Description
IU Kokomo Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity Program (URCAP) stipends are intended to enrich undergraduate teaching and learning by providing advanced research and creative experiences in preparation for graduate study. URCAP stipends support faculty-student collaboration on research or creative projects, with the goal of developing in students independence and confidence in their areas of interest, while also offering them a part-time employment opportunity.
URCAP stipends are awarded jointly to both a faculty member and a student, with the expectation that the proposed research or creative project will be conducted collaboratively, with close faculty supervision, and completed typically within one semester or summer session. Faculty are awarded a $1,500 stipend. Students are awarded a stipend of up to $750, paid hourly, with the expectation they will devote a minimum of 4 – 5 hours per week to the research or creative project during the semester or summer session in which it is conducted. Students also may elect to complete the research or creative project as a credit-bearing independent study experience with the faculty member as the instructor.
The IU Kokomo Office of Academic Affairs and the IU Kokomo Honors Program facilitate dissemination of information about URCAP projects through publications, poster sessions, presentations, exhibits, and discussion forums at a jointly sponsored annual on-campus Student Research Symposium.
Eligibility
All full-time IU Kokomo faculty are eligible for a URCAP stipend, as are all currently enrolled IU Kokomo students in good academic standing. The Office of Academic Affairs will award stipends as equitably as possible across all academic areas, programs, and faculty. In general, both faculty and students are limited to one URCAP stipend per semester or summer term.
Funding Criteria
Applications for URCAP stipends are evaluated using the following criteria:
- Clarity & Completeness The proposed research or creative activity is fully described and explained and can be understood and objectively evaluated by reviewers who may not be familiar with the discipline or area of expertise.
- Relevance to Career Path The application describes the academic background and career goals of the student and explains how the project will contribute to the student achieving those goals.
- Project Design & Feasibility The methods, materials, sequences of activities and timeline of the proposed project are logical and realistic, and the project can be completed within one semester or summer term.
- Student Engagement There is a substantial amount of student involvement in all aspects of the project, from conception to completion.
- Learning Outcomes The application describes specific student learning outcomes and how they will be achieved and measured.
Funding preference will be given to students who will engage in collaborative research for the first time, and to students with Junior or Senior standing.
Application Format
Applications for URCAP stipends should be submitted by the faculty member who will oversee the project. Applications should include the following sections and information related to the proposed research or creative activity and should not exceed four pages in length.
Date of Application
Faculty Member Name & Academic Unit
Semester/Summer Session of Proposed Project
Student Name, Major/Minor & Class Standing
- Project Title & Overview Describe the proposed project and the specific activities in which the faculty member and student will be engaged, including but not limited to:
- Background and rationale
- Research question(s) or creative objective(s)
- Relevance to the field
- Learning outcomes
- Responsibilities of faculty member and student
- Data collection methods and analyses
or
- Detailed sequence of creative activities
- Timeline
- Plan for presentation of findings or exhibition of products
University Approval If applicable, include verification of university approval for projects involving human subjects, animals, or hazardous waste material.
Review & Selection Process
URCAP stipends are awarded three times per calendar year with the following due dates for submitting applications to the Office of Academic Affairs (koacadem@iu.edu):
| Fall Semester | Due July 15 |
| Spring Semester | Due November 15 |
| Summer Session | Due April 15 |
Applications are reviewed by the IU Kokomo Faculty Development & Grants Committee, which makes funding recommendations to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, who makes final stipend award decisions and notifies recipients.
Stipend Conditions
Faculty who supervise a research or creative project as a credit-bearing independent study experience will be compensated with either a teaching salary or an URCAP stipend, whichever is higher.
Collaborative projects not completed in the semester or summer term for which stipends are awarded may be extended provided adequate student stipend hourly funds remain, and the extension is approved by the Dean and the Office of Academic Affairs.
Faculty may be awarded stipends for the same collaborative project with multiple students but will be awarded only one stipend per collaboration, regardless of the length of time needed to complete the project.
It is the responsibility of the faculty member to ensure compliance with all relevant university and campus policies related to conducting research or engaging in creative work, and the use of funds.
Upon completion of the project, the faculty supervisor should submit to the Office of Academic Affairs within 30 days a summary report of the project outcomes including the extent to which student learning objectives were achieved.