Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program  

URMP

The Office of Undergraduate Research in collaboration with Office of Research and the Graduate School offer the Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program (URMP) that provides funding and support for graduate students to mentor undergraduates in research and creative endeavors.

Where to start?

Are you interested in Research, and don't know where to start? Email our@unco.edu to set up a meeting to discuss your interests.  We have Faculty and Graduate Students interested in mentoring research projects.  You do not need to be a part of our Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program to receive resources, attend our workshops and be matched with a mentor for specific projects.

Graduate Student Mentor Application

Graduate students may join our database of research and creative endeavor mentors anytime.  Graduate students will be matched to undergraduate students for academic year and summer mentorship programs, when funding is available.

Applications collection for the Academic Year Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program for AY25-26 is paused due to funding cuts. However, graduate students may submit their Mentor availability and information in the application below for an as needed matching of students who are seeking mentors.  These opportunities are on a volunteer basis, and do not include stipends. 

Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program

Application submission for the Academic Year 2025-26 is paused due to funding cuts. 

 

Purpose

1. Increase access for UNC undergraduate students to engage in meaningful research and creative endeavors. High-impact practices such as undergraduate research and mentoring are known to increase persistence to graduation and admission to graduate programs. 
2. Increase opportunities for UNC graduate students to develop key skills necessary for future growth in their academic pursuits, specifically mentoring and research. 
3. Increase the capacity at UNC for faculty to pursue research and creative endeavors by expanding their connection to developing student researchers through funded opportunities. 
4. Magnify the visibility and impact of UNC’s research pursuits and strengthen recruitment avenues at UNC for both graduate and undergraduate students.  

Structure and Key Requirements 

• Centered on graduate student research or Undergraduate student ongoing projects
  • Graduate students apply to become research mentors in one of two categories:
    • 1) Graduate Directed Projects - Mentor students who will assist with graduate student directed research/creative projects
    • 2) Undergraduate Independent Projects - Mentor undergraduates who are working on their own research or creative projects. 
  • Undergraduate students apply to either join a graduate-student directed project or to be matched with a graduate student who will mentor the undergraduate student's own research or creative project. (The application will include the types of Graduate projects available).
  • Faculty members may serve as supervisors of the graduate student, mentors to the undergraduate student project, or in other support roles for the projects
• Project periods
  
  

  • Academic Year Winter/Spring: November 1 - May 10
  • Summer: May 15- August 15
• Hours
  • Hours may vary depending on the project:
    • Recommend a minimum of 12 hours per month for Academic Year mentoring and 20 hours per month for summer program.
    • Recommended that mentor groups meet at least weekly, with exception for pre-planned vacation times.

Project Work Plan and Deliverables 

• Work plan/research proposal
  • Final work plan/research proposal is two weeks after the initial mentor match pairing orientation meeting to include: 
    • Work schedule/number of hours per week
    • Activities outlined for undergraduate students
    • Level and nature of mentor supervision 
    • Specific outcomes and products 
  • Deviations from the original work plan must be approved by OUR and faculty supervisor. 
• Regular meetings
  • Minimum weekly contacts between mentor (graduate student) and undergraduate student (may be face to face, or over zoom or similar depending on project needs).  
  • Minimum of monthly meetings between mentor and Program coordinators.
• Deliverables 
  • Research teams must commit to deliverables at the end of the program period, which may include any/all of the following: 
    • Final report (required for all). 
    • Presentation or alternate sharing of the work (required for all - and may be in a subsequent semester) - Preferred presentation venue is Student Showcase for Artists and Scholars in April.
  • Submission for publication. (Optional)
• Program evaluation 
  • Research teams must complete program evaluation at the end of semester.
  • Mentors and mentees should attend end of program wrap up event, if applicable. 

Professional Development and Trainings 

• Mandatory meeting
  • Mandatory orientation meeting for all participants at the beginning of the the program period.
• Mentor training
  • Mentors participate in training sessions as needed and relevant during the grant period begins. Topics vary, and may be optional for academic year program. 
    
    • Example topics: Elements of Effective Mentoring/Developing a Mentoring Philosophy; Establishing Expectations and Maintaining Effective Communication; Assessing Understanding and Fostering Independence; Fostering Academic Literacy's; Research and Mentoring Ethics; Professional Development 
• Required certifications 
  • Undergraduate and Graduate students must obtain and maintain certifications as needed for research with humans (IRB), animals, HIPPA, CITI, etc. 
  • Complete all required mentor and mentee training through Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
  • Be familiar with and follow the institution policies regarding academic conduct 
  • Sign and comply with a participation agreement 

Funding Details

• Financial awards
  • Financial awards for research team (dependent on final budget allocations) are available for the summer research program. 
    • Stipends depend on final number of recipients and available funding.
  • Supplemental funds for supplies may be applied for by the undergraduate students through the OUR grant program.
  • Funding may be available for the academic year programs depending on the budget allocations each year.
    • For the AY 24-25, $250 stipends will be paid in Spring 2025.  Undergraduate students will receive the stipend at the end of May and Graduate student mentors will receive their stipends mid-semester.
• Final Report Details

  Final reports are due on the last day of semester for the program period.
  

  Mentor section 

  Summarize what you did over the summer both for your research and as a mentor, detail what intentions & goals you had set for both and what you accomplished  

  Research findings  

  • Provide a general overview of how progress looked over the summer (i.e., timeline of events) 
  • Reflect on the outcomes identified for your initial proposal  
  • What went well for you as a mentor and in the program  
  • What strengths do you have as a mentor & what can you improve upon?  
  • What could have been improved about the program  
  • Would you like more or less faculty involvement  
  • How did you grow & change because of this experience?  
  • Practical & professional takeaways that will influence your future work  
  • Feedback for your mentees  
  • Future directions for research & possible presentations or submissions  
  • Additional thoughts or comments 

  Mentee section 

  • Summarize what you did over the summer in your role as a mentee:   
  • Goals set for yourself throughout this process, if / how they were accomplished  
  • What went well & what could have been improved about the program  
  • What strengths do you have as a researcher & What can you improve upon for the future? 
  • How did you grow & change because of this experience?   
  • Practical / professional takeaways that will influence future work  
  • What new things did you learn about research?  
  • What did you learn about mentorship from observing your mentors for how you will want to engage in the future?  
  • Feedback for student & faculty mentors  
  • Future directions for potential research work  
  • How have your research ideas developed through this program, what projects do you want to pursue?  
  • Additional thoughts or comments  

  If your project had a final manuscript, presentation or results, please include that as well.

• Disbursement 
  • Students must submit all required paperwork (such as I-9) to be eligible for funding by the deadlines provided.