OUR Awards and Recognition
A complete list of OUR awards and programs that are available for UWF undergraduate students.
The purpose of the Travel Awards Program is to support undergraduates presenting at in-person and virtual professional conferences. The Travel Awards Program aids students while giving them the opportunity to gain knowledge, skills, and engage with other faculty and students in the conferences they attend. The award is intended to fund students up to $1000 to cover allowable expenses for the cost of traveling. To be eligible for any awards given, recipients must be enrolled as undergraduate, degree-seeking students in good standing with the University of West Florida.
Learn more here.
The purpose of the Project Award is to support undergraduate students with paying for needed supplies while researching under the mentorship of a faculty member. The award amounts are up to $500 for individual projects and up to $750 for group projects (two or more students). The allowable expenses include travel to get to the field site, external library or archival facility; chemicals or laboratory equipment; photocopies of documents or research questionnaires; etc. Student or faculty stipends are not covered expenses by the Project Award. Applicants must be current undergraduate students and are in good standings with the University.
Visit the OUR Project Awards Program page for more information.
The purpose of OUR Explorers Program is intended to spark interest in research and creative activities for inexperienced undergraduate students. The OUR Explorers Program will take place throughout each Spring semester. Explorers will attend professional development workshops and shadow multiple faculty members through their research activities. Preference will be given to first- and second-year students. Eligibility is for current undergraduate, degree-seeking students who are in good standings with the University are eligible to apply.
Learn more here.
OUR Works! Federal Work-Study Program is in collaboration with UWF Financial Aid and is open exclusively for federal work-study eligible students; these assistantships offer between 11 and 12 hours of paid research experience a week. The purpose of OUR Works! program is to introduce students to research and scholarly activities while providing an opportunity for professional development and one-on-one faculty mentorship. All federal work-study eligible students, regardless of discipline, are encouraged to apply. Awards are typically made for a full academic year (fall and spring semesters); However, the awards are made on a rolling basis and so, as long as funds are available, awards can be made at any time throughout the academic year.
Learn more here.
The purpose of OUR SURP is to allow undergraduate students to get paid for doing their research over the summer semester. Students selected to participate in SURP will spend 20-25 hours per week for 6 OR 12 weeks working on a research project under the close supervision of a faculty mentor. This research activity involves faculty and student collaboration in original research that should result in some tangible product such as a publication, presentation, etc., but its most valuable contribution is the development of the student in ways not possible in traditional classroom settings. Students can dive deep into their discipline in which they can develop real-world skills for future career and educational paths.
Learn more here.
OUR FYRE is a program for high performing, incoming freshmen to engage in research. FYRE participants will be assigned a faculty research mentor to work with for the academic year. Faculty mentors will be selected from the student’s major department or one closely aligned with the discipline and will have a strong history of working with early program researchers and those with little or no previous research experience. Funds will be provided to purchase materials and supplies for the research project
Learn more here.
OUR STAR is a program for motivated incoming transfer students to engage in research. STAR participants will be assigned a faculty research mentor to work with for the academic year. Faculty mentors will be selected from the student’s major department or one closely aligned with the discipline and will have a strong history of working with early program researchers and those with little or no
previous research experience. Priority will be given to students transferring from Florida two-year colleges. Funds will be provided to purchase materials and supplies for the research project.
Learn more here.
The NCUR is the National Conference on Undergraduate Research that allows students to prepare within communication skills allowing an amazing, interactive, and meaningful experience for all students and mentors! NCUR is dedicated to promoting undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity in all fields of study and from all institutions of higher learning. Conferences are both virtual and in-person depending on the circumstances and current status.
Learn more here.
The Grad students as Emerging Mentors Program (GEM) provides graduate students with assistance conducting their research projects through engagement with undergraduate research students. Through GEM, OUR will work with the graduate students to build their mentoring and communication skills and will help recruit research assistants during their time. This professional development will help prepare graduate students for future careers, both within and outside academia, and will help them finish their research projects on time.
Learn more here.
The purpose of the Student Researcher Writers Group is to provide the workshop within a casual place to discuss one’s writing, get feedback from your peers, engage and support other undergraduate research students, and keep students on track to meeting their writing deadlines.
Topics that are reviewed and discussed during the Research Writer's Group sessions include: writing the background and hypothesis of your research, outlining the research project outline and writing abstracts, and constructing the sections of a research paper such as the introduction, materials and methods, figures and tables, results, discussion, and conclusions.
Learn more here.
The purpose of the Transcript notation is for UWF undergraduate students who have engaged in an undergraduate research project to be formally recognized for their efforts on their official UWF transcript. To receive the transcript notation, the student must be engaged in research for a minimum of two semesters and contribute substantially to the research project. Additionally, these research projects must be mentored and endorsed by a UWF faculty member. The students awarded the transcript notation will also receive an OUR medallion to wear over their robe during the graduation ceremony.
To apply for the Undergraduate Research transcript notation, students will need to submit all required documents via the Undergraduate Research Transcript Notation Request on OUR’s program application portal.
Learn more here.
