UR-STEM - Faculty Process

• CINSAM will award faculty a $500 stipend for mentoring UR-STEM students over the summer.
  
• CINSAM will fund select students to work over the summer in the following project categories:
  • Part-time: $1,760 (20 hours/week for 8 weeks)
  • Mini-project: $440 (10 hours/week for 4 weeks)
• Limited research supplies are available for qualifying projects.

The Request For Proposal (RFP) online application is typically released in December with a submission deadline in January.

A typical UR-STEM application schedule looks like the following (but is subject to change):

1. CINSAM's UR-STEM Selection Team will compile a list and rank all eligible student applicants expressing interest in the faculty member's research.
   
2. CINSAM will then provide the completed and ranked list to the participating faculty members.
   
3. Each faculty member will manage their own interview process, (selecting and interviewing students from the list provided).
   • Faculty must prioritize interviewing students that were prioritized by CINSAM in order to hew to the primary goal of UR-STEM: retaining students with risk factors for leaving STEM or higher education via enriching undergraduate research experiences.
     
4. Faculty member will identify those students with whom they wish to work, and will submit the student name(s) and projects to CINSAM and their Department Chair. We encourage faculty within departments to work together to select students so that they are not competing for the same students.
5. The UR-STEM Selection Team will decide which students will be supported.
   
6. Upon CINSAM approval, faculty will notify selected students of the offer, with instructions on indicating their commitment. They must also determine hours to be worked by the student.
7. The selected students and faculty members will be required to complete a UR-STEM Research Contract, which must be presented to CINSAM during the students' hiring meeting.
   

• Once students have been identified, CINSAM's Budget & Administration Coordinator will contact each student to schedule a hiring meeting. Paid student researchers must be hired as NKU student employees, which includes a background check by NKU Human Resources.
  • Students that have worked for NKU (excluding Chartwells and the Bookstore) within one (1) year of their research start date will require less paperwork since their information is already on file.

• Funds are administered in the form of a research stipend, allowing flexibility in scheduling of hours.