Research Scholars

All students engaged in undergraduate research/scholarship activities and creative works at USD are eligible to become Research Scholars --regardless of funding source or formal program affiliation. Research Scholars include: 

• Beckman Scholars
• Changemaker Summer Research Fellow/Community Based Research (CBR)
• McNair Scholars
• NSF REU Fellows
• PURE Scholars
• SURE Scholars
• Students who have a scholarship to support research
• Students who are conducting research on a faculty member's grant
• Students who are doing an independent project with a faculty advisor
• Students from other universities and colleges conducting research with a USD faculty
• High Schools students conducting research with a USD faculty

**For non-USD students that are not part of any USD summer research program: Before registering as a research scholar the Office of Undergraduate Research must receive an email from the USD faculty research mentor that confirms their commitment to mentor you, the dates you will be engaged in research and if you are participating in research at USD as part of a program from your home institution (Program Name/Program Director Name & email).  Student researchers must make this request to their mentor/mentor can send the email to ugresearch@sandiego.edu, subject line: Non-USD Research Scholar Research Mentor Commitment.**

Undergraduate Research Scholar Benefits

• 50% discount on on-campus housing during the summer (USD students only; see housing section below)
• Participation in professional development workshops*
• Invitations to special networking events with other researchers*

*Summer Scholars Calendar of Events

Space is limited and participation is on a first-come-first-serve basis. To ensure that you are able to participate in the events of your choice, please register as soon as possible.

Undergraduate Research Scholar Responsibilities

1. Complete Responsible Conduct in Research/Research Ethics Training (see Responsible Conduct in Research/Research Ethics and Integrity Training/IRB and IACUC section below)

2. Register as a Research Scholar (see Research Scholar Registration section below)

3. Submit your Researcher Profile information – include picture (jpeg file, 300dpi), biography (Name, Major, Class, Faculty Mentor and 1 – 2 sentences about your project) and Program Name (for example NSF REU); see examples.  Please send the profile, program name and picture to ugresearch@sandiego.edu

5. Add the Office of Undergraduate Research to LinkedIn contacts

6. Join OUR listserve

Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) Research Ethics & Integrity Training (Mandatory)

All students and faculty mentors must complete a Research Ethics & Integrity Training (responsible conduct of research; RCR) before research begins.
Please download the CITI Instructions on how to create a login and to access the online.

A copy of the certificate of completion must be received by the OUR prior to beginning the research project and can be uploaded to the Researcher Registration Form.  

Faculty and students who have previously taken the training do not have take it again. 

Human and Animal Subjects Research Ethics Training (if applicable)

Students engaged in a research project that involves human (IRB) or animal (IACUC) subjects must also complete a human subject or animal subjects research ethics training course in addition to the RCR training course.  

A copy of the certificate of completion must be received by the OUR prior to beginning the research project and can be uploaded to the Researcher Registration Form.  

Faculty and students who have previously taken the training do not have take it again. 

All students must fill out and upload the following forms to the Researcher Registration form BEFORE beginning research.

Liability Release Form

Media Consent and Release Form

Emergency Information

For non-USD students:  In addition to the Commitment Letter (see Benefits to and Responsibilities of Registered Research Scholars section), non-USD students must also upload the following document(s) to the Researcher Registration form.

National: Proof of medical insurance and a letter of commitment from your USD faculty

International: Proof of medical insurance and proof of ability to work in the US 

As a way to connect students and their mentors with available resources and to ensure that research requirements are met, USD and non-USD students (high school, community college, other 4 years) are required to register. This includes students engaged in extracurricular, academic year or summer, paid or volunteer/unpaid research positions. You must register BEFORE research begins. 

Undergraduate Research Scholar Checklist:

1. Register as an Undergraduate Researcher by clicking the appropriate button in this section.

You will be asked to upload the following forms to the researcher registration form; be sure to have them available before you begin the researcher registration form.  All forms can be downloaded from the Releases and Other Forms Section above.   If you were engaged in research the previous summer and have no updates, please email and let us know that you have submitted forms the previous summer and that nothing has changed. The RCR Certificate of Completion can be downloaded at the end of the online training.

