Undergraduate Research Fellowship

The vital role of libraries and librarians in creating, communicating, and disseminating research and scholarship is often invisible to undergraduate students. The UNC Greensboro University Libraries’ Undergraduate Research Fellowship will provide undergraduate students interested in academic research with an opportunity to partner with faculty and staff in the University Libraries on developing, creating, and disseminating research, scholarship, and/or creative works that make use of the resources, collections, and expertise found in the University Libraries.

The Undergraduate Research Fellows' work may intersect with any of the Libraries' areas of collections or expertise, including scholarly communication, archives and primary sources, development of open education resources, oral history, data visualization, information literacy, etc. Fellowships may result in traditional academic publications, but may also lead to other methods of disseminating knowledge, such as the creation of digital scholarship, digital collections, curated exhibits, or creative performances. The work done during the fellowship may also represent the beginning of your research process, with University Libraries faculty and staff working with you to develop a research plan, perform a literature review, create a data management plan, or perform other work that lays the foundation for future scholarship.

Timeframe

Applications for the University Libraries Undergraduate Research Fellowship will be available beginning in January 2022. The deadline for submitting applications will be Monday, March 14th at 5pm EST.

A committee composed of representatives from the University Libraries will select a Fellow by early April 2022, and the Fellow’s work will begin in May 2022. The Fellow is expected to work on the proposed project over a period of 10 weeks during the Summer terms. The Fellowship will end prior to the start of the Fall 2022 semester.

Eligibility

The award is open to any UNC Greensboro undergraduate students who are enrolled in Spring 2022 and will be returning the following Fall semester (Fall 2022). You do not need to be enrolled in courses during Summer 1 or Summer 2. Students with a range of research experiences and interests are encouraged to apply.

Funding

$3000 stipend to support student research for 10 weeks during Summer 1 and Summer 2. The stipend will be paid in four payments at the end of May, June, July, and August.

Applying for the fellowship

The application for the University Libraries Undergraduate Research Fellowship may be found here. Applications should include:

  1. A title page, listing:
    • Title of the project
    • Student's name
    • Student's year and major
  2. Project description (maximum 3 pages, double spaced, standard 1” margins and font no smaller than 11 point, footnotes/citations included), including:
    • Background, hypothesis, and significance of research topic
    • Project goals (both for the summer fellowship and any future goals that will build on the fellowship work)
    • Methods the student will use to achieve goals
    • Role and importance of the University Libraries (people and resources) in achieving goals
    • How will the student benefit from this fellowship in the University Libraries
  3. The name and contact information for one reference -- a professor, librarian, academic advisor, or other person who knows the student’s work well and can address the student’s interests and ability to meet the requirements of the fellowship

Apply for the University Libraries Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

FAQs

Can I receive academic credit and the University Libraries Undergraduate Research Fellowship for the same project?
It is okay to receive course credit and the University Libraries Undergraduate Research Fellowship for the same project, but no student should be paid for the same work twice.
Can I apply for this Fellowship if I also hold an Undergraduate Research and Creativity Award from the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Office (URSCO)?
You cannot hold an Undergraduate Research and Creativity Award (URCA) at the same time as the University Libraries Undergraduate Research Fellowship. If you hold an URCA for Summer 2022, you are not eligible for the University Libraries Undergraduate Research Fellowship. However, if you held an URCA for Spring or Fall, you are eligible for the University Libraries Undergraduate Research Fellowship.
What kinds of research projects might be part of the fellowship?
Any kind of research project that makes substantial use of the resources, collections, and expertise found in the University Libraries can be part of the fellowship. The work done in the fellowship may represent the beginning of your research process, or it may result in a final product.
Does UNCG provide support for students to present at conferences?
Yes! The Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Office (URSCO) has a travel fund available to provide students with supplemental travel support to present results of their research, scholarship and/or creative activity at professional conferences in their field. For more information, see https://utlc.uncg.edu/ursco/funding/travel/.
Can I do the work of the fellowship remotely?
Depending on the type of research you are conducting and the resources you need in order to do that work, you may be able to do all or part of this Fellowship remotely.
Are there opportunities for me to share my research on campus?
Yes! The Carolyn and Norwood Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo is a campus-wide celebration of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities. All students engaged in faculty-mentored scholarly inquiry are encouraged to participate. Students are eligible to compete for program recognition, which includes monetary awards. The Expo typically takes place in late Spring. For more information, see https://utlc.uncg.edu/ursco/expo/.
How will applications be evaluated?
Submissions will be evaluated based on a 100 point scale. Evaluators will be looking for:
  • Clearly defined project goals (25 points)
  • Clearly defined research methods (25 points)
  • Clearly articulated role of the library mentor and the importance of library collections and resources in achieving the project goals (30 points)
  • Clearly defined benefit to the student (20 points)

University Libraries's Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The University Libraries seek to promote and provide a culture of diversity and inclusiveness for all library patrons and library staff through their collections, programs, and services. The University Libraries define diversity as "the vibrant variety of human characteristics that combine to shape each one of us." These characteristics include not only the familiar categories of race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, but also age, cognitive style, disability, economic or educational background, national origin, native language, marital status, affiliation, and more. Valuing diversity means recognizing that we are all shaped by numerous and varied factors, making each of us uniquely qualified to contribute to the collective goal of the libraries -- to serve the diverse information needs of our diverse user groups. We encourage applications from undergraduate students from all backgrounds, and we are committed to providing a supportive environment for student research and inquiry.