Undergraduate Research Resources

 University Resources:

Student Resources:

Getting Started

We are so excited you are interested in getting involved in research and inquiry!  If you’ve never done anything like this before, that’s ok! The OUR is here to help you. Here are a few ways to get you started:

1. Talk to the OUR!  The OUR is located in Fant Memorial Library, and you can stop by to talk to the Coordinator, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call 662-329-7334. 
2. See what's happening. We have lists of opportunities both on and off campus: 
   • OUR Campus opportunities - a list of research opportunities on campus
     
   • Get Involved in the OUR - volunteer or attend an event.
   • Have a conversation with your advisor about possibilities for your future
3. Check the WConnect Portal for announcements about OUR events and opportunities, or follow the OUR on Facebook and Instagram.
4. Participate in or attend campus events that highlight the work of researchers! 
   • OUR events are posted to the website, and previously-recorded workshops can be found on our Youtube Playlist
   • Honors Forum events are open to campus and showcase research
   • Department events - check the university calendar for upcoming events!
   • Apply for Summer Scholars- a summer term of independent research
   • Present your work (a term paper, a poster, a case study, etc.!) at the Undergraduate Research Conference in the spring
5. Share your research experience and become a featured researcher on the OUR website

Undergraduate Research Conference Resources:

• For resources on submitting a conference proposal, preparing for a presentation, or evaluation guidelines, visit the Conference Resources page at https://www.muw.edu/our/conference/participate

Faculty Resources:

Research Assignment Repository

Submit a research assignment, syllabus, activity, or other pedagogical artifact to the OUR Assignment Repository, a peer-reviewed collection of works included in MUW's Institutional Repository, Athena Commons.

Supporting undergraduate research

• Benefits of Undergraduate Research:
  • Lopatto, David. (2010). Undergraduate Research as a High-Impact Student Experience, Peer Review, 12(2).
• Benefits of Teaching Undergraduate Research in Existing Courses 
  • Hensel, Nancy H. (2018). Course-Based Undergraduate Research: Educational Equity and High-Impact Practice.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Undergraduate Research
  • Schwartz, et al. (2016). "I didn't know you could just ask": Empowering underrepresented college-bound students to recruit academic and career mentors. Children and Youth Services Review, 64, pp. 51-59.
  • Boyd, Mary K. and Jodi L. Wesemann, Eds. (2009). Broadening Participation in Undergraduate Research: Fostering Excellence and Enhancing the Impact. Council on Undergraduate Research. (Available on request through the OUR)
  • Longmire-Avital, Buffie (April 2020). "Critical mentoring is custom fitted to the student." Center for Engaged Learning at Elon University.
  • Da Graca, Margarida and Lori Dougherty, (2016). First Generation College Students: Navigating Higher Education

Funding

• Faculty interested in mentoring a federal work study-eligible student researcher can fill out this form: https://muwedu.wufoo.com/forms/qf672hx022bnz8/. Read more about the program and its details here.
• APIL Teaching Innovation grants - https://www.muw.edu/ctl/grants/apil
• Faculty Senate, Fund B - Funds allocated to "strengthen classroom teaching." More at https://www.muw.edu/facultysenate/forms/fundb
• Mississippi Space Grant Consortium - MUW is a member of the MSGC, a NASA-funded program for any STEM-related field that has relevance to NASA (NASA defines "relevance" broadly.) More at http://msspacegrant.org/ or email Dr. Ross Whitwam at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Resources for OUR Summer Scholars Mentors:

• For Faculty interested in mentoring an OUR Summer Scholar, see this mentor handout
• "Quick Guide for Faculty Mentors and Summer Research Scholars" from Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation.
• McKinsey, Elizabeth. (2016). Faculty Mentoring Undergraduates: The nature, development, and benefits of mentoring relationships. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 4(1), pp. 25-39.
• Raman, D. R., Geisinger, B., Kemis, M., & de la Mora, A. (2016). Key actions of successful summer research mentors. Higher Education, 72(3), 363–379.

See something missing from this page? Email the Coordinator of Undergraduate Research with your resources at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..