• Undergraduate Research Center
• Summer Opportunities
• Oxy Summer Research Program

Oxy Summer Research Program

Applicants will be notified by email on Friday, March 8th

Objectives

The objectives of the summer research program at Occidental are to:

• Sponsor faculty/student collaborative research
• Provide an academic alternative to nonacademic summer jobs
• Increase students' preparation for leadership roles in professions and/or public service
• Create an intellectual community, with opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange
• Enrich the academic experience of our most capable and promising students
• Encourage good students, especially students from under-represented groups, to consider careers in the scholarly professions

We are pleased to announce fellowship opportunities for students working in any area of study. Support is provided by the College and by endowments, grants, and gifts from many sources. The program is highly selective, and some preference is given to students who are completing their junior year, and have had no prior summer fellowship support. Factors considered during the selection process are:

• The quality of the proposal
• The strength of faculty support
• An effective personal statement
• An academic history consistent with the ability to do the proposed research

Summer research fellows will receive a (taxable) stipend of $390 per week for ten weeks of research. Depending on financial need, fellows who choose to live on campus will be charged $50/$90/$120 per week. Generally, the amount awarded for summer research is taxable, but the College is not obligated to withhold taxes or send a 1099, so students should retain a copy of their contract as part of their tax records. Since individual tax liability depends on each individual's circumstances, Fellows should contact their personal tax advisor with any questions or concerns.

Expectations

Opportunities for Fellows working on different projects to meet together and close collaboration between Fellow and faculty mentor are essential features of the program. To promote discussion among student researchers, regular meetings of fellows in affiliated disciplines will be organized by the faculty area coordinators. Cross-disciplinary exchange will be facilitated by the scheduling of lunchtime plenary gatherings, featuring guest speakers, lab tours and round table discussion. To ensure the success of these events and in keeping with the objectives of the program, independent projects with remote faculty supervision will not be supported.

There is an expectation of:

• a full-time exclusive commitment by Fellows for ten weeks, from May 27 through August 3.
• participation in research ethics training 
• participation in all area meetings and plenary gatherings
• regular on-campus meetings with the mentor  
• participation in the assessment effort 
• submission of an abstract of the work for posting to the URC webpage 
• submission of a five to ten page final report to the URC and to the faculty mentor before receipt of the final stipend payment and by August 16, 2013 
• presentation of the results at the Oxy Summer Research Conference on July 31, 2013
• if appropriate, presentation at the fall SCCUR conference in November 2013. Fellows may also be invited to present their work at the spring 2014 NCUR meeting

Funding is available from a variety of programs, each of which has specific requirements and conditions. Proposals will be considered for all programs for which they qualify and students will be notified of the source of their funding.

Application Process

If you would like to apply for one of these grants, you should develop an outline of your project and approach a faculty member with whom you would like to work to discuss the feasibility of collaborating with her or him over the summer.  Many faculty prefer that student research be closely aligned with their own work.

After you and your potential faculty mentor have agreed to apply for fellowship support, you can open an application cover sheet. Applications from students who have failed to submit final reports or other required materials from previous Occidental College grants (ASP, SRP, etc.) will not be accepted.

Proposals should describe the work you propose to do, the methods you propose to use, tell why it is important, and review the results of prior investigations by you or other investigators. Literature citations should be included where appropriate (for tables and figures as well as quotes). The proposal should be written to be understandable to a non-specialist. The personal statement should indicate your preparation [for example, course work] to undertake the project, and how this fellowship fits with your educational and career plans. In addition, a budget with justification is required if support for supplies, local travel, etc. is requested. Research expense support will be limited; please bear this in mind as you discuss the feasibility of your project. Check out our Get Support page for more detailed info on the application requirements.

Application cover sheet, project proposal (1-3 pages), personal statement (1-2 pages), and budget (1 page) are due in the URC office by 5:00 p.m. on February 14, 2013. All materials submitted as part of the application must use 8.5" x 11" paper, single sided, with 1" margins  using Times New Roman or Arial type font no smaller than 11 point and at least 1.5 line spacing. Paper clip together -- PLEASE DO NOT STAPLE!

Your faculty mentor’s recommendation form must include a description of her/his role in mentoring you in your project. Mentors are expected to be available to the Fellow on a continuing basis, to meet regularly with them, and to provide support and guidance in carrying out the research project and preparing a final report, poster, or other culminating project. The recommendation must be submitted to urc@oxy.edu.

Pursuant to federal law and College policy, all research involving human subjects, vertebrate animal subjects, or recombinant DNA/select agents must be reviewed and approved by the College’s Human Subjects Research Review Committee, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, or the Institutional Biosafety Committee before research begins.

Students who are selected will be notified before Spring break if possible so that all applicants can make their summer plans accordingly. Questions about the summer research program should be directed to the URC at urc@oxy.edu.

Other Opportunities

A list of faculty initiated summer research opportunities that also provide College subsidized room and board on campus can be found on the URC web site under Faculty Sponsored Research. This list will be updated as information is received from faculty, usually in January.

Guidelines for College Subsidized Room and Board Support

The increasing number of undergraduates participating in research projects during the summer has required a formal procedure for coordinating the research activity and managing the demands on College resources associated with summer room and board. All Summer Research Program projects, including those listed under Faculty Sponsored Research, are eligible for subsidized on-campus room and board. Budgeting of the resources for the summer research program requires that only those programs listed on the URC web site are eligible for College subsidized room and board. Room and Board support for those students choosing to live off-campus is not available.

The Undergraduate Research Center (URC) advisory committee has recommended that summer research students living on-campus contribute up to $1200 (depending upon financial need) toward the cost of their summer room and board package. Room and Board is available from Monday, May 27th through Saturday, August 3rd.