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Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Honors College Discovery Fellowship Program
First-semester freshmen with an ACT composite score of 33 or better are
eligible for the Honors College Discovery Fellowship Program. The Discovery
Fellowship Program gives students the opportunity to work with a faculty member
on a research project or other scholarly activity appropriate to their major.
Students are identified from application data and selected by the dean of their
respective college or school. Students work eight hours per week during the
academic year. They are paid a stipend of $1,700 for the year. (This stipend
should not affect a student’s financial aid package.) Students submit monthly
progress reports to the Discovery Fellowship Coordinator, and participate in
a year-end seminar at which they re-cap their experiences. In the past, participating
students have been selected from the following schools and colleges: Agriculture,
Food and Natural Resources; Arts and Science; Business; Engineering; and Journalism.
Contacts: Kristina Wright (214 Lowry Hall; (573) 882-4112; WrightKr@missouri.edu)
or Dr. Stuart Palonsky (211 Lowry Hall; 882-3893; palonskys@missouri.edu).
The LS UROP provides a variety of opportunities and services to support
undergraduate research in the broad discipline of the life sciences. Undergraduate
research internships are competitively awarded for the academic year ($1,800)
and summer ($2,400) to upperclassmen. Students must apply in conjunction with
a faculty mentor and include a project proposal. Participating faculty members
have academic appointments in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources;
the College of Arts and Science; the School of Medicine; and the College of
Veterinary Medicine. Travel grants are provided for students who will present
their research projects at regional, national and international conferences.
The program maintains a web site (www.lsurop.missouri.edu) with information
on faculty mentors, part-time lab jobs, and off-campus research opportunities.
The program provides workshops and individual advising for undergraduates concerning
research opportunities. During the summer LS UROP organizes a seminar series
and coordinates the annual Undergraduate Research Science Symposium, which brings
together participants from various undergraduate research programs in the sciences.
Contact: Dr. Linda Blockus (422 Tucker Hall; (573) 882-5979; blockusl@missouri.edu).
The McNair Scholars Program provides enriching experiences, including research opportunities, to prepare for graduate study students who meet federal income guidelines whose parents have not completed an undergraduate degree and/or students from groups under represented in graduate education. Junior and senior participants designated as McNair Scholars receive a stipend up to $2,800 to conduct research and engage in other scholarly activities with faculty mentors from areas in which they hope to pursue graduate study. The research internship can be conducted during the academic year or during the summer. At the completion of the program, McNair Scholars make formal presentations of their research to faculty and peers at the McNair’s Scholars Conference and submit papers summarizing their work. An editorial review board selects several papers for inclusion in the MU McNair Journal. In addition to the research internship, McNair Scholars travel to conferences with their faculty mentors, and graduate fairs at McNair research conferences. The program also provides an extensive workshop series, GRE preparation, and preparation for becoming a teaching assistant. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Programs. Contact: Dr. Vicki Curby (536 Clark Hall; (573) 882-0084; curbyv@missouri.edu)
The Arts & Science Undergraduate Research Mentorship (URM) Program encourages and supports undergraduate participation in faculty research in A&S departments, providing eligible rising juniors in the College with the chance to cooperate actively with faculty mentors, learning firsthand about the natural integration of research and teaching. All A&S students with 50-75 hours of course work and a 3.25 GPA are eligible to apply for a summer, fall or winter research opportunity with a supporting stipend. Contact: Dean Theodore A. Tarkow (317 Lowry Hall; (573) 882-4421; tarkowt@missouri.edu).
The On Campus Research Internship Program provides students with the chance to pursue research projects with a faculty mentor for a semester or more. Applicants must identify a faculty mentor and submit a project proposal for approval by a faculty committee. Participating students receive $500 per semester; projects may be funded for one or two semesters. Funding is provided by an appropriate external agency (e.g. MO Soybean Association, MO Pork Producers Association) or by the College’s Agriculture Foundation. A written report suitable for presentation to individuals or organizations supporting the internship is required; students also participate in a research poster display and sponsor luncheon. Contact: Donna Vaught (2-64 Agriculture Building; (573) 882-0089; vaughtd@missouri.edu). Some units in CAFNR also run independent programs; those participating in the Food for the 21st Century program offer summer internships. Students should contact undergraduate advisors in particular units for information on such opportunities.
