We are currently inviting graduate students to serve as mentors in the Early Undergraduate Research Experience (EREP/UR2PHD) Program for Fall 2024. The goal of this program is to help ease undergraduate students with no prior research experience into their first research experience, preparing them to seek out URA opportunities afterwards. The grad mentors are an integral part of the program.
Graduate mentors will take a graduate student mentor training course, led by the Computing Research Association (CRA), which is a virtual, synchronous course that prepares participants to provide culturally-responsive mentorship. The curriculum aims to familiarize students with empirically-proven principles and best practices in mentorship. By the end of the series, participants will be capable of explaining and recognizing techniques for fostering inclusive, positive, and successful mentorship environments. They will also craft their own personal mentoring philosophy. Each graduate mentor will also work with a small group of undergraduate students (2-4 students) to complete a research project in his/her area of research.
Benefits of participating
- Acquire formal training in the art of effective research mentoring, a pivotal skill for long-term career success
- Learn to design and adapt research projects based on research goals, advisee skills and experiences, and project challenges
- Hone essential communication skills and techniques for assessing and promoting student development and growth
- Develop and formalize a personalized mentorship philosophy
- Establish a supportive peer network with students across various universities
Responsibilities and expectations
Participants in the course must certify understanding and adherence to the following responsibilities and expectations:
- Attend and actively participate in the 1-hour per week, virtual, graduate student mentor training course, missing no more than 2 sessions (We expect all participants to have their cameras on during course sessions)
- Complete course assignments in a timely fashion
- Support mentees with their research project throughout the program
- Participate in evaluation efforts, as requested
- Attend and actively participate in a 1 hour per week, in-person research meetup
Compensation
Participants who complete the graduate student mentor training program in its entirety will receive a $1,000 stipend. Stipends will be paid directly to participants following the completion of the course and required documentation (i.e., Independent Contractor’s Agreement, W-9 or W-8BEN Forms, and Direct Deposit Form).
To be considered as having “completed” the course, graduate student participants must actively engage in and attend all course sessions, complete all assigned coursework, and have a maximum of two unexcused absences. If a graduate student has more than two unexcused absences, they will not receive the stipend. This criterion ensures an optimal learning experience for all participants and maintains the program’s integrity.
Please note that If you were a grad mentor in Fall 2023, you are welcome to re-apply for Fall 2024. You will not have to retake the grad mentor training course; however, you will not receive the stipend a second time, since the stipend is a one-time stipend.
Applications
To apply:
- Talk to your faculty advisor and obtain their approval about your plans to participate in this program. This year, there are no funding obligations from your faculty advisor, and your faculty advisor can choose to be involved as much or as little as they want.
- Come up with 3 project ideas related to your own research or your general area of research.
- (Optional) Recruit some undergraduate student researchers to work with you, using an inclusive process that encourages applications from women and other gender-marginalized folks. Ask them to apply to the EREP/UR2PhD program. If you did not find any undergraduate students to work with, we will work with you to find a team of undergraduate students that would be appropriate for your research / research area.
- Submit your application via this Google Form.