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Charles Phelps Taft Undergraduate Senior Research Fellows Program
PurposeThe Taft Research Center’s Undergraduate Senior Research Fellow Award recognizes superior undergraduate student achievement in the completion of a substantial independent research project that culminates in the writing of a thesis or expository work and its presentation in an academic setting. The broad purpose of the award is to increase the incentive for undergraduates to engage in substantial and creative independent research, so that their intellectual engagement with their discipline is significant. In the ideal, the award creates a specific research opportunity that will position the Fellow for post-baccalaureate education and/or a research or creative writing career. Through promotion of this Undergraduate Senior Research Fellow experience, the Taft Research Center seeks to meet directly its objective of encouraging the promotion of the next generation of thinkers dedicated to Taft disciplines. Upon completion, each Fellow’s work will be housed at the Taft Research Center’s library. The award is $3,500.
EligibilityMcMicken College of Arts and Sciences students majoring in one of the Taft departments are eligible for this award. Each of the ten Taft departments will select a Taft Undergraduate Senior Research Fellow each academic year. The Fellow must be selected prior to the start of the student’s final academic year. Interested students should contact their Undergraduate directors concerning department selection processes.
Guidelines for the Selection of Taft Undergraduate Senior Research FellowsThe Taft Undergraduate Senior Research Fellow Award is earmarked for superior undergraduate students entering their final academic year, who have committed to an independent project culminating in a major written work. The Fellow must be chosen through a departmentally-based selection process and then register for a minimum of 3 quarter hours per quarter in two sequential quarters under their department’s designated Taft thesis/research course section. While departments have flexibility in the management of this award, each Fellow’s experience should involve faculty supervision in the conduct of the project, including: faculty advice and review during the writing of the thesis or expository work and faculty approval of the final submission. Departments should provide an opportunity for presentation of the work in some academic setting (to an advisor and reader, for example) and some Fellows will be selected for participation in the Taft Annual Research Symposium.
The six-credit hour Taft Undergraduate Senior Research Fellow independent study are credits earned toward Taft majors and may serve as an alternative opportunity to fulfill capstone requirements based on Department decision. Departments may provide departmental honors for this award.
The Taft Undergraduate Senior Research Fellow may participate in other departmental capstone experiences, while conducting their independent work. However, the Fellowship must be conducted as an independent project and not a simple extension of existing department coursework. In circumstances where the Fellow enrolls in standard department capstone experiences while holding the Taft award, the Fellow would complete the required department capstone coursework in addition to the six Taft thesis/research credit hours.
Financial Award
Fellows who incur costs in the conduct of their research project may use up to $1000 of the award in direct research cost reimbursement (this must be prearranged through the Taft office). The research faculty advisor would need to complete the Undergraduate Senior Research Fellow budget request form for approval and prior to expenditure. Alternatively and in addition, Fellows are eligible for Taft undergraduate enrichment award monies and may apply competitively to cover project costs. In planning their thesis projects, students should anticipate their costs and apply to undergraduate enrichment in advance of incurring those expenses. Upon completion of the work and graduation in their Taft discipline, the Fellows will receive a direct check for the balance of the award up to the full amount of $3,500. The Taft Research Center will seek to provide the award as close to completion of graduation as possible.
Reporting Guidelines
Departments must notify the Taft Office upon selection of the Fellow and forward submitted application file. The Taft Research Center will then send the student a formal award letter. Departments may structure the award to allow for December and/or March graduations. In the case of a December graduation, the student will have registered for summer-autumn credit hours and have been selected by the department with sufficient time for project development to occur during these sequential quarters. Departments may set appropriate pre-requisites that must be completed before Taft Undergraduate Senior Research Fellow credits registration is allowed . Departments may carry-over an award if there is no student that meets department selection criteria, but may not provide more than two awards in any given academic year.
Contact information:
2625 Clifton Avenue
PO Box 210369
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0369
Mail Location: 0369
Phone: 513.556.0675
Fax: 513.558.7136
Email Taft Secretary at taftcenter@uc.edu.
© Copyright 2004, The Charles Phelps Taft Research Center