Undergraduate Research Assistantships

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT (URA)

Ten-week undergraduate research assistantships held during the spring, summer or fall semester are intended for Kent State Stark students contemplating advanced study or for those who have already completed significant coursework in a discipline or interdisciplinary field of study. URAs assist faculty members in their academic and professional research. Typically, this involves contributing to the development of research study or assisting in the preparation of an article or conference presentation. Specific duties are arranged between the URA and the professor paired through this program. Students will hone their scholarly skills, acquire expertise, and gain new perspectives on the work of research. Fundamentally, the goal of the URA program is to offer students research-oriented learning opportunities.

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

• Be enrolled as a student at Kent State Stark for a minimum of 6 hours
• Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (students below may still apply but should explain why their application should be considered)
• Express a strong interest in academic research
• Demonstrate a willingness to work under direct supervision of a faculty member
• Be available for 5 to 10 hours per week 

Number of Hours Per Week: Variable (5 to 10)
Compensation: $10 per hour (upon approval)

PREFERRED SKILLS MAY INCLUDE

• Bibliographic work/construction
• Library research
• ILL management (requests, pick-up, etc.)
• Data collection: field work, specimen collection and cataloging
• Statistical analysis
• Spread sheet preparation and management
• Proof reading/editorial assistance/translation
• Help with meeting presentation/poster preparation
• Monitor and update content-based web pages/lectures
• Supporting research through copying, emailing, scanning, etc.

APPLICATIONS 

• Applications are made to the Committee on Undergraduate Research Assistantships
• Appointments are for ten weeks over one semester but may be renewed contingent on funding
• Both faculty and students must complete the application form
• Faculty and students may apply either as a team with a specific student or faculty member of their choice, or individually to be matched with an available URA or faculty member
• URAs will be selected by the committee in consultation with the faculty applicant
• The committee will decide on appointments in consultation with faculty members who have requested assistants, and based on level of need and fit with the URA pool

SUMMER 2021 APPLICATION DEADLINE: 
Monday, May 17, 2021 at 5 p.m.

Late applications will not be considered.  

The summer 2021 URA program will run for ten weeks from June 7 through Aug. 13. Registration in summer 2021 classes is not required, but to be eligible, a student must be registered for at least 6 hours in the fall 2021 semester.

Faculty-student pairs interested in applying should use the forms below. Applications must be submitted jointly.

Student Application:

Submit STUDENT URA Application

Faculty Application:

Submit FACULTY URA Application

REPORTS

After completion of the URA, recipients (both faculty and students) should provide the committee and the Kent State Stark administration with a thorough and detailed report of activities performed, skills attained and developed, and tangible products (published works, creative works and performances, presentations, and grants) resulting from the URA activity. To help with this, students are asked to keep a journal of their activities and skills gained and used throughout the assistantship.