UR-STEM - Faculty Process: Northern Kentucky University, Greater Cincinnati Region

NKU Mathematics and Statistics faculty and student researchers smiling for the camera after their final summer research presentation with a community partner

Each year, the Undergraduate Research in STEM (UR-STEM) program requests proposals to fund students in research projects either underway, or new projects appropriate for novice students.

Many faculty members have had success adding a UR-STEM student to their existing research team. Students that participate in this program have been retained at significantly higher levels than those who do not participate.

UR-STEM Process & Information

FUNDING

CINSAM will award faculty a $550 stipend for mentoring UR-STEM students over the summer.
CINSAM will fund select students to work over the summer in the following project categories:
- Part-time: $1,760 (20 hours/week for 8 weeks)
- Mini-project: $440 (10 hours/week for 4 weeks)
Limited research supplies are available for qualifying projects.

RFP, APPLICATION, & SELECTION SCHEDULE

A typical UR-STEM application schedule looks like the following (but is subject to change):

Timeframe	Milestone
December	Request for Proposal (RFP) is released by CINSAM.
Mid January	Deadline to submit UR-STEM project application and Supply Request Form to CINSAM.
Late January - Mid February	Student application window. Students interested in participating in the faculty's research will apply online from the student Undergraduate Research webpage.
Mid March	Participating faculty will receive a list of all eligible applicants and are responsible for conducting interviews with students of their choosing from the list.
Late March	Deadline for faculty to identify ranked list of students they would like to work with by submitting the student names and projects to CINSAM and to their Department Chair.
Early April	Faculty will be notified by CINSAM of student selections for UR-STEM.
Mid April	Deadline for faculty to meet with their selected students to extend the UR-STEM offer and to fill out the stipend paperwork. Students should then be directed to CINSAM for completion of their hiring paperwork.
Late April	Faculty must ensure students have completed and turned in all hiring paperwork to CINSAM in order for students to begin research on time and to be paid on time.

STUDENT SELECTION PROCESS

CINSAM's UR-STEM Selection Team will compile a list and rank all eligible student applicants expressing interest in the faculty member's research.
CINSAM will then provide the completed and ranked list to the participating faculty members.
Each faculty member will manage their own interview process, (selecting and interviewing students from the list provided).
- Faculty must prioritize interviewing students that were prioritized by CINSAM in order to hew to the primary goal of UR-STEM: retaining students with risk factors for leaving STEM or higher education via enriching undergraduate research experiences.
Faculty member will identify those students with whom they wish to work, and will submit the student name(s) and projects to CINSAM and their Department Chair. We encourage faculty within departments to work together to select students so that they are not competing for the same students.
The UR-STEM Selection Team will decide which students will be supported.
Upon CINSAM approval, faculty will notify selected students of the offer, with instructions on indicating their commitment. They must also determine hours to be worked by the student.
The selected students and faculty members will be required to complete a UR-STEM Research Contract, which must be presented to CINSAM during the students' hiring meeting.

STUDENT HIRING PROCESS

Once students have been identified, CINSAM's Budget & Administration Coordinator will contact each student to schedule a hiring meeting. Paid student researchers must be hired as NKU student employees, which includes a background check by NKU Human Resources.
- Students that have worked for NKU (excluding Chartwells and the Bookstore) within one (1) year of their research start date will require less paperwork since their information is already on file.

Funds are administered in the form of a research stipend, allowing flexibility in scheduling of hours.

Contact us for more information.