Learning how to recruit, train, find funding for, and mentor undergraduate researchers can be daunting, but we have collected the 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.
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.
Research postings can be paid, for credit, or volunteer. If you have funds available to pay undergraduate researchers, be sure to identify the person in your department who facilitates student hiring. They can help you familiarize yourself with the hiring process. If students are working with you for academic credit, you should be familiar with the processes for enrolling in your departments 4998 or 4999 courses for undergraduate research credit. UR&CI does not provide this kind of administrative support.
Mentoring 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 in a mentoring capacity. 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 National Research Mentoring Network and the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER), including additional templates, toolkits, research articles, networks, and training. Our colleagues in the Center for Clinical and Translational Science offer multiple CIMER-designed workshops each year to help faculty who mentor early career researchers to become more effective research and career mentors. The newly formed Ohio State Mentoring Initiative also offers an annual calendar of workshops for those interested in developing and strengthening their mentoring skills.
Promotion and Tenure Considerations
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. Mentors who will be undergoing reappointment, tenure and/or promotion reviews should report their work with undergraduate researchers under the Teaching section of the core dossier. 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.
Advice from Current Faculty Members