Track 1: Undergraduate Research Mentor-Mentee Program (MMP)

This track is for applications from faculty research mentors (FRM) to conduct research with their UNLV undergraduate research mentee (URM) between July 1, 2021 and December 1, 2021. Successful FRM applicants will propose a research program that will significantly contribute to the professional development and research readiness of URM with deliverables to contribute to UNLV’s undergraduate research output.

Program Description & Budget

To incentivize faculty undergraduate research mentoring activities, OUR seeks applications for the Undergraduate Research Mentor payment. 25 FRMs will receive $2,000 each amounting to a total of $50,000 in payments.

To boost, enhance, and expand URM training, OUR seeks applications for the Undergraduate Research Mentee Scholarship. 100 URMs will receive $1,500 each, amounting to a total of $150,000 in scholarships.

Program Objectives and Expected Outcomes

Stimulating undergraduate research and building more capacity will intrinsically improve UNLV’s retention, progression, graduation, graduate school enrollment, and job placement rates.

More specifically, OUR’s meaningfully articulated and actionable program will:

  1. Revamp and expand accessibility of and continuity in faculty research mentoring.

  2. Support FRMs by providing them with resources and help from URMs.

  3. Firmly integrate students into their research discipline by mentor-mentee ties.

  4. Aid students to develop advanced research skills and high-level writing and communication skills, contributing to their research and career readiness.

Program Input on Student Success

OUR’s MMP centers on student success, scaffolds around student life cycle stages, and focuses on fostering faculty-student collaboration through undergraduate research. As amply documented by the Council on Undergraduate Research, undergraduate research involvement (1) enhances student learning through faculty mentoring, (2) increases retention and graduation in academic programs, (3) increases enrollment in graduate education and provides effective career preparation, (4) develops critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, and intellectual independence, (5) develops an understanding of research methodology, and (6) promotes an innovation-oriented culture.

This type of educational experience is integral to our students' success and overall career and research readiness, aligning with UNLV’s five University Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: (1) Intellectual Breadth and Lifelong Learning, (2) Inquiry and Critical Thinking, (3) Communication, (4) Global/Multicultural Knowledge and Awareness, and (5) Citizenship and Ethics.


Faculty Eligibility

All tenured, tenure-track, and full-time non-tenure track UNLV faculty, across all academic disciplines, who will mentor UNLV undergraduate students conducting research projects in summer and fall 2021 (between July 1 and December 1) may apply for the funds detailed here.

Student Eligibility

All currently enrolled full-time UNLV undergraduates who will have not graduated before the end of Fall 2021 and work with a UNLV FRM during summer and fall 2021 (between July 1 and December 1) are eligible for consideration. Eligible URMs will not be concurrently funded with OUR’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) in summer 2021.

Acceptable Project Types

  1. A primary (original) or secondary research project to be conducted by an URM.

  2. A primary (original) or secondary research project to be conducted by a team of 2 or 3 URMs to allow effective mentoring. The role of each student should be clearly described and one student should be designated as the corresponding student researcher to facilitate communication among OUR, FRM, and fellow URMs.

  3. A collaborative student‐faculty project.

  4. A new or ongoing faculty project wherein URM’s role(s) and contribution(s) are clear.

  5. A new or ongoing collaborative research program by multiple FRMs wherein URM role(s) and contribution(s) are clear.

Funding Terms

The application for the MMP track will be submitted by FRMs to support URMs who are required to concurrently apply for the Undergraduate Mentee Scholarship. A $2,000 payment will be granted to each FRM. Although we recommend that FRMs undertake the mentoring responsibility of no more than two URMs in order to provide effective one-on-one, hands-on training and close supervision, FRMs may apply to support up to four URMs (up to $6,000) if justified. Each URM will be given $1,500 to conduct mentored research during summer and fall 2021 (between July 1 and December 1). Based on the number of FRM and URM applicants, OUR reserves the right to further cap the number of URM awards that will be granted to any one FRM.

Faculty Mentor Responsibilities

Every undergraduate research project requires well thought out and sustained collaboration between the FRM and the URM. The essential responsibilities of the FRM are as follows:

  1. Recruit and engage qualified URMs as per their research interests and preparation.

  2. Identify the knowledge, experience, and skills the student needs to complete the project. FRMs may advise URMs to enroll in an appropriate research methods course if needed and if courses are available during summer and fall semesters.

