The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program

143 Bay State Road
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
617-353-2020;
Fax: 617-353-2056
E-mail: urop@bu.edu
Website: Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Patty Bachorz, Assistant Director

Melissa Johnson, Programs Administrator

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) at Boston University promotes participation by BU undergraduates in faculty-mentored research. Students are actively encouraged to discover the excitement of doing research and to explore new ways of learning about the world. Hands-on training brings added depth to topics covered in the classroom and often proves the formative experience for undergraduates who are making decisions about their futures.

The hallmark of the UROP experience is one-on-one mentoring by a faculty member working in his or her own area of expertise. Students learn invaluable investigatory and analytical skills while working for approximately 15-20 hours per week on their individual projects or as a member of a larger research team. During the summer UROP program, students benefit from concentrated, full-time work for a ten-week session as well as a series of enrichment activities designed to further their skills as investigators. Because the student receives training directly from the faculty mentor, the results of student research are often of the highest quality.

UROP helps students to connect with faculty members who want to involve undergraduates in their research and provides financial support for summer research fellowships, academic year salaries, research supplies, and travel for research purposes or to professional meetings. UROP funds are awarded competitively to students who write the best grant proposals for the fall, spring, and summer funding rounds.

Any Boston University undergraduate enrolled full time who is conducting a research project approved and mentored by a BU faculty member is eligible to participate in UROP. All student projects must be of a caliber worthy of academic credit, although not all projects are conducted for credit. UROP's definition of research is broad and includes any scientific or scholarly activity that leads to:

• the production and transmission of new knowledge
• increased problem-solving capabilities (including design and analysis)
• original critical or historical theory and interpretation

UROP Student Information

UROP offers a central clearinghouse for information related to undergraduate research activities at Boston University. Students who want to participate in research connect with faculty mentors either by using the resources on the UROP website or by independently seeking out faculty with whom they are interested in working. Together, the student and faculty mentor design a project and create a project proposal that outlines the important aspects of the project: an overview of the project and its goals, relevant background information, the project's significance to the field of study, and its methodologies.

Faculty may submit listings to UROP of their research interests or descriptions of specific projects that are available for students to work on for posting on the website. Students are also encouraged to look at research descriptions from specific academic departments or to talk to directors of undergraduate studies, advisors, professors with whom they have had classes, and administrators who can all assist in finding potential faculty mentors. Students do not have to find a mentor in the same field as their major. Due to the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of research, faculty frequently need the expertise of a student in another field to help with their own research projects. The UROP staff are also available to offer advice on project proposal design and to help students identify mentors.

Interested students may sign up to receive monthly e-mail updates from the UROP office. These updates include invitations to UROP events, announcements of specific research opportunities inside and outside BU, and information on program deadlines and application procedures.

The Undergraduate Research Symposium

Each fall during Homecoming and Parents Weekend, UROP hosts the Undergraduate Research Symposium, which is an opportunity for undergraduates to share the results of their research with peers, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and other invited guests. Students display a poster or other visual representation of their work and are asked to remain available to discuss their work with passersby, gaining invaluable experience and honing their presentation skills. All undergraduate researchers, regardless of whether or not they received funding from UROP, are eligible to participate. Students who receive UROP funding during the summer are required to present during the following fall.

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Research for Credit

Though the class titles vary, most academic departments offer special courses that allow students to receive credit for their undergraduate research experience. These courses are not approved through UROP, but there may be special requirements for a particular department that should be discussed with the faculty mentor before registration. The College of Arts and Sciences' Work for Distinction program and the College of Engineering's Senior Design Projects are two examples of classes that can serve as undergraduate research courses. Students who wish to receive funding from UROP for research conducted for credit may only receive FROG or travel funds (see Types of Funds section). Students may not receive salary funds for a research project in the same semester in which they are receiving credit.

Research as a Volunteer

To get started in research, many students volunteer a few hours a week to assist a faculty member with his or her research activities. This gives the student an opportunity to learn basic research techniques and skills before becoming fully involved in a project of his or her own. Observation or minimal participation can be especially helpful to students who plan on getting involved in laboratory-based research.

Applying for Funds from UROP

Three times a year, UROP offers students the opportunity to apply for salary and/or supplies funding for their research projects. Applications for travel awards are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. (Full descriptions of funds are available below.) Students complete a project proposal that is reviewed by a committee of faculty that makes recommendations as to which applications should receive funding. Applications for the Fall semester are due in September, for the Spring semester in December, and for the Summer in March. Please see the UROP website for the exact deadlines. The UROP staff are available to discuss your application prior to your final submission and to offer advice. Please call the office to make an appointment.

Application forms as well as our Student Guide to Applying, which supplies complete application instructions, can be downloaded from the UROP website. These forms are updated regularly, so it is strongly recommended that students always be sure to download the most recent version.

Please note that UROP funding is competitive and is not guaranteed.

Types of Funds

Supplies Funds. Funded Research Opportunity Grants (FROGs) may assist students and their faculty mentors with purchasing expendable supplies or services needed to complete the research. Examples of items that can be purchased with a FROG award include chemicals, archival copying, or specialized software. Applicants must submit a detailed budget of planned expenditures as part of their application. These awards may not be used for travel. FROGs are available to students doing research for credit, volunteering, or for a salary.

Travel Awards. Students may apply for travel awards in support of conference participation or research-related travel. Conference Participation Travel Awards may be granted to students who are taking an active part in a conference by presenting a poster or paper. Attendance only is not supported. Research-Related Travel Awards are available for students who need to travel to an archive, special library, or field site in order to complete their research. These awards are reimbursements and require complete documentation of related expenses.

Salary Awards. Students who are not receiving academic credit during a given semester may apply for salary funds from UROP. Faculty Matching Grants (available in the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters) provide direct student support for research and require the student's faculty mentor to provide 50 percent of the funding from appropriate sources he or she may have available. Student Research Awards are offered in cases where faculty funds are unavailable, and tend to be more competitive than faculty matching grants. Students applying for funds should discuss which type of award to apply for with their faculty mentor.

Faculty mentors may also be aware of other funding opportunities available through individual departments or Colleges. There are also many funding opportunities from sources outside Boston University listed in the Beyond BU section of UROP.

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Published by Trustees of Boston University
One Sherborn Street
Boston, MA 02215

22 October 2007
Boston University
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