Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship invites student Summer 2014 research proposals

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (OURS) is inviting proposals from Radford University students in all disciplines for 2014 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF). All currently enrolled degree-seeking undergraduate students who will graduate after the Fall 2014 semester are eligible to apply. Awards are for a $2,000 stipend to the SURF recipient and $500 as a mentor stipend, for supplies or as an additional student stipend.

The SURF program fosters a community of undergraduate research and engaged scholarship during the summer months at Radford University. For Summer 2014, SURF will fund a variety of projects in which students engage in original, intellectual or creative contributions to a discipline. 12 Radford University students were SURF recipients in Summer 2013 in majors ranging from the sciences, education and business.

Skye Hicking, a senior chemistry major whose Summer 2013 SURF project was called, "Mutagenic analysis of the active site of bacterial beta‐glucuronidase," said, "My experience this summer smoothed out a lot of rough edges and really made me a more confident chemist."

Jarrod Hobson, a current graduate student in special education whose project "Developing Curriculum Materials for Vocabulary Intervention" was done as a senior, said, "Doing research gave me an opportunity to incorporate all the ideas, philosophies and knowledge I learned at RU. It was very empowering."

Applications must be completed and submitted by Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. The expectation is that students will work an average of 20 hours a week for 10 weeks under a faculty mentor to complete the proposed project, said OURS Director Joseph Wirgau. The faculty mentor should help plan the project, assist with proposal development and actively participate in the implementation of a student’s project. Weekly professional and social functions will be held to support and celebrate the participating students and faculty.

”Original research and scholarship are important for developing a deep and practical understanding of any discipline," said Wirgau. "Now is the time for an undergraduate to explore the opportunities available here at RU that can transform student to scholar."

Students are encouraged to make an appointment or visit the OURS office in Reed 354, Tuesdays, 9 a.m. – noon, and Fridays, noon-3 p.m., for guidance and direction on their proposal drafts. For more on the program and the proposal process, visit the OURS website, email ours@radford.edu or call 540-831-5650.