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Some info on the URA award:

What constitutes a competitive student application?
The application should describe a project that is valuable and feasible. The student should demonstrate appropriate base-line knowledge of the subject. The committee looks favorably on situations where the student has completed a literature review and demonstrates some mastery of the techniques to be applied. The URA application form provides sample responses  to guide students in accordance with the review committee’s expectations.

When is the deadline for submitting the URA Application?
May 1, 2019

Are interdisciplinary proposals accepted?
Yes, interdisciplinary work is encouraged. Students with interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged to have a mentor in each key discipline. Students may specify with which discipline their proposal should be evaluated, or ask that it be evaluated, by two or more discipline-specific sub groups.

How can I see the application questions before going online to fill out the form?
You can prepare your answers by previewing the questions here.

How can I apply online? 
Forms are available on-line in here.

How can students gain ideas for projects, see samples of abstracts, and receive guidance in preparing their proposals?
Students should pick topics for which they have a passion. A review of the abstracts of work completed by prior recipients may be helpful.

Can students submit team projects?
Yes. The maximum stipend for any single project is $1,500, but there is precedent for teams of two, three, or four students working collaboratively. The project payment must be provided in the name of only one student.

Can students receive funding retroactively for research they have already conducted?
No, although it is possible for students to receive funding to continue research. It is also intended that the research be conducted in conjunction with UMBC-sponsored programs and with the mentorship of UMBC faculty.

Are all UMBC undergraduates eligible to apply?
Because awards are made in April, May’s graduates are not eligible. Students planning to graduate in August or December should demonstrate in the proposal that their work can be completed before their graduation.

Can the same faculty mentor submit a letter of recommendation for more than one student’s proposal?
Yes. In these cases we ask the faculty mentor to submit a confidential letter to the URA committee indicating a ranking of his or her recommendations. This is not to say that only one student per faculty mentor will be funded, but the URA committee values the faculty member’s rankings if and when the members must decide between two projects.

Are the awards based on merit or on financial need?
The awards are primarily merit-based. It is, however, permissible for the faculty letter of recommendation to additionally comment on the student’s financial need.

It appears that some disciplines consistently receive a higher proportion of awards than others. What accounts for this?
Funds are awarded to the most deserving proposals, as determined by the committee. A concerted effort is made each year to encourage submissions from all disciplines. The review committee has not bound itself to any disciplinary quotas nor to awards proportionate to the distribution of the applicant pool.

What is required of URA Scholars?

• Award recipients are expected to present their research at URCAD in April
• URA Scholars will enroll in a 0-credit, no-cost PRAC through the Career Center
• Attend required workshops during the semester
• Complete required online check-in surveys
• Turn in a final report that summarizes the completed research and distribution of funds.

What is the new Entrepreneurship URA? 
ENTR URAs provide up to $1,500 to undergraduate researchers to support the development of a solution to either a technical or social problem in collaboration with a UMBC faculty mentor. These solutions can be products or services, address a social or “green” concern, or promote ideas that generate artistic value. To be eligible for an Entrepreneurship URA, you must be enrolled as a UMBC student for the duration of the work proposed. For more information, contact Vivian Armor, Director, Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship 410-455-5740, or email armor@umbc.edu.

Congratulations to Laura Simpson for successfully defending her doctoral dissertation on April 23, 2019.

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