The Undergraduate Research Scholars (URS) Program is currently accepting project listings from faculty members, post-doctoral fellows, academic staff, and dissertators who would like to involve a first-year student or sophomore as a research or creative work assistant during the 2019-2020 academic year. The majority of Undergraduate Research Scholars are members of historically underrepresented groups: students of color, women in science and engineering, and/or first-generation college students.
URS Scholars earn course credit for participating in a year-long course (two semesters) of study that includes a seminar on issues in research and creative practice and hands-on experience with a Mentor’s research project or creative endeavor. The URS program promotes undergraduate research and intellectually creative engagement in all academic disciplines.
The Benefits
For Mentors, the benefits of working with a URS Scholar include the satisfaction of fostering the development of independent inquiry skills with a bright and eager student, acquiring valuable research assistance, supporting an undergraduate’s exploration of academic and career interests, and connecting directly with the experiences of undergraduates on campus. Many URS students stay with their original URS Mentors throughout their undergraduate careers. Our students have established an impressive record of conference presentations and academic publications that support their post-graduation endeavors.
How to Become a URS Mentor
Complete the online form at https://urs.ls.wisc.edu/mentor-project-form/ and your project will be listed in our 2019-2020 offerings. Our brief application should take no more than five to ten minutes of your time. Interested students will contact you through email early in the fall semester 2019 (starting in early September). After you interview prospective students, you may elect to have one or more work with you for the academic year.
URS Scholars register for Inter-LS 250 and earn 2-3 credits per semester. At the end of each semester, we will ask you to grade the student’s work on their project; then we will assign the student a final grade reflecting your grade and the student’s work in the URS seminar.
We urge you to submit your research opportunity as soon as possible (and especially before Sept. 1, 2019). URS students will start looking for research or creative work placement when they arrive on campus in the fall.
Where to Go for More Information
If you have questions about becoming a URS Mentor, please contact Hannah Bailey at hannah.bailey@wisc.edu or 608-262-5884. More information is available on our website: http://urs.ls.wisc.edu. Thank you for supporting undergraduate research and creative work at UW-Madison!