How Does the Undergraduate Research Program Work?

Immersive Scholars, formerly known as Co-op Scholars, are selected freshman applicants who are awarded merit scholarships through the early action admission process. The UMass Lowell UROC program is a university-wide initiative to provide research and other creative work experiences to these students. The projects are either full-time over the summer or part-time over the school year. Find more detailed information on the program.

The program allows students from five colleges to work on research on campus or out in the community. Students have three program options to choose from:

• Research experience on campus assisting a faculty or staff member (mentor) with a research project
• Community off-campus experience with an advisor
• International field-based experience

Specifics About Students

• Participation in the program is contingent on students maintaining their required GPA (typically between 3.000 - 3.800 as a minimum)
• Students are required to work 300 hours to receive the full stipend (holidays, sick and vacation do not count towards hours)
• Students submit hours on HRDirect, where mentors approve hours
• Students are paid in a bi-weekly paycheck; students cannot submit hours that exceed the total amount of the stipend which is $4,000
• Students are required to present a poster at UMass symposium
• Students are encouraged to participate in the Student Research Symposium in Spring
• Students generally work 30 hours per week for 10 weeks in the summer or 10 hours per week for an academic year position
• Students cannot apply to be a part of this program; it is part of their financial aid package
• Students cannot re-apply for the program, it is a one-time opportunity during the summer before the academic sophomore year

Requirements of Mentors

Mentors are the faculty or staff member that is the on-site supervisor for students, and will work with the student to establish clear expectations for the position. Although students may reasonably be asked to do some clerical work, the emphasis should be on meaningful research or community work that will give the students an educational experience. Mentors should touch base with students on a regular basis to oversee the work the students are doing, troubleshoot problems, and provide feedback.

Mentors:

• Maintain an up-to-date job description on JobHawk
• Interview & hire the students, reporting all hires to the co-op coordinator
• Supervise the student, approve hours and provide support as stated above
• Provide a safe and appropriate workplace for the students
• Are responsible for reporting any issues, student absences or other concerns by email to: UROC@uml.edu

Expectations of BEST Faculty Mentors

1. Serve as a mentor for the student, which involves the following duties/tasks:

• Create a specific partnership contract
• Meet with student weekly at a regular time
• Provide clear communication of tasks for students to work on
• Communicate with student about support needed
• Respond to student communication promptly and clearly
• Keep student logs up to date and go over with students at each meeting
  
  

2. Actively participate in Emerging Scholars community, which involves the following duties/tasks:

• Attend Emerging Scholars orientation
• Meet monthly with other Emerging Scholars faculty
• Communicate any concerns to the Dean's office 
• Respond to emails from Program Coordinator within a reasonable time frame (48 hours)
• Participate in evaluation in May
• Provide ongoing feedback for process improvement and program design enhancements
• Participate in Undergraduate Research Symposium in Spring
• Attend end-of-the-year celebration in May
• Attend the Emerging Scholar's community presentation
  
  

3. Contribute to professional development of the Emerging Scholars, which involves the following duties/tasks:

• Consider student co-authorship on publications if appropriate
• Consider opportunities for students presenting at conferences
• Help organize and lead workshops on graduate school, research methods, writing, etc.