OUR Research Scholar Positions

OUR Research Scholar Positions

Research opportunities on campus are structured experiences allowing students to work with and learn from faculty. Students are not required to already have a project ready or a faculty member to work with. If you already have research experience, a project, and a mentor, then the Scholarly Undergraduate Research Grant (SURG) Program is more appropriate for you. The Scholar will be gaining hands-on, one-on-one experience with faculty mentors on UNC Charlotte’s campus. See “Application Process” to learn more about this.

The Office of Undergraduate Research funds multiple PAID research positions for undergraduate students. During the academic year, full-time Scholars can earn up to $2000 per semester and part-time Scholars can earn up to $1000 per semester.

Position	Hours	Semester
OUR Research Scholar*	Work up to 150 hours per semester	Fall & Spring Semesters
OUR Summer Scholars	Full-Time: 40hrs/week** Part-Time: 20hrs/week	Summer Semesters

*Eligible for Federal Work Study funding
** See OUR Summer Scholars page for more information on Full Time Eligibility

OUR Program: Important Dates

	Fall 25	Spring 26	Summer 26
Applications Open	March 17th	September 18	January 16
Applications Due	April 3rd	October 16	February 12
Program Dates	August 15-November 26	January 12-April 26	May 18 – July 24
Mentee/Mentor Agreement Due	August 26	January 22	Coming soon
Abstracts Due	October 20	March 5*	Coming soon
Posters & Videos Due	November 17	April 16*	Coming soon
Research Presentation	Honors Symposium November 21	Undergraduate Research Conference April 24	Summer Research Symposium
Pay Period Approval Dates	August 11-November 26	January 12-April 26	Coming soon

OUR Research Scholars are expected to:

Demonstrate interest in research, problem-solving, and agile thinking
Display strong communication skills (written and oral); interpersonal skills are necessary in order to work with the research mentor and team
Manage time effectively to balance research and courses; tracking the time on the project and complying with institutional policy including limits on hours worked per week when completing time sheets.
Maintain excellent professionalism; required attendance at events and symposia, well organized, attention to detail, ability to work with minimal supervision
Report any needs or concerns regarding the project and/or mentor as soon as they develop to OUR. For example, if you are not receiving sufficient help from your research mentor, please let Dr. Sarah Powell, OUR Associate Director, know as soon as possible

OUR Research Scholars are required to:

Attend all OUR Professional Development workshops. Excused absences must be approved by Dr. Sarah Powell, Associate Director, at least 48 hrs prior
Complete a mentoring agreement, mid-term check-in, and the end of research OUR Scholar evaluation.
Write an abstract based on your research project
Create a disciplinary-appropriate presentation of research (e.g. poster, talk with slides, performance, display)
Present research project at the end of the semester:
- Fall: Honors Research Symposium
- Spring: Undergraduate Research Conference
- Summer: Summer Research Symposium

Program Admission Requirements

Currently enrolled Charlotte undergraduates
Students must have good academic standing
Students must have good conduct standing with the university
Students must be eligible for employment at UNC Charlotte (Visit HR for employment eligibility questions)

Additional Summer Requirements

Students applying for full-time positions must be enrolled as an undergraduate for the upcoming fall semester, and cannot graduate before December of the same year, in order to be eligible to participate.
Students applying for only part-time positions and enrolled in a summer class who do not graduate before August are eligible to participate.
Full-time participants cannot enroll in summer classes or have additional employment while simultaneously participating in the program. However, part-time participants may attend summer classes during the program.

SPRING 2026 Project Descriptions

Click here to apply for all OUR Positions

Students read through project descriptions provided by Charlotte mentors on our internal competitions portal, here.
Students identify the top 3 projects in which they would like to engage.
Students fill out an application for one of the OUR positions and include their top 3 projects. Applications are filled out in the Internal competitions portal.
- Prepare ahead of time using the OUR student application template
- In the portal: go to “experiential learning” and select “OUR Scholars student application” for the coming term.
- Note the “Supporting Documents” with project proposal listings under the application details.
OUR Team matches students with faculty projects. This process takes several weeks to complete after the application window closes.
Mentors review applications for potential matches and can accept or decline students. Therefore, it benefits you to talk to potential mentors as part of the application process.
If the student is accepted by the faculty mentor, the student can confirm the position.
You did It! Students will be provided with the contact information for their mentor and should reach out to their new mentor as soon as possible.

Each research project is different and individual to the faculty mentor. The research mentor determines the research goals which may include, but are not limited to:

Conduct literary research
Interpret, synthesize, and analyze data
Provide reports on the status of research activities
Plan and modify research techniques, procedures, tests, equipment or software management
Write and edit materials for publication and presentation
Meet with a research mentor on a regular basis to maintain ongoing communication
Perform other related duties as required

Career & Self Development: Proactively develop oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without one’s organization.

Communications: Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.

Critical Thinking: Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.

Equity & Inclusion: Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures. Engage in anti-oppressive practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism and inequity.

Leadership: Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.

Professionalism: Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.

Team Work: Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.

Technology: Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.

Expectations for Students: Students are committed to excitement in learning; communication; academic integrity; respect for others; and, when appropriate, working collaboratively. Common ethical principles parallel those of mentors and include the following:

Acquire and model understanding of professional standards within the particular discipline
Display honesty and originality in all communications o Maintain integrity and accuracy in all work o Maintain accurate records
Critically examine own work and the work of others
Display objectivity and open-mindedness in the design of experiments, projects, or studies; in the analysis/interpretation of data and texts; in peer review; and in writing
Treat others with respect and courtesy, which includes preparedness and effective communication
Protect confidentiality, respect for privacy, and respect of appropriate boundaries
Demonstrate knowledge of and adherence to relevant federal and state laws, and institutional and governmental policies. Work in concert with Institutional Review Boards, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees, and Offices of Research Compliance.

WebGURU Guide for Undergraduate Research has modules on professionalism.

Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Code of Ethics for Undergraduate Research, July 2017