APPROVAL MUST BE OBTAINED before your proposal can be submitted for UROP review. Consult page 1 of the UROP Assistantship Application form for further information about obtaining approval.

Supply Budget

For each semester of research, a student will receive hourly wages at $10.00 per hour up to a maximum of $1200. In addition, a student may request up to $150 for incidental expenses (that would normally come out of the student's pocket) only for a student generated project and if no other source of funding is available.

Federal Workstudy Program

Students are encouraged to look into the Federal Workstudy Program. There are strict requirements and some of you may qualify. Workstudy can provide wages up to $5000.00 per year to qualified students. The UROP Assistantship is listed as a workstudy position. For further information please visit the workstudy website: http://www.sa.utah.edu/finance/work/students/FAQ.html

Summer Semester UROP

The summer semester UROP Assistantship follows the same structure as the rest of the academic year. New students will be funded up to $1200.00 (150 hours of wages) and renewals up to $600.00 (75 hours). We DO NOT require to students to register for classes for summer semester, students are eligible for summer semester funding IF they were full time (12 credit hours) during spring semester. UGS4800 - Undergraduate Research is optional for summer semester.

UGS 4800 Undergraduate Research

During Fall and Spring semester, students are required to register for one credit hour of UGS 4800 (Undergraduate Research). UGS4800 is a one hour class that consists of your scholarly research or creative project under faculty supervision. UGS 4800 is a requirement for your assistantship and is separate from departmental classes you may be taking. This class is optional for summer semester and for UROP renewal students. Once your assistantship has been approved you will be provided with a permission code to register for the class. This course requires that you submit an abstract of your research during the semester and a letter grade will be given. This abstract will be due to the UROP office in the Sill Center the last class day of the semester (the date will be specified in the acceptance letter). Abstracts should have a title, identify the semester you worked, your name, class standing, major and the name of your faculty sponsor by rank and department. The abstract must include information regarding the significance of the topic, the investigative strategy and the nature of the conclusions. For examples of outstanding student abstracts see: University of Utah Undergraduate Research Abstracts Journal, Spring 2006 at: http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=/UROP

Assistantship Renewal Guidelines

Assistantships are granted for one semester. Renewals are possible based on availability of funds for an additional semester. Renewals will be considered on the basis of the information contained on the new application form, a new/revised proposal (which should briefly summarize research results from the previous semester and describe the work and provide a timeline for the coming semester) and a new letter of support from the faculty sponsor.
Renewals will be considered individually, without any advantage or disadvantage in comparison to new applications. Renewals will be funded up to a maximum of $600.00 per semester. Students seeking renewals are encouraged to develop other sources of funding.

Undergraduate Research Scholar Designation
The designation, Undergraduate Research Scholar, to appear in the awards section of the transcripts of graduating students, was approved by the Trustees of the University this past spring, and will be awarded for the first time to those students graduating in December 2006. Click here for information and application.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

Your application packet must contain the following to be
considered for funding:

If at any time you have questions regarding the application process, please phone Jill Baeder at 581-8070 or e-mail at baeder-j@ugs.utah.edu.

For all New Applications:
Please, NO STAPLES!

Completed two-page application form (signed by the applicant and faculty sponsor).

A narrative description of the proposed research or creative project (see Proposal Preparation). The narrative should not exceed five typed, double-spaced pages and must be signed by the applicant and faculty sponsor.

Two letters of recommendation from faculty familiar with the applicant's research or creative work. One letter must be from the faculty sponsor.

The Letter of Recommendation Waiver signed by the applicant.

University of Utah Transcript of the last three semesters.

All application materials must be submitted no later than 4:30PM on the respective deadline date.

For all Renewals:

Completed two-page application form (signed by the applicant and faculty sponsor).

A narrative description of the proposed research or creative work, including a clear description of the research results or creative work for the semester the assistantship was held and a plan that includes a timeline for the renewal semester. The narrative should not exceed five typed, double-spaced pages and must be signed by the applicant and faculty sponsor.

A new letter of recommendation from the faculty sponsor.

The Letter of Recommendation Waiver signed by the applicant.

All application materials must be submitted no later than 4:30PM on the respective deadline date.

Submit all application materials to:
Jill Baeder
Assistant Director, UROP
Office of Undergraduate Studies
Sill Center (801) 581-8070 fax 585-3581

Contact Information:
Office of Undergraduate Studies
195 S. Central Campus Drive
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0511
phone: 801 581-3811
fax: 585-3581

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