Undergraduate Research: Northern Kentucky University, Greater Cincinnati Region

Two NKU Biological Sciences majors diligently working in the lab on their summer undergraduate research projects

Undergraduate research is loaded with academic and professional benefits.

Whether your research is paid or volunteer-based, you'll absolutely gain an enriching educational experience.

Explore below for ways to find research opportunities.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH IN STEM (UR-STEM)

UR-STEM is a paid summer research opportunity for NKU students early in their college careers. At the culmination of the summer research, students gather at the Heather Bullen Summer Research Celebration to proudly display their research findings.

No GPA requirements
All majors are eligible (including non-STEM)
Students must enroll for the upcoming Fall Semester as a full-time NKU student by the start of the research opportunity.
Students that have participated in a paid or for-credit research experience are not eligible

Select students will be hired to work over the summer in the following project categories:

Part-time: $1,400 (20 hours/week for 8 weeks)
Mini-project: $350 (10 hours/week for 4 weeks)

Browse the menu below for more information on the UR-STEM process.

2023 APPLICATION & SELECTION SCHEDULE

February 1st - February 28th - Student application window

March 20th - Faculty begin selecting and interviewing students

April 14th - Faculty begin meeting with chosen students to sign the UR-STEM Contract

April 21st - Students must commit by completing a contract with the research advisor

April 28th - Deadline to complete hiring meeting with CINSAM

STUDENT SELECTION PROCESS

CINSAM's UR-STEM Selection Team will review all eligible student applicants and send approved applicants to the research faculty.
Each faculty member will manage their own interview process, (selecting and interviewing students from the list provided).
The faculty member, Department Chair, and UR-STEM Selection Team will work together to decide which students will be made an offer.
Research faculty will notify selected students of their offer, with instructions on indicating their commitment. They will also determine work hours for the project.
The selected students and faculty members will be required to complete a UR-STEM Research Contract. Said contract must be presented to CINSAM during the student's hiring meeting.

STUDENT HIRING PROCESS

Once students have been identified, CINSAM's Budget & Administration Coordinator will contact each student to schedule a hiring meeting. Paid student researchers must be hired as NKU student employees, which includes a background check by NKU Human Resources.
- Students that have worked for NKU (excluding Chartwells and the Bookstore) within one (1) year of their research start date will require minimal paperwork since their information is already on file.

Funds are administered in the form of a research stipend, allowing flexibility in scheduling of hours.

OTHER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

There are other ways to find research opportunities on and off campus.

Talk to professors and fellow students.
Visit a department's webpage to learn about current research projects.
If a faculty member is involved in research that interests you, contact the faculty member for more information about their research.
Utilize the Student Opportunity Center to explore campus and external opportunities.

CONTACT US

For more information about undergraduate research, please contact us at stem@nku.edu.

Portions of this material are based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under award number NSF DUE STEP-0969280.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.