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UNT College of Engineering Undergraduate Research Micro-Stipend
Motivation and Objective: UNT has adopted a new tuition structure to cap in-state, full-time, undergraduate tuition. Thus, students taking between 12 and 18 credit hours pay the same UNT tuition. Despite this change, students still must pay an additional $50 per credit hour of state tuition, as mandated by Texas. For details, please see: http://essc.unt.edu/saucs/tuitionfall2007.htm . As part of our “Student Centered Research University”, the UNT College of Engineering promotes undergraduate research opportunities. Undergraduate research credit hours often count toward graduation, and can enable students to finish degrees more rapidly. However, under the UNT tuition system, undergraduate researchers must still pay $50.00 out-of-pocket per credit hour to conduct research. This fee structure is detrimental to enticing undergraduates into research because it penalizes them financially for enrolling in research credit hours. In response to this situation, the UNT College of Engineering is offering 50 “Micro-stipends” for undergraduate researchers. This program will be limited to the first 50 qualified applicants. Each stipend will be $50.00 to offset the financial burden of enrolling 1 credit hour of undergraduate research. This program helps engineering students complete their degrees more rapidly by capitalizing on UNT's new tuition structure to offset the financial penalty students incur for conducting research. We thereby enable many individuals to participate in undergraduate research without financial burden, which will improve our ability to recruit more undergraduates into research and ultimately enable more rapid degree completion by applying students’ research credit hours to graduation.
Eligibility The student applicant must meet the following eligibility requirements. 1. Have a declared major within the UNT College of Engineering with a cumulative GPA exceeding 3.0 2. Have completed the College of Engineering Core Requirements: a. A minimum of 6 hours selected from the following: MATH 1710, 1720, 1780, 2700, 2730, 2770, or 3310 b. Three courses including two laboratories selected from the following: PHYS 1710/1730, 2220/2240; CHEM 1410/1430; 1415/1435; BIOL 1710/1730, 1720/1740. c. ENGL 2700 and ENGR 2060 2. Be enrolled in 13 to 18 credit hours (inclusive of undergraduate research) in the semester the award is granted 3. Have a faculty sponsor within the College of Engineering willing to co-sign the stipend application 4. Demonstrate enrolment in at least 1 credit hour of undergraduate research that meets Departmental graduation requirements
Deliverables In addition to all reports and deliverables required by the research advisor, recipients of the UNT College of Engineering Undergraduate Research Stipend are obligated to present their research (as a journal paper, a conference presentation, or a poster) in a professional venue within one calendar year of stipend receipt. Students will receive a mark of “incomplete” on their research course until the public presentation is made. Failure to demonstrate that this presentation has occurred will render the student ineligible for future stipend, scholarships, and fellowships offered through the UNT College of Engineering. Poster presentations at UNT undergraduate research venues (i.e., UNT Undergraduate Scholars Day or the UNT E-Week Research Symposium), do meet the presentation obligation.
Application Process and Deadline Students applying for the UNT College of Engineering Undergraduate Research Micro Stipend effective Spring 2008 must complete their application and submit it to Dr. Reza Mirshams, Associate Dean of Engineering for Academic Affairs, by Friday, January 11, 2008. Stipend recipients will be notified by February 11, 2008.
Application For The UNT College of Engineering Undergraduate Research Micro-Stipend
1. Basic Information
Name: _____________________________________________________ Phone #:__________________________
UNT Student ID #: _____________________ E-mail Address: ___________________________________________
Major: __________________________ Sponsoring Faculty Member: _____________________________________
List Your Spring 2008 Course Enrollment, Along With Total Credit Hours:
Total Credit Hours = ________ Cumulative Grade Point Average = ________
2. Research Proposal
Please write a synopsis (approximately 250 words in length) describing the research project you intend to undertake. What is the problem being explored and what are the anticipated deliverables?
3. Signatures
Signature of Student Application: ______________________________________ Date: ______________________
Signature of Engineering Faculty Sponsor________________________________ Date: ______________________
Name of Engineering Faculty Sponsor (please print)___________________________________________________
Please complete this application and submit it to Dr. Reza Mirshams, Associate Dean of Engineering for Academic Affairs, by Friday, January 11, 2008. Dr. Reza Mirshams P.O. Box 310440 Denton, Texas 76203-0330 (940) 565-4300 mirshams@unt.edu |