CALL FOR PROJECTS

URSI is designed to enrich undergraduate teaching and learning by providing talented students with meaningful investigative or creative experiences in their major discipline in partnership with a faculty member of that discipline.  A meaningful project will include:  an artistic presentation, a research question or hypothesis, appropriate data collection, and developed conclusions. 

The goals of URSI for Western Students are:

1.   To develop "a sense of inquiry" on behalf of student participants;

2. To provide investigational, "open-ended experiences" for students in order to build their independence and confidence;

3.   To provide an academic, employment opportunity for students in the summer.

The goals of URSI for Western Faculty are:

1.   To attract talented students into professional careers as professors;

2.   To provide MWSU faculty with a collaborative, professional development opportunity in the summer.

Due to the budget situation, it is unknown how many research teams will be funded during the summer of 2009. Students must have a MWSU GPA of 3.0 to be eligible.  Students selected for this project will receive a $500 award paid through the Office of Financial Aid.  Faculty selected for this project will receive a $500 stipend, paid by the faculty member’s college or school, and are eligible to teach during the summer semester.  The total award for students per faculty is $500 (i.e. if two students then each get $250).

URSI proposals are requested from faculty/student teams from each of the academic departments of the Colleges of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Professional Studies and the Steven L. Craig School of Business.  These proposals will undergo a "blind review" of a committee selected by the College Deans.  The following evaluative criteria will be used:

1.  The overall scholarly attributes of the project.

2.  Significance and involvement of the student scholar.

3.  Overall design of the project.

4.  Is the project capable of being realistically accomplished in the time-frame designated (i.e., Summer '09)?

5.  Does the proposal include, as one of its objectives, the presentation or publication of the work in a suitable professional forum or journal as applicable?

The due date for receipt of all faculty/student team proposals in the appropriate Dean's office is April 17, 2009.  Following the review of these documents, teams will receive notification of the outcome no later than May 1, 2009.  All successful projects will be presented at a University URSI Symposium.

Please include the following in your application:

• Title of your project
• Student’s Name
• Student’s Western ID
• Student’s local & permanent address
• Student’s telephone number
• Student’s e-mail address
• Copy of the student’s transcript
• Faculty Member’s Name
• Faculty Member’s Western ID