| Dear Friends of Undergraduate Research,
Thank you again for taking the time to mentor a UCSD undergraduate. Many
students have told me they consider their participation in individualized
study projects to be the best of their academic experiences at UCSD.
Whether you choose to offer your research project through the Faculty Mentor
Program (FMP) or a regular 199, I hope you will find this site a convenient
method for attracting eager and well qualified students. To this end, we have
imbedded a screening procedure that asks students to declare they have met all
conditions you list as prerequisites for your 199/FMP course. Additionally,
all FMP applications will be screened by AEP’s FMP coordinator before they are
forwarded to you for your consideration.
Please let me know if you find these safeguards are, or are not, adequate
filters. If you have ideas for improving any area of the site, I will be
most happy to hear them from you and will most certainly consider instituting them as soon as
possible.
Sincerely,
David Artis, Ph.D.
Director, Academic Enrichment Programs |
Why Become a Faculty Mentor?
As a faculty mentor, you have the
opportunity to bring undergraduates into the fabric of academic life –
teaching them how to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to actual
research situations in their chosen fields. Mentoring helps students
build a strong foundation for graduate school and future careers, and in
the process, you:
- acquire bright, motivated young
minds to assist you and your staff with research projects
- satisfy requirements for many
research grants including those from NIH, NSF and others
- have the personal satisfaction of
knowing you are helping prepare the next generation of leaders in
academia and research.
Getting Started
Step 1: Identify how students can
help you
In becoming a faculty mentor, one of
the first steps is to identify how students can fit into your
individual research plans.
Start by thinking about what support
duties a beginning student could help you with. Do your graduate
students need assistance? Is there a piece of your project that can
be carved off into a 'doable chunk' for an undergraduate? Is there a
study you would like to pilot but don't have enough time? Remember,
for an undergraduate, the EXPERIENCE is the goal.
Step 2: Find students to work with
you
To locate student candidates, post
your research opportunity at this site using our form.
We make efforts to ensure that
undergraduates who reply are at least sophomores who have completed
the necessary coursework, have the appropriate GPA and are eager and
capable of handling a challenging research experience.
Step 3: Clarify the role of the
student
After hiring your student, make sure
the undergraduate’s roles and expectations are discussed with him or
her and mutually agreed upon. Here are some suggestions:
- What is the student's main
responsibility? What decisions (if any) can he/she make
independently? How should a student be documenting his/her work?
- Discuss what the student’s
weekly schedule will be, including the number of hours (and
days/times) the student will be working on the research project.
It is wise to hold the student accountable to a regular, weekly
schedule at the beginning of the experience.
- Outline your expectations of the
student, including any extra reading required.
- Outline for the student how to
best communicate with you. Do you have a open door policy? How
do you like to make appointments? Do you want the student to
come to the meeting prepared with something specific? Are you
going to be out of town for an extended period? Who can the
student go to for advice if you are gone?
- What timeline do you have for
the project? Are there goals that can be broken down by weeks or
months?
- Have regular formal meetings
with the student to provide feedback on the quality and quantity
of their work. Set these meetings up ahead of time, before
problems develop and it is more difficult to offer constructive
criticism.
- Describe to the student how
he/she can grow into the project and take on more responsibility
as he/she gains more skills and experience.
Step 4: Be Aware of Funding
Opportunities
Review the list of current UCSD
Undergraduate Research Programs on this site to locate those that
provide funding support for undergraduate research employment.
Speak with your department chair or
dean to determine if there are other department or college funds
available. Other suggestions:
- If you have an NSF or NIH grant,
you may be able to get a Research Experiences for Undergraduate
supplement. See Frequently Asked Questions. Ask your program
director at your granting agency to find out if there are
one-time supplements available to support undergraduate research
partners.
- If you are writing a grant
proposal and need some assistance with budget/funding
suggestions, text, or providing structure to an undergraduate
research experience, consult your departmental grant writer.
- If your student is on
Work-Study, contact your departmental Work-Study representative
to determine how such funds can be applied to the student’s
undergraduate research experience.
- If your student is a first
generation college/low income student or is a member of an
ethnic group underrepresented in graduate studies, he or she may
be eligible for funding through such programs as the McNair
Scholars Program, or the CAMP Science Program.
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