Faculty Resources

To increase access to research opportunities for undergraduate students, the Office of Academic Affairs will award seed funding up to $10,000 to support faculty in developing and launching undergraduate research experiences at The Ohio State University.  As a national leader in undergraduate education at a public research university, OUE’s goal is for every Ohio State undergraduate to participate in transformational high-impact learning experiences, such as undergraduate research. Undergraduate research is critical for students who wish to pursue graduate education. OUE aims to recognize and support faculty more fully in their efforts to create these opportunities.

HOW TO APPLY
Ohio State faculty from all campuses are invited to submit seed grant applications for up to $10,000 each. Proposals are due by May 12, 2023. Successful proposals will be announced in June 2023 for implementation in autumn 2023 or spring 2024. Please download the application and use the online form to submit your materials.

Proposals selected for funding will create new undergraduate research opportunities with logical design and clear plans for development and launch. Successful proposals will include a plan for unit-level support and sustainability beyond the initial seed funding period. OUE especially encourages proposals that minimize barriers for underrepresented and under-resourced students.

Scalable and sustainable undergraduate research opportunities might take the form of group-based experiences, for example, in which a cohort of students works together on a research project or question. Flexible time commitments from students (from a single afternoon or weekend morning to a week-long, month-long, or semester-long commitment) might increase access. Likewise, participation modalities might include online as well as in-person options. Credit-bearing opportunities might range from one-credit research methods seminars to four-credit GE integrative practice courses. Research experiences might be designed to complement paid internships or jobs.

Learning how to recruit, train, and find funding for undergraduate researchers can be daunting, but we have collected mentoring tips from current faculty, as well as information below to assist you.

Recruiting Undergraduate Researchers

UR&CI assists faculty and the campus community with finding undergraduate research assistants by posting available positions on our website. These positions can be found on our Research Postings page.

If you are interested in posting an undergraduate research position, please complete our research position form. Please allow 2-3 days for the position to be posted.

We also suggest reaching out to academic advisors and undergraduate studies coordinators in your college or department to send a message to students about the open position.

Expectations for Undergraduate Researchers

Expectations for undergraduate researchers vary from faculty to faculty. It is important to set these expectations early with undergraduate students and continue to meet with your students on a regular basis to ensure that expectations from all parties are being met. UR&CI has a contract template available for you and your mentees to use. This contract can assist you in discussing expectations and building a productive and satisfying working relationship from day one.  Extensive additional resources on mentoring are available from the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER), including additional templates, toolkits, research articles, networks, and training.

Promotion and Tenure

Faculty who supervise undergraduate researchers may get credit for this work in tenure, promotion, merit-based salary decisions, and in teaching assignments. Experience with mentoring undergraduate researchers should be listed on your CV. It is best to consult with your Chair or Director and the Promotion and Tenure Committee in your unit about expectations for faculty at your career stage.

Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award

Every spring, the UR&CI opens for nomination for the Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award. 

Funding and Grants

Funding for Undergraduate Students

There are many scholarships, fellowships, and small grants (listed on our Funding Opportunities page) which students can apply for to support their independent research projects. Generally, these types of monetary support are given directly to the student and not to the faculty advisor.

Funding for Mentors

UR&CI can support faculty grant applications with a letter of collaboration. We can strengthen your application by outlining the commitment and resources that Ohio State dedicates to its undergraduate researchers, as well as confirm that our office can help to recruit undergraduate researchers for your project. To request a letter, email ugresearch@osu.edu.

Please visit the Office of Research to find more information about funding for labs and faculty.