By Sarah Kinney
Staff Writer
The Provost’s office recently announced a new Summer Undergraduate Research Program at Simmons (SURPASs). SURPASs will allow 20 undergraduate students from any major to collaborate with a faculty advisor for seven weeks after Simmons holds graduation.
“Student research associates will be selected through a competitive process whereby they submit a research proposal for a faculty-mentored project. Participation in this program should enable the student to come to a fuller understanding of what it means to engage in research in their chosen disciplines,” according to the RFP.
The student is responsible for finding a faculty member to help them. Faculty are also encouraged to reach out to students whom they would like to collaborate with.
Working with their mentors, students will draft a plan for their research which needs to be included in their funding application.
“I hope that the SURPASs program will enhance a particular kind of learning for students, encourage scholarly collaboration between students and faculty, and produce a scholarly outcome, preferably a publication or presentation at a conference,” said Provost Katie Conboy.
Interested students can apply by submitting a cover sheet, project description, personal statement, and resume. More details are available from Jon Kimball, Director of Grants and Sponsored Programs (E206). The deadline to apply is March 21 at 4:30 p.m. Awards will be announced in early April.
Participants must be matriculated students who have not graduated by May 2014.
A small faculty committee will review the applications.
During the program, students will receive a stipend of $2,940, up to an additional $1,000 for research materials, free on-campus housing (board not included), and four course credits. Faculty members also receive a $2,000 stipend.
Professor Rich Gurney will be the faculty director of the program. In the past he has independently done mentored-research with students, explained Conboy.
While at Stonehill, Conboy was part of a similar program. Upon coming to Simmons, it was one of her priorities to bring a similar experience to the students of Simmons.
“I’m a big believer in undergraduate research,” she said.
The grants for research are made possible through the Provost’s Office and through a donation from alumna and trustee Pamela J. Toulopoulos ’73, which will initially fund the program for four years.
The gift was made before the plans were finalized for SURPASs, but recently everything fell into place.
In addition to completing research during the program, Conboy said that students will have weekly group lunch and some sort of workshops. She hoped to have different people and departments discuss topics such as marketing research to employers or how research benefits graduate and non-graduate school destined students.
She recalled a student she mentored in 2004 who had done lots of wonderful research, but did not know how to properly write a research paper for his field. Conboy believes the learning experience will include not just what is learned through the research, but also how to format, present, share, and market the research.
Her primary hope for the group is that students have a real opportunity to engage in research and be confident as a researcher in their discipline.
Conboy cited a recent survey from Hart Research Associates for the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
“Employers endorse several educational practices as potentially helpful in preparing college students for workplace success. These include practices that require students to conduct research and use evidence-based analysis,” according to the survey’s overview.
Conboy sees this program as yet another way for Simmons to provide students with these skills.
[Link to application and more information http://www.simmons.edu/offices/sponsored-programs/student-funds.php]