  3. Consult OUR’s Research Skills Academy Program during summer terms and fall semester and aid URMs attend a wide spectrum of research-related soft and hard skills training.

  4. Work with URMs to develop a research program with specific research questions, methodology, data collection/management/analysis strategies, and timetable to ensure that the project can be completed within the time frame of July 1-December 1, 2021.

  5. Work with URMs to determine if the project will require approval from a University review committee. Any projects involving research on human subjects must receive approval from UNLV’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). Similarly, if the research will involve vertebrate animals, infectious agents, hazardous chemicals, radioactive materials, recombinant DNA, international travel, and/or patents and copyrights, the student will need to submit the research protocol to the appropriate University review committee for approval. (In some cases, the faculty mentor may already have obtained approval for the research project.) For more information about the research approval process, see the Office of Research Integrity website.

  6. Develop a communications plan that includes weekly/biweekly meetings with URMs during the time frame of July 1-December 1, 2021, ensuring continuous mentoring but also allowing independence.

  7. Assist URMs in presenting at OUR’s Undergraduate Research Symposium. All URMs receiving MMP funds are required to present their research at either OUR’s 2021 Virtual Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium during the week of November 15, 2021 or at OUR’s 2022 Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium.

  8. Work with URMs to write a research manuscript to be submitted to the Fall 2021 or Spring 2022 issue of OUR’s Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal.

Program Requirements

MMP applicants must agree with and fulfill the following program requirements:

  1. FRMs and URMs must attend OUR’s virtual “welcome meeting,” featuring “Best Practices for Successful Mentor-Mentee Relationships” webinar (Monday, June 28, at 1:00pm).

  2. FRMs and URMs must participate in OUR’s two-day immersive (October 8 & 9) 2021 Undergraduate Research Data Boot Camp that will feature integrated webinars, mentor presentations, one-on-one training sessions, and peer interaction sessions with a focus on advanced skills training in research data collection, management, analysis, visualization, presentation, and reuse. URMs will work on authentic research datasets under the guidance of FRMs and present their culminating work at OUR’s 2021 Virtual Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium on November 15, 2021 or at OUR’s 2022 Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium.

  3. FRMs and URMs must participate in OUR’s two-day (October 22 & 23) 2021 Undergraduate Research Writing Boot Camp that will engage advanced URMs with an interest in publishing their research in OUR’s Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal. URMs will learn how to write abstracts, annotate bibliographies, cite properly, prepare, revise, and review manuscripts.

  4. FRMs and URMs must submit a report (up to 5 pages), detailing the results and outcomes of the project by January 24, 2022, even if the project is still ongoing.

  5. URMs must submit a personal statement (1 to 2 pages; double-spaced, 12 Times New Roman), describing their roles and contributions to the proposed research project.

  6. URMs must submit their Curriculum Vitae (CV).

  7. URMs must develop an IDP (Individualized Development Plan) for the next five years including a discussion of how their research aligns with their graduate school planning, professional development, and career readiness. A general guideline to develop an IDP for undergraduates may be found here.

Submission and Review

Complete applications will be reviewed by OUR and will be evaluated based on:

  1. Completeness, authenticity, clarity, and cogency.

  2. A clear URM recruitment plan and/or the names of URMs.

  3. A strong mentorship plan.

  4. A clear description of the project, of the URMs’ role(s) and associated activities, and a clear timeline.

  5. An assessment of URMs’ ability to successfully and timely complete the project as per their credentials and training.

  6. The extent to which the project will result in student presentation(s), publication(s), and/or other deliverables.

  7. A clear Covid-19 safety plan.

The deadline to submit a proposal is Monday, June 7, 2021 at 11:59 pm. Should funding still be available after the initial review, applications received after the deadline will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. OUR’s goal is to complete the review and awarding process by June 14, 2021.

After the FRM has completed and submitted the online application form, OUR’s automated system will trigger an email to the URMs listed by the FRM, prompting the URMs to complete their portion of the application. For questions, contact our@unlv.edu.