Weber State University is dedicated to students’ learning, and their commitment to education is demonstrated through the Undergraduate Research Program. The program was bolstered in 2004 when the the Office of Undergraduate Research was formed to provide funding, guidelines and standards for research projects and proposals.
The Undergraduate Research Program gives students the opportunity to obtain funds for supplies, equipment, and a research grant. Undergraduate research is defined as “an inquiry, investigation, or creative work conducted by a mentored undergraduate that makes a significant, original, intellectual, or artistic contribution to the discipline.”
In order to obtain a research grant, students must work with faculty mentors to develop a project. They attend workshops and write a proposal to submit to the Undergrad Research Grant Committee. Students can receive up to $1000 for short term projects and up to $3500 for long term projects.
The projects should be appropriate and applicable to the field of study the student is going into. The faculty advisor can help decide what is and isn’t appropriate to do the project on.
There are multiple research conferences Weber State participates in such as NCUR (National Conference on Undergraduate Research), UCUR (Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research), Posters on a Hill, and WSU’s Symposium. This year Weber State is hosting UCUR on February 22, 2019.
For publication opportunities, ERGO, Weber State University’s research journal or JYI (Journal of Young Investigators) work with students. Publishing work can be crucial to receiving scholarships and further research grants.
The Undergraduate Research Program helps to get students involved in their studies and learn more about their chosen careers. Participating in the program forces students to stretch and become more invested in their future plans.
To apply for the grant, students submit grant proposals to the Undergraduate Research Office. There are two deadlines for each semester. The fall deadlines are October 1 and November 12, and the spring deadlines are February 4 and April 1. These can also be found on the website.
Eight times in the last nine years, a WSU student has presented at the National Posters on a Hill Event hosted in Washington D.C. Each conference has its own deadline for when projects and papers need to be submitted. However, as a guideline, they’re usually due one month before the conference. You can check out www.weber.edu/our for deadlines and to apply for travel grants.
