UNT Undergraduate Research Fellowship | Department of Political Science

UNT Undergraduate Research Fellowship

In 2016 the Offices of the President, Provost, Vice President for Finance and Administration, and Vice President for Research and Economic Development--in collaboration with the Dean of TAMS and the Honors College--announced an initiative to enhance academic excellence via the expansion of mentor-based undergraduate research across all disciplines and their curricula. They collectively pledged $125,000 for up to 250 Undergraduate Research Fellowships, each funded at $500. Those fellowships will reward students who enter--and show promise of significantly contributing to--guided-research environments. There will also be a $10,000 award each year for the college that demonstrates the greatest level of research excellence, as judged by the highest percentage of Undergraduate Research Fellows relative to overall undergraduate enrollment among the colleges. That $10,000 will fund up to 20 additional research fellowships within that college.

Although the competition is campus-wide, assessment of submissions will occur within the Honors College and TAMS. The college will receive application essays from the student, along with recommendations and other information from research mentors. All students who become Undergraduate Research Fellows will then take part in the spring-semester Scholars Day, at which they will contribute poster presentations, papers, or brief performing-arts productions. Participation in Scholars Day and continuing at UNT as students for two semesters beyond the semester of application are conditions for receipt of the $500 award. Students may reapply for an Undergraduate Research Fellowship on a yearly basis and may earn up to three of these, but no more.

Summary of eligibility:

  • During the semester of the year of application, students must be freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, who have at least two semesters remaining, beyond the semester of application, before they graduate. For the purpose of these awards, an entire summer of research counts as one semester. Anything less does not count as a semester. Eligible students may not graduate prior to May, 2017.
  • In collaboration with their faculty research mentor, students must submit a 150-200 word statement describing their research project, along with prospects for co-authorship or distinguished performance or exhibition venues.
  • Faculty mentors must participate in the upload application process and submit an abbreviated vita (no longer than 3 pages; please see the application form, below).
  • Students must submit poster presentations, papers, or brief performing-arts productions on Scholars Day.
  • Students are ineligible if they have already earned three Undergraduate Research Fellowships.

Please go to the Honors College webpage for more information and to apply.