Application Requirements for the Undergraduate Research Program

2013 Program Dates: Monday, May 20 - Friday, July 26, 2013

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Eligibility

Students who are interested in working in the areas of biochemistry, biology, chemistry, pharmacy, and physics will be considered for a variety of available funds. Students from universities other than Duquesne will be eligible for departmental funding. Duquesne University students are eligible for a portion of all funds.

Students may apply for all funding from the Undergraduate Research Program during their freshman, sophomore, or junior year. Seniors will be considered for individual faculty grant funds and some departmental funds.

Program Components

Ten Weeks of Research - During the program, students will pursue a research project within the laboratory of a Duquesne faculty member.
Safety Lecture and Orientation - The program will begin with an orientation designed to familiarize the students with laboratory procedure and allow the students to get to know one another.
Community Service - Students may participate in a variety of predetermined volunteer activities or propose their own volunteer activities in many areas of science.
Seminar Series - A seminar series will be offered throughout the summer for students in Duquesne research programs. The 2013 series will center on career opportunities in the sciences.
Ethics Forum - In collaboration with a faculty mentor and other undergraduate researchers, students will present a relevant ethical issue at a forum hosted by the University of Pittsburgh.
Symposium - The Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences sponsors an undergraduate research symposium at the end of the ten week period. All students will present their work in poster format at this symposium and eight students will give oral presentations. This is a wonderful opportunity for undergraduates and faculty alike to see the work of summer research students from the local area.

Application Requirements

Applicants for the Summer 2013 Undergraduate Research Program and the Chemistry REU/SRE may work in the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences or the Mylan School of Pharmacy. Please submit only one application. The committee will consider each applicant for all eligible funds. A complete application includes:

Online Application
Students are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible. All fields must be completed. Application deadline is Friday, February 1, 2013.
Copy of Your Most Recent Official Transcript
Duquesne Students - Please visit Duquesne's Registrar's Office to request your official transcript (at no charge). Deadline to request official transcript, including Fall 2012 grades, is Friday, January 11, 2013. You can submit your request to the Office of the Registrar beginning December 19, the day after the end of the Fall 2012 semester. All Fall 2012 grades must appear on your official transcript. Be sure to clearly indicate that you are ordering the transcript for the Undergraduate Research Program and that the transcript should be sent directly to Philip Clarke, 100 Mellon Hall.
External Students - Order an official transcript from your university registrar. The transcript must arrive by February 1, 2013. The transcript should be sent directly to: Undergraduate Research Program, 100 Mellon Hall, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282.
Two Letters of Recommendation
Letters should be from faculty who can assess your ability to do research. The deadline for applicants to request faculty to submit letters of recommendation is Monday, January 7, 2013. Applicants must submit requests by email only. Professors must email letters of recommendation to urp@duq.edu by Friday, February 1, 2013.
Resume
Resumes should be one page in length. Email your resume to urp@duq.edu.
Statement of Goals
The statement of goals should be no longer than one page, single spaced, and emailed to urp@duq.edu. Include your reasons for wanting to do research, how you feel this program will benefit you, and a short list of faculty whose research interests you. See Science Faculty for a faculty listing by department. If you are currently working on a research project, please limit the description of the project to one paragraph. Statements are very important to the selection process.

Application Addresses

Letters of Recommendation, Resume, and Statement of Goals

Email the two letters of recommendation, resume, and statement of goals to urp@duq.edu.

Official Transcripts

All official transcripts must be sent to:

Duquesne University
100 Mellon Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15282

Application Deadlines

All application materials must be emailed in Microsoft Word or as a PDF to urp@duq.edu by Friday, February 1, 2013. We will announce when decisions are made. For further information, call 412.396.4172 or write to urp@duq.edu.

Complete the Application for the 2013 Summer Undergraduate Research Program.

Stipend

Students selected for the Undergraduate Research Program are required to complete 10 weeks of research from May 20 to July 26, 2013, a safety lecture, participate in the summer symposium, complete a community service project in the area of science, attend summer speaker seminars, and participate in the Ethics Forum. Students will earn a stipend of $3,900 for the 10-week period.