Undergraduate Research at Marywood University

 

At Marywood University, academically motivated students benefit from state of the art facilities in fields such as art and health sciences, advanced technological equipment in the sciences, a growing number of five year academic programs and newly created scholarship opportunities. The opportunity students have to work closely with faculty in challenging core and major courses was a primary factor that motivated U.S. News & World Report to rank Marywood University in Tier One of it's annual college rankings. Marywood University's standing as the leading provider of graduate education, including three terminal degrees not available elsewhere in Northeastern Pennsylvania, means undergraduate students can often complete their undergraduate and graduate education at an accelerated pace, enroll in graduate courses while still undergraduates, and work side by side with graduate students and faculty who are conducting research.

Undergraduate Research Review Committee ||| Research Proposals and Projects ||| Research Proposal Form ||| Institutional Review Board ||| 2005-2006 Research Projects

Undergraduate Research Review Committee

The Undergraduate Research Review Committee promotes and supports undergraduate research and scholarly activity by providing funding for undergraduates to conduct and present their work. The committee also sponsors the Undergraduate Research Forum, at which students can present their research projects, read their papers, exhibit their original art and photography, and discuss their experiences from conferences and conventions.

Students can apply for funding by submitting the Research Proposal form below. The Committee reviews and evaluates the proposals, then submits approved projects to the Director of Honors and Fellowships for funding.

Research Proposals and Projects

Goals

Marywood University is dedicated to helping students become scholars, and inspiring them to make new contributions to our understanding of the human condition and the nature of the physical and social world. The Undergraduate Research Review Committee promotes undergraduate scholarly activity and provides funding for student research projects. All funded projects are then presented to the University community at the Undergraduate Research Forum.

Defining Research

The committee broadly defines research as any scholarly activity that seeks to create original knowledge. Students from all academic disciplines are encouraged to participate; the proposed project is required to meet the scholarly standards for research in their discipline. Projects may be qualitative or quantitative with acceptable research strategies ranging from archival studies, using and building upon existing knowledge, to data collected under controlled laboratory conditions. The committee does not restrict research methodology but would like to emphasize scholarly activity as an objective, systematic, exploration of events and phenomena with the goal of producing original knowledge.

Proposals for Funding

Students may submit a research proposal and budget to the Undergraduate Research Review Committee to receive funding for their research projects. In all cases, research proposals should spell out the hypotheses or theses to be evaluated and the research methods that will be employed. Links to theory and previous research should be identified and a statement developed with regard to how the present study replicates or builds upon previous work. The research budget should list the type, quantity, and cost of supplies required for the project. Funding can be obtained to cover any cost of conducting research. An accounting of how the funds were spent, including receipts, is required at conclusion of the research project. All remaining funds should be returned to the committee. All students who receive funding are required to present their research at the Undergraduate Research Forum.

The Undergraduate Research Forum

All students who received funding from the Undergraduate Research Review Committee must present their work; however, the Research Forum is open to all students who have conducted research that has resulted in original work.

Students who would like to participate in the Forum should submit a title and abstract for publication in the Forum Proceedings. The abstract should provide an overview of the research project, including reference to the main thesis of the project and the results of the study. Students will have the option of giving a 15 minute oral presentation or participating in a poster session.

Undergraduate Research Proposal Form

Download the Undergraduate Research Proposal Form. Include a description of your topic and your goals for the project. Your budget could include money for travel, attendance at a conference, mailing, testing materials, copying costs, technical materials, or any cost associated with conducting the research project. The budget should list the needed resources along with an estimated cost for each item and a grand total. Submit the form to the Undergraduate Research Review Committee.

For a list of research and travel grants click here.