Undergraduate Research & Creative Scholarship at UMKC

As Kansas City’s urban research university, UMKC offers undergraduate students exciting opportunities to enrich their education by joining in the cutting-edge research, innovative scholarship, and groundbreaking artistic work of the faculty.  Undergraduates can enroll in EUReka classes (Experiences in Undergraduate Research);  apply for small grants through SEARCH (Students Engaged in the Arts and Research) and SUROP (Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity); participate in research sponsored by external funders, such as the  National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and National Endowment for the Humanities; and use their federal work-study awards to gain experience as Undergraduate Research Associates.  Full details about Undergraduate & Creative Scholarship at UMKC are available at https://www.umkc.edu/undergraduate-research/.

Students may also apply for the designation “Undergraduate Research Fellow,” which will appear as a milestone on their transcripts. The designation “Undergraduate Research Fellow” also appears in the Commencement Program during the semester when a student earning the honor applies for graduation.

To be considered for this honor, students will have been involved in all major phases of their research or artistic projects, including the conception and implementation of their research, scholarly, or artistic work and its circulation to an audience beyond the classroom. Applicants are also required to submit an endorsement from their faculty mentor(s).

Generally, students awarded the distinction of “UMKC Undergraduate Research Fellow” will have been engaged with their projects over multiple semesters, resulting in an original contribution to their field, and will submit their application to UMKC’s Undergraduate Research Advisory Board in their final few semesters at UMKC.  The Undergraduate Research Advisory Board reviews each application and presents a recommendation to UMKC’s Director of Undergraduate Research, who is solely responsible for awarding the honorary designation.

Deadlines for applying for the designation of Undergraduate Research Fellow are October 1 in the Fall semester and March 1 in the Spring semester.  Application guidelines can be found at https://www.umkc.edu/undergraduate-research/recognition/index.html.