VPRI Fellowship

The Vice President for Research and Innovation (VPRI) Undergraduate Fellowship awards fellowships to students who conduct research or creative scholarship under the mentorship of a University of Oregon faculty member during the summer. Eligible projects may include independent student-led projects and faculty-led projects. 

Fellows participate in professional development activities during the program designed to enhance their research experience, including career preparation and research communication training.

The program is open to all University of Oregon students who meet the eligibility criteria.

Learn more about the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation. 

Eligible Projects

  • Independent, student-led projects 
  • Faculty-led projects where undergraduates contribute to a project developed by the faculty member

Announcements

Timeline

ITEM

DATE

Application Deadline

April 14 @ 11:59 pm

Fellows Selected

~3 weeks after deadline

Fellowship Period

June 26 - September 1 *

  

* Fellowship period may be flexible based on student and mentor schedules, contact UROP with questions.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Projects may come from any discipline.
  • Applicant must have a 3.0 GPA or higher.
  • Applicant must be returning to the UO as an enrolled student the fall term following the summer of research.
  • Applicant must obtain a commitment from a faculty member to supervise their research project as their mentor. Faculty mentors must be Tenure Track Faculty or Career Non-tenure Track Faculty with an FTE of .50 or above.  Please verify with your faculty mentor that they meet these criteria.
  • Undergraduate students may not be paid to conduct research through other internal UO research support programs during the same fellowship period. Students may, however, accept an external award for the same academic year as the VPRI Undergraduate Fellowship award.
  • If for any reason a research fellow’s circumstances change and the grantee is unable to use the award during the summer for which it was granted, the fellowship must be forfeited. VRPI Undergraduate Fellowship awards cannot be deferred.
  • Undergraduate students may only receive one VPRI Undergraduate Fellowship award during their undergraduate education.
  • Research with Human Subjects:
    • If applicable, the applicant must obtain approval from the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS), which serves as the UO’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).
    • If your project requires IRB approval you will need to submit  your project for review before completing an application. You do not need full approval at the time you submit your application, however, you must have your project submitted for review.
    •  If you are selected to receive a fellowship, your award will be put on hold until UROP receives notification from you that your project has received IRB approval.
    • If your project already has IRB approval please send your protocol number to urop@uoregon.edu at the time you apply.

Fellowship Expectations

  • Commit regular effort to conducting research during the fellowship period.
  • If research is on-campus, fellows are expected to attend weekly professional development meetings during the fellowship period. If research is being conducted off-campus, fellows are expected to participate in weekly professional development meetings via Zoom, if feasible.
  • Complete an ~2 page "Impact Report" by the end of the summer.
  • Share the results of your research at the UO Undergraduate Symposium.
  • Acknowledge the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) in all work resulting from research during the fellowship period.
  • Notify the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program immediately of other support or of any conflicts with the eligibility and/or restrictions of this fellowship.
  • Notify the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program of any publications or conference presentations that are associated with your research project.

Fellowship Details

The program provides a $5,000 fellowship award near the beginning of the fellowship period.

IMPORTANT: If you are receiving federal financial aid, this award may affect your financial aid eligibility. Students who receive federal aid have a responsibility to report all awards earned to the UO Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships for more information.

How to Apply

Make sure that you meet all of the eligibility criteria outlined above before proceeding.

Step 1

Review the Program Eligibility Criteria

  • Ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria listed above.
  • Determine whether your research project requires UO IRB Approval. If it does, you must submit to the UO IRB by the time you submit your VPRI Fellowship application.
  • Work with your faculty mentor to craft a proposal that you will submit through the online application
  • OPTIONAL: Schedule a meeting with UROP (urop@uoregon.edu) to discuss your project proposal, receive feedback, and ask questions you have about the program.

Step 2

Complete the online VPRI Fellowship Application

Step 3

Letter of Recommendation

  • You are required to have one letter of recommendation. The letter must come from the faculty member that is supervising your research project.
    • The faculty member that is supervising your research project must be Tenure Track Faculty or Career Non-tenure Track Faculty with an FTE of .50 or above.
  • Request that your letter writer complete the letter of recommendation worksheet.
  • Under the federal law titled the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and according to the University of Oregon Student Record Policy, registered students are given the right to inspect their records, including letters of recommendation and teacher recommendations. If the student wants to waive their right of access to this recommendation, they may do so by completing a waiver form.

Step 4

Obtain an unofficial copy of your UO transcripts

Questions?

Contact urop@uoregon.edu