Undergraduate Research Experience and Creative Activity (URECA)

The URC Coordinator, Emily Born, will be on leave from Mid-August to Early November. All new Fall URECA submissions will go to Julie Gannon 014C in ORS. For Current URECA Award winners: hours and payments will also be processed by Julie and should be emailed to julie.gannon@mtsu.edu during the leave time.

For questions during this time concerning URECA- please contact Andrienne Friedli @ andrienne.friedli@mtsu.edu

Fall 2012 Deadline is Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012 at 3:30 p.m. to Sam Ingram 014C. - All submissions go to Julie Gannon in ORS.

An interdisciplinary, campus-wide Undergraduate Research Experience and Creative Activity (URECA) initiative has been implemented at MTSU. This program provides financial support to encourage MTSU students to get involved in research and creative projects at all points in their undergraduate careers. Students can apply for funding using the guidelines accessible from the links on this page. The Committee on Undergraduate Research Experience and Creative Activity (includes faculty from all colleges) will review proposals and recommend awards. That selection will be based on a number of criteria, as outlined in the guidelines. Awards will be administered by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.The program's goal is to immerse students in a culture of research, scholarship, and/or creative activity and engage them in the many elements associated with that culture, from preparation of a statement of the proposed activity to presentation of the final result of the project. Research or creative projects will typically relate to the work of one or more faculty members, but may be of the student's own design. The design of the program is intended not only to encourage students and engage them in scholarship, but as part of the process and preparation for the workplace.

URECA will not fund a project for work that (1) has been previously performed, (2) is being fully funded simultaneously by another grant program, or (3) counts toward class credit. Undergraduate students seeking support as a "scholar" must be a collaborator with one or more faculty members and must have ownership of the project. McNair scholars may apply for a URECA grant with a stipend of up to $3,500. For McNair Scholars, the first $2,800 will be paid by the McNair program and the remainder will be paid by the URECA program.

A proposal can cover the semester of application and up to two semesters immediately following. Funding is only for work done subsequent to the award date. Notice of awards will generally be provided within four to five weeks of the submission deadline. Proposals should be delivered to the Undergraduate Research Center, Ingram Building, Room 011B, attn: Emily Born. There are two types of awards available, Assistant and Scholar.

Assistant Participation in the project should contribute to the student's development as an artist or scholar. The amount of the stipend will be determined in consultation with the faculty mentor(s) based on the number of hours the assistant will contribute to a faculty member's project. The stipend award amount will not exceed $800.00. An additional award for expenses, up to $300.00 may be requested. Scholar Students seeking support as a scholar will be a collaborator with one or more faculty members, and will have ownership of the project. Stipends are paid up to $3,500.00, plus additional monies may be awarded for supplies or travel.

Please Note:If you are receiving financial aid through MTSU's Office of Financial Aid, please contact the financial aid office to discuss how an URECA stipend may affect your financial aid package. URECA stipends are part of the allowable amount of financial aid a student can receive, and registration for future classes may be blocked if you are already receiving the maximum.

Basic Information

Proposal Deadlines for the 12-13 Academic Year 
3:30 pm, Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012 for Spring and Summer Awards
and
4 pm, March ?, 2013 for Summer and Fall Awards-Will be updated