Resources for Faculty & Research Mentors

How Can I, as a Faculty Member or Research Mentor, Help?

Faculty and research mentor engagement is key for successful national fellowship and scholarship candidates and undergraduate researchers. Whether it is referring or publicizing opportunities to students, serving on selection committees, writing a letter of recommendation, offering a research opportunity, or even participating in mock interview panels, faculty, staff, and research mentors play a critical role in the lives of students who engage with the Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships.

Refer Students and Publicize Opportunities

Getting a nudge from an admired faculty member leads many students to apply for fellowships and scholarships or Undergraduate Research Awards. Use our fellowship and scholarship/research referral form to refer students.

Serve on Selection Committees

The campus selection committees for fellowships and scholarships that require institutional endorsement perform very important service for the wider university community. We also need committee members to review Undergraduate Research Award applications each semester.

Because of the diversity of applicants' interests for national and local awards, we seek committee members from various departments multiple times per year. Many faculty members really enjoy this service experience, as it gives them an opportunity to get to know outstanding students from a variety of disciplines across campus.

Participate in Mock Interview Panels

Many fellowships and scholarships have interview components. To help students prepare for final interviews, we organize practice interviews for students. These are most helpful when students can interview with faculty from a wide variety of fields as well as with experts from the student's own discipline. There are usually opportunities to help with mock interview panels in both the fall and spring semesters each year.

How We Can Help You!

Classroom or Student Organization Visits/Workshops

You can schedule a classroom visit to:

promote specific fellowship opportunities and/or undergraduate research experiences to your students
learn about general fellowships and scholarships, the application process, etc.
help students prepare to present their research at a local, regional, or national event
help students prepare to apply for an Undergraduate Research Award
help students with specific fellowships/scholarship applications

If you have another idea for a presentation, let us know! Email curf@ku.edu to discuss options, or complete the class visit request form.

Research-Intensive Course Mini Grants

These grants offer funding and support to instructors interested in incorporating a larger research or creative project into their undergraduate course. Grants are typically $500 and are available for the fall and spring semesters.