The College of Engineering Undergraduate Research Option in the College’s Honors program is designed to enhance undergraduate Engineering students’ involvement in research with the expectation that they will be encouraged to pursue a graduate degree in Engineering at MU. The program is primarily intended for students in their junior year with the intent that their research project will continue through graduation. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA overall and apply for the program in combination with a faculty mentor. Students receive $1,000 per semester; summer stipends of $1,000 are also available. Stipends are for up to 10 hours of work per week in a research/laboratory setting. The Dean’s office provides $500 of each stipend; the rest is matched by the advising faculty member. Contact: Professor Satish Nair (W1042 Engineering Building East; (573) 884-7872; nairs@missouri.edu).
The EXPRESS Program provides opportunities for under represented minority
freshmen and sophomores to work for an hourly wage in faculty research laboratories
as part-time student employees during the academic year. The program also includes
peer mentoring, educational and career related workshops, and organized study
groups. Students must have educational plans in the life sciences or biomedicine.
The Program is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health and the
Louis Stokes HAMP program and coordinated by the Life Sciences Undergraduate
Research Opportunity Program. Contact Dr. Linda Blockus (422 Tucker Hall; (573)
882-5979; blockusl@missouri.edu).
The Department of Nutritional Sciences, through its participation in the Food for the 21st Century Program, supplies summer support for undergraduate research projects. Students are expected to attend weekly seminars or discussion meetings that complement their lab experience; they also prepare an abstract and poster presentation on their work for presentation at the annual Nutritional Sciences Poster Symposium each September. Stipends of $2,500 are given to faculty mentors and used to pay the interns and cover research supplies. Approximately ten stipends are awarded each year. Contact: Professor Roger Sunde (217 Gwynn Hall; (573) 882-4526; sunder@missouri.edu).
Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project in Avian Ecology
Funding from the Missouri Department of Conservation enables interns to spend ten weeks on research projects in avian ecology in the Missouri Ozarks. The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project is a multi-dimensional experiment examining the effects of two timber harvest techniques on the Ozark ecosystem. Interns earn approximately $2,000 for the ten week period and present the results of their research at the Undergraduate Research Science Symposium. Contact: Professor John Faaborg (224 Tucker Hall; (573) 882-7541; faaborgj@missouri.edu).
Program I: This six-week summer fellowship in Veterinary Medicine is designed
to provide enrichment to disadvantaged students seeking a career in the veterinary
medical profession. The program also seeks to develop a pool of well qualified
students to enter the College of Veterinary Medicine and graduate with the DVM
degree. Part of the six-week experience is research/project based. Program II:
This six-week summer fellowship in Veterinary Medicine is designed to provide
disadvantaged students who plan to apply to a college of veterinary medicine
with a research experience, as well an educational assessment and guidance.
Tutoring and educational assistance with VCAT preparation are also included
in the program. Students who have successfully completed the Gateways Program
I are given preference during the selection process. Contact: Professor C.B.
Chastain (W203 Veterinary Medicine Building; (573) 884-6774; chastainc@missouri.edu).
MU Summer Pre-Graduate Research Experiences in the Humanities
The MU Graduate School offers undergraduates the opportunity to work full-time on a research project under the direction of an MU faculty member in the Humanities. The program is designed for students sincerely interested in pursuing graduate study, preferably for a Ph.D. degree, and aims to introduce them to the challenges, rigors and rewards of academic life. A $2,400 stipend, 3 hours of research credit, room and board, and travel expenses are provided. Ideal candidates are sophomores or above and members of under represented minority groups. Contact: Stephanie White Thorn (210 Jesse Hall; (573) 882-3292; whitethorns@missouri.edu).
The MU
Graduate School, in cooperation with academic departments and the Life Sciences
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, provides undergraduates who have
completed at least two years of college with an opportunity to work full time
on a research project under the guidance of an MU faculty member. Students also
join with over 60 other summer interns to participate in weekly brown-bag lunches,
evening seminars, career presentations, workshops on research ethics and communicating
research, field trips, social events and specialty discussions. Students present
their research at a campus-wide undergraduate research symposium. A stipend
of $2,400, 1 hour of research credit, room and board, and travel expenses are
provided. Ideal candidates should be US citizens or permanent residents, have
completed two or more years of college, and members of under represented minority
groups. Contact: Stephanie White Thorn (210 Jesse Hall; (573) 882-3292; whitethornS@missouri.edu).
For more information about research opportunities please contact the Office
of Undergraduate Research.
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