OUR Works! Federal Work Study Research Assistantships
Engage in meaningful scholarships related to your career interests all while earning a paycheck! OUR Works! will pay you to Explore Your Major!
About the OUR Works! Program
In collaboration with UWF Financial Aid, the Office of Undergraduate Research presents the OUR Works! program. Open exclusively for federal work-study eligible students, these assistantships offer up to eleven hours of paid research experience a week. The OUR Works! program aims 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.
OUR Works! students will receive minimum wage for up to 10-11 hours per week. Awards are typically for a full academic year (fall and spring semesters). But awards are made on a rolling basis, so as long as funds are available, awards can be made at any time throughout the academic year.
OUR Works! Program Details: Details about OUR Works! program goals and obligations.
To apply to this and other OUR programs, within myUWF, simply search for "OUR" or "undergraduate research" and select "OUR Program Applications," and you will already be signed in when you access the portal.
- Applicants should be prepared to answer a few questions about themselves and submit a short resume (or cover letter) and unofficial UWF transcripts. In addition, a letter of recommendation may be submitted but is not required. If you need help creating or revising a resume, you can make an appointment with Career Services by emailing career@uwf.edu, or calling 850.474.2254. Review the Career Services Career Development Guides for resume and cover letter examples on this page.
- To access your unofficial transcripts, log onto myUWF and search "Student Academic Records Menu," then click on the "My Academic Transcript" link. Select "unofficial transcript" from the dropdown menu under "Transcript Type" and right-click the transcript to save it as a PDF.
- All federal work-study-eligible students are encouraged to inquire. However, students without previous research experience are given priority.
- Students must be eligible for federal work-study (FWS) to be considered for the OUR Works! program. You can learn more about FWS eligibility with the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
- For help with applying, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Research at our@uwf.edu or call 850.474.2298.
- Students who receive an OUR Works! Award are expected to contribute to a research project, as directed by their assigned faculty research mentor. They are not required to complete a mentored independent research project, although some participants will choose to do so.
- Participating students should work regular hours as assigned by their faculty research mentors.
- OUR Works! students are expected to share their research experience at the UWF Student Scholars Symposium. Abstracts for this event are typically due in mid-February. Students can elect to present their research experience as part of the High Impact Showcase and focus on the experience or present research results in various formats, including poster presentations, oral presentations, research panel discussions, etc. The Student Scholars Symposium typically occurs on the third Thursday of April.
- Submit a photo of yourself conducting/engaging in research.
- Act as an ambassador to the OUR program - speak to at least one approved campus event about your research experience at UWF. Campus events include classes, campus tour groups, or other campus events.
- Submit a final survey on the impact of your research experience - surveys will include brief summaries of the research experience or a copy of your Symposium presentation.
OUR Works! students must log their activities via the digital lab log.
OUR Works Students: Contact OUR, at our@uwf.edu, with any questions or concerns about completing the Digital Lab Log.
(Q1) What is Federal Work-Study (FWS)?
(A1) Federally-funded program that provides part-time, on-campus, or off-campus jobs for students with financial needs. The money awarded is not directly applied to students’ semester bills; instead, students will earn the awarded amount by receiving a bi-weekly paycheck based on hours worked during the pay period.
FWS provides college students who are in financial need a chance to:
- Learn valuable skills that can be applied to their future employment.
- Networking, professional references, professional development, etc.
- Earn money while pursuing their degree without negative impacts on their financial need.
FWS is employment with assigned job duties; therefore, students are not getting paid to study and/or complete homework assignments.
(Q2) What type of federal work-study employment opportunities are there for research?
(A2) On-campus Research Employment – a job working with a UWF faculty member contributing to a research inquiry or investigation. The program will prioritize students new to research, particularly first- and second-year students. The benefits of these research positions include the development of valuable research experience and career preparation skills. Available jobs include research projects in Criminology, Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, Public Administration and Sports Management, Nursing, Biology, and Earth and Environmental Sciences, among many other departments. These positions will include “RESEARCH POSITION” in the job title.
(Q3) How is eligibility for work-study determined for all students?
(A3) A student must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the priority deadline published on the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarship’s website. All verification forms with appropriate income tax documentation must be submitted if randomly selected for verification. Any other documentation requirements not associated with verification must also be completed. Returning students must complete this procedure each academic year.
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
- Demonstrate financial need. For frequently asked questions for Federal Work-Study, please visit General Questions and Answers for Federal Work-Study.
- Be a degree-seeking student enrolled at least half-time (i.e., no less than six eligible credit hours).
- Working towards completion of their first undergraduate degree.
- Maintaining UWF’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. Details regarding the SAP policy can be viewed at Satisfactory Academic Progress.
(Q4) What are other general hiring tidbits that I need to know? Will I receive a notification if I do not receive an award?
(A4) Here are some important things to know once you apply for a federal work-study position:
- After a student submits their resume to the hiring supervisor, the supervisor will review it and contact students directly if they are interested in them for the opening.
- The supervisor will contact the student applicant if an interview is required.
- After the supervisor makes a decision, they will contact the student applicant to advise the student of the hiring decision.
- Students will work with their supervisors to determine their work schedules.
- Students may not accept more than one work-study position.
- All hired and assigned students must complete the online FWS orientation. Once OUR is notified that you have been hired or your assignment has been determined, more information will be provided. Orientation must be completed before your first day of work.
- Students must complete all necessary new hire paperwork with the Human Resources Office or their direct supervisor. All paperwork must be completed before your first day of work.
- Students cannot begin work before the first day of the fall semester. Likewise, students cannot work after the last day of the spring semester.
(Q5) I am not eligible for the federal work-study program - now what?
(A5) Contact the Office of Undergraduate Research to discuss unpaid research positions and other OUR programs.
(Q6) How can I copy details from a previous OUR Programs Application to a new application?
(A6) The OUR Programs Application Portal (Community Force) allows you to import most or all of your data from a previous application (e.g., a previous year's OUR Works application, previously started/submitted OUR Project Award applications, etc.) using the Import Function within your new application. Download and follow this linked instructional guide.
