URCO awards 20 USU student research grants
The Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities (URCO) will be awarding 20 USU students with a grant designed to promote undergraduate research, stated a news release.
The URCO grant provides students with up to $500 to go toward their independent research, said Joyce Kinkead, associate vice president of research. The department each student belongs to has also agreed to match the amount given to the grant recipient, allowing students to potentially receive $1,000 for their research. All URCO grants are given out by the Vice President for Research Office, she said.
“This grant is what gives our students the edge,” Kinkead said. “This really prepares them for graduate school, internships and jobs in the professional world.”
Kinkead said students from any field of work, from engineering to music, can apply for the grant. URCO was established in hopes of providing all students with the ability to further their research, she said.
“The grant is open to anyone. We have two English majors who will be visiting British museums over the summer,” she said.
Students who applied for the grant were asked to provide a formal research proposal, which Kinkead said is no easy task. The proposal had to include literature on past research done in their field in addition to what their research would add to the field. Students also had to submit a budget and timeline of their proposed project.
To assist the grant recipients, USU faculty members will serve as mentors to each student, answering questions and providing help where it is necessary, Kinkead said.
The URCO grant has helped multiple USU alumni accomplish their research projects, as well as acquire further undergraduate and graduate scholarships, Kinkead said. Many alumni have also attested that the grant drastically aided them in their future careers.
“We’ve seen over 500 alumni go through the program,” she said.
USU has been apart of the URCO since 1975 and was one of the first in the nation to get involved, Kinkead said.
For a complete list of students who received the URCO grants for spring 2009, visit http://research.usu.edu/htm/news/articleID=4358.
–greg.boyles@aggiemail.usu.edu