Mentor resources

The Council on Undergraduate Research defines undergraduate research as follows:

Undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry is fundamentally a pedagogical approach to teaching and learning. With an emphasis on process, CUR defines undergraduate research as: A mentored investigation or creative inquiry conducted by undergraduates that seeks to make a scholarly or artistic contribution to knowledge. 

Therefore, Undergraduate Research, at its core, is about teaching and learning. Mentors, as professionals in the discipline, are indispensable to the success of an undergraduate research experience. We appreciate the effort and intentionality mentors put into working with and mentoring undergraduate students interested in research! Learning how to recruit, mentor, and manage the programmatic aspects can be overwhelming and nuanced. We hope the resources below will help smooth out the process for you so that you can concentrate the majority of your time on the research and mentoring your students.

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OUR Research Scholar Programs

	Summer 25	Fall 24	Spring 25
Mentor Project Submission Open	November 15, 2024	February 15th	August 15
Mentor Project Submission Due	January 16, 2025	March 15th	September 16
Student Applications Open	January 21	March 15th	September 23
Student Applications Due	February 20	April 15th	October 22
Program Dates	May 19th – July 25th	August 12-December 6	January 12-May 2
Mentee/Mentor Agreement Due	May 28*	August 27	January 21
Abstracts Due	July 1*	October 31	February 25
Posters & Videos Due	TBD	November 25	April 3
Research Presentation	Summer Research Symposium July 25th*	Honors Symposium December 3	Undergraduate Research Conference April 17
Pay Period Approval Dates	May 19-July 26	August 12-December 6	January 13-May 2

Mentor Expectations

Mentor Proposals

• Draft your proposal and save it before submission (download this template).
• Submit Mentor Proposals vis the UNC Charlotte Internal Competitions Portal
• Schedule a Virtual Proposal Consultation with the Director (Thursdays) or Associate Director (Mondays).

Mentor expectations for OUR Research Scholars

• Be a committed mentor to an OUR Research Scholar participant during the internship period. You are expected to find a suitable interim mentor if you are out-of-the-office for extended periods.
• Have contact with your student on a regular basis (at least weekly) to provide guidance and direction on the research project as well as discuss the progress of the project and their development as researchers.
• Train the scholar in the skills required to be successful in his/her research project. This can be done directly by you, or by a suitable substitute (i.e., graduate student).
• Keep the scholar on task. The scholar is responsible for working their allotted hours on the research project. The scholar should be held accountable for the time spent on the project and the quality of their work. Similarly, ensure that the scholar completes all required deliverables in a timely manner. Approve Timesheets by Wednesday after each pay period.
• Keep the OUR staff informed of your scholar’s progress or concerns. This may include a midterm progress report and final evaluation form.
• Assist the scholar in writing an abstract and presentation based on their research project by providing constructive feedback. The format should reflect the standard format of a professional presentation in your discipline, but be accessible to the entire University community.
• Attend the Research Symposium to be held at the end of the program, or send representatives from your research group/department if you are unable to attend.
• Attend cohort events if possible, or arrange for representatives from your research group/department.
• Report any needs or concerns to the OUR office staff as soon as they develop.
• Complete mentoring agreements within the first week of the term and the OUR Research Scholar Assessment Program near the conclusion of the program.
• Inform the OUR staff if you have a publication, presentation, display, performance, or other notable outcome that includes students from the program.
• Only in the summer, as a token of appreciation, mentors may earn up to $500 for mentoring one student and up to $1000 for mentoring two or more students participating in the program.

Student Expectations

Summer Research Scholars

• The program requires in person participation for professional development and the summer symposium. The University does not support remote employment for students.
• Work up to 200 hours (20 hours per week for 10 weeks) if you are classified as “part time” or up to 400 hours (40 hours per week for 10 weeks) if you are classified as “full time” (academic programs will be responsible for hours beyond the max).
• Students are required to attend professional development sessions throughout the summer
• Timesheets to be submitted by Monday after the end of the pay period by 11:59pm
• Students are required to present at the Summer Research Symposium

Academic Year Research Scholars

• Work up to 160 hours (10 hours per week for 16 weeks) if you are classified as “full time” or up to 80 hours (5 hours per week for 16 weeks) if you are classified as “part time” (academic programs will be responsible for hours beyond the max).
• Students are required to attend professional development sessions throughout the semester
• Timesheets to be submitted by Monday after the end of the pay period by 11:59pm
• Fall: Students are required to present at the Honors Research Symposium
• Spring: Students are required to present at the Undergraduate Research Conference

Timesheet Management:

Mentors approve all timesheets in Banner. Check out the user guide for step-by-step instructions with pictures as well as important points to remember on page 7.

Important Deadlines and Points to Remember:

• Approve timesheets by the Wednesday after the end of the pay period. (Mark your calendar to remember!)
• Best practice is to log into Self Service Banner during the pay period to ensure your employees are clocking in/out and/or entering their time daily.
• Ensure that no hours are entered as “overtime” hours and are ONLY entered on the regular pay line.
• HR email reminders (from KronosTime@uncc.edu) will be sent to both you and the student but it is important to stay on top of it because missed deadlines result in late payments
• Students have until 11:59 pm on the Monday following the end of the pay period to submit their timesheets

Responsible Conduct For Research

Charlotte’s commitment to Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is supported by the University’s Training in Responsible Conduct of Research Rule (RUL 10.15.1). This rule establishes the requirement for responsible conduct of research education for individuals required to have such education prior to working on federally-sponsored projects where the federal sponsor has mandated such education.
Read More about responsible conduct.