How To Apply?
The deadline for UROP Applications/Proposals is Monday, October, 2008 for research/creative activity in late Fall 2008/Spring 2009. [The following deadline is Monday, March 2, 2009.]
The Application/Proposal has THREE parts.
1. The Application Form, which is available here.
2.
The Faculty Mentor Recommendation Form, which is here.
3. A no more than 3 page Proposal (including diagrams), which you create using a word-processing or page layout program.
All three parts must be submitted electronically. See details below.
UROP College Coordinators can help you find a Faculty Mentor and apply for a UROP. Contact information is here.
Find a Faculty Mentor
Some students start the UROP process with their own research idea, but many students find a Faculty Mentor first and then select their topic from ideas suggested by the Mentor. While some, especially first-year students consider finding a Mentor difficult, it's not actually that bad. Talking one-on-one with a professor may seem a bit weird, but remember almost every professor was once a college freshman! To get started, check out the Opportunity Gallery link at left or look at this page for step-by-step instructions for finding a Faculty Mentor.
Write a Proposal
Whether you initiate your research idea or get suggestions from your Mentor, you need to write a Research Proposal. The Proposal describes your project—what you are trying to study or create, why your proposed work has intellectual merit, how you are going to carry out your study or creative activity, what might be the broader impacts of your work.
Follow this link for more specific instructions for your UROP Proposal.
Check Out Special Requirements
All research and creative activities at the University of Minnesota are subject to federal and state laws and regulations. If your research or creative activity involves human subjects; live animals; ionizing radiation; recombinant DNA, biological toxins or infective agents; highly toxic chemicals; biologically hazardous agents; and/or potent human or animal carcinogens, you will need to obtain approvals for appropriate mitigations before you begin your research. More information about these requirements is located here.
Submit Your UROP Application /Proposal
Your UROP Application/Proposal consists of 3 parts.
1. The completed UROP Application Form submitted electronically as a Microsoft Word document.
2. The completed UROP Faculty Mentor Recommendation Form submitted electronically by your Faculty Mentor.
3. A Proposal (no preset form, but no more than 3 pages, double-spaced, with 12 pt type and one inch margins on all four sides) submitted electronically as a Microsoft Word document or as an Adobe Acrobat pdf file.
You must submit your application materials electronically through this link . Submissions will be accepted up to midnight Central Time on the deadline date.
Conditions Applicable to Research Expenses
Maximum: $300
Travel: Travel costs for research or for presentations at professional meetings is generally allowed, according to University travel policies. No reimbursement for food or local area travel. Current mileage rate is $0.485 per mile.
Computer: UROP funds cannot be used to purchase computer hardware. Computer software and supplies are only allowable, if central to the research project (for example, a programming project.)
Other: UROP does not support the purchase of standard office supplies (paper, pencils, file folders) or books available in a library.
Watch for Email Notification
Students and Faculty Mentors will be notified of the status of UROP proposals by email within 6 weeks of the submission deadline.