The goal of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) is to help you become involved in research, scholarly or creative
activity under the guidance of a Faculty Mentor.
Attend a workshop on how to get started (see the UROP website for schedules)
Explore project ideas and identify possible mentors.
You don't have to have a fully formed, independent idea for research --
instead, you can work with a faculty mentor on an idea for the
proposal. In fact, many students who participate in UROPs assist
faculty members with their existing projects.
Look at the Opportunity Gallery
for a list of possible mentors and projects.
Identify
a few faculty members whose research you are interested in (from
classes you have taken, articles you have read, etc.).
Contact potential mentors by email and then talk with them in person. Be persistent. If you do not get a response via email, catch them after class or during their office hours. Prepare for meeting with potential mentors, developing questions to ask and information to share about yourself and your interests.
Contact your college coordinator or Vicky
Munro (612-625-3853, munro001@umn.edu)in the UROP office with questions. They can assist you in finding a faculty mentor.
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Select a mentor and finalize the relationship.
Once a faculty mentor has agreed to work with you,
finalize the relationship by clearly specifying what your role in the
project will be, the work schedule you will follow, and the ways in
which the two of you will maintain regular communication.
Questions include: When can you work? How often will you meet? Are there specific outcomes
that you need to accomplish by specific dates? Will you mostly work by
yourself or with other people? What is the process for you to get paid?
Open
communication is crucial in any collaborative research project. In most
cases, it's your responsibility to keep in touch with your mentor. You
should schedule regular meetings and supplement them by email or a
quick telephone call. Faculty members are generally multitasking, so
you often need to ask explicitly in order to get an answer. If you
don't understand something, have concerns, or don't know what to
expect, go ahead and ask.
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Determine whether you need any special approval for your project.
All research and creative activities at the University of Minnesota are
subject to federal and state laws and regulations. You should
consult with your faculty mentor regarding University and other
regulations relevant to your project. You can direct questions to Vicky
Munro at 612-625-3853 or munro001@umn.edu.
Human Subjects: All research involving human
subjects (including interviews and observations) requires Institutional Review Board approval. For most UROP
projects, this approval can be expedited, but the appropriate process
must still be followed. Information is available at the website http://www.research.umn.edu/irb/
Research Involving Animals: All research involving
animals requires approval by the Institutional Animal Care and Use
Committee. The website providing information about this approval process
is http://www.research.umn.edu/iacuc/
Recombinant DNA, Artificial Gene Transfer, Infectious Agents and Biologically Derived Toxins: Research
using any of these materials or techniques must be approved by the
Institutional Biosafety Committee. The website for approval information
is http://www.research.umn.edu/ibc/
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Read the proposal application.
Be aware that the UROP application/proposal consists of three parts, all of which should be submitted electronically:
The completed UROP Application Form
The Proposal (maximum of three pages)
The completed Faculty Mentor Recommendation Form
Plan
ahead now! Do not procrastinate! Give yourself plenty of time to
revise, and give others, particularly your faculty mentor, plenty of
time to read an initial draft and provide you with feedback.
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Develop the first draft of the research proposal
Based on earlier conversations with your faculty mentor, develop the
proposal. You do not have to have a complete understanding of your
project to write your first draft. Proposal writing is a process, and
your mentor will be happy to help you with appropriate modifications.
Consider the following questions as you work with you mentor:
Describe the intellectual merit of your proposed research or
creative activity. What is the context for this project? Why is it
important? What goals will it accomplish or what questions will it
answer? For creative activities, what aesthetic are you addressing? Why
is your proposed creative activity unique? For a science or technology
proposal, you should describe a hypothesis that your research will test.
Describe the broader impacts of your proposed research. Does
this research have practical application or public policy implications?
Will it contribute to better understanding of questions important to
human knowledge or culture? Is your research particularly relevant to
certain groups of people, such as K-12 school children or particular
ethnic or cultural groups?
Describe as specifically as possible what you will do during your UROP
research or creative activity. What comes first? What is next? How do
subsequent steps depend on earlier steps? Why is your plan realistic
and achievable? What contingency plans do you have if this does not work
out as expected?
Describe the outcome of your research or creative activity. For a
science or technology proposal, at what level of confidence will your
research test the hypothesis that you have described? What will you and
others know after your research that was not known before? What
questions will be answered? What questions might arise for further
study? How will you share your new knowledge. For creative
activity, what will you produce? How will you present the results of
your creative activity?
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Find research to support your proposal
Section "H" of the application asks for references to previous research
that supports your proposal. To find journal articles, books and other academic research:
Start with the Libraries homepage, using the search boxes in the "Books" tab and "Articles and Databases" tab to find relevant resources.
Learn more about finding specific types of sources on How to Find.
If you have questions or need help getting started,
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