• Medical/Emergency Contact Information Sheet form 
• Assumption of Risk and Release of Liability form (Minors: Be sure to have your parents sign this form)
• Media Consent and Release form
• Certificate of Completion for Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) training and, if required by your research mentor, any other research ethics training (see Responsible Conduct in Research/Research Ethics and Integrity Training/IRB and IACUC section above)

Non-USD Students: You will need to submit the additional documents:

• Commitment email (sent by your research mentor directly; see below)
• National: Proof of medical insurance and a letter of commitment from your USD faculty (upload to the Researcher Registration form)
• International: Proof of medical insurance and proof of ability to work in the US (upload to the Researcher Registration form)

**For non-USD students that are not part of any USD summer research program: Before registering as a research scholar the Office of Undergraduate Research must receive an email from the USD faculty research mentor that confirms their commitment to mentor you, the dates you will be engaged in research and if you are participting in research at USD as part of a program from your home institution (Program Name/Program Director Name & email).  Please make this request to your mentor and ask them to send the email to ugresearch@sandiego.edu, subject line: Non-USD Research Scholar Research Mentor Commitment.**

Undergraduate researchers* in the following programs will be enrolled in the Undergraduate  Research 496 course (UGRS 496); this course is a requirement to be able to pay USD students. You will not need to enroll yourself, the Office of Undergraduate Research will enroll you.

SURE Scholars

Beckman Scholars

Changemaker Summer Research Fellows/Community Based Research (CBR) Fellows

McNair Scholars

NSF REU Fellows 

Undergraduate Researchers supported by departmental scholarships

Undergraduate Researchers supported by faculty grants**

*If you will be graduating in the spring term, you will not be registered.  Please indicate if you will be graduating this spring term on the researcher registration form.  If you are a non-USD student, you will not be registered.

**This is determined on a case by case basis; faculty can reach out to USD's Director of Tax Compliance to determine if their grant is eligible**

Summer Research Scholars are eligible for a discounted on-campus housing rate (50%). This discount is only applicable to USD students that Register as a Research Scholar.  Please note that the Office of Undergraduate Research provides an updated registered research scholar roster to Housing/Residential Life once per week on Fridays.

Students will work directly with Residential Life to make their housing arrangements and all questions regarding summer housing should be directed to Residential Life.  The Office of Undergraduate Research provides housing information as a courtesy, but is not involved in arrangements of housing. 

In order to be eligible for the 50% discount rate, USD students must be sure to add "summer research scholar" and the group that they belong to in the comment section of the housing application.

For example: "Beckman Scholar"

Non USD students living on-campus during the summer while conducting research, need to reach out to Residential Life directly.

**For non-USD students that are not part of any USD summer research program: Before registering as a research scholar the Office of Undergraduate Research must receive an email from the USD faculty research mentor that confirms their commitment to mentor you, the dates you will be engaged in research and if you are participating in research at USD as part of a program from your home institution (Program Name/Program Director Name & email).  The email can be sent to ugresearch@sandiego.edu, subject line: Non-USD Research Scholar Research Mentor Commitment.**

Applications for summer housing are usually available in late April.  Billing for housing is done on the 15th of the month (if applicable). Students will not be billed at check-in and instead will receive their first bill at the same time as they receive their stipend payments.

Summer 2018 Information

Earliest move-in date: June 4, 2018
Latest move-out Date: August 12, 2018
Rate: $18/day (multiple occupancy)
Non USD housing rate: $36/day (multiple occupancy)

Getting Paid

Summer Research Programs

Students conducting research as part of one of the educational summer research programs listed below will be paid a stipend once a month.  All stipends will be dispersed as a check that can be picked up each month (June, July, August) in the Cashier's Office in Hughes 211.  Students must bring a picture ID to receive their check.

SURE Scholars

Beckman Scholars

Changemaker Summer Research Fellows/Community Based Research (CBR) Fellows

McNair Scholars

NSF REU Fellows 

Undergraduate Researchers supported by departmental scholarships

Undergraduate Researchers supported by faculty grants**

Departmental Hires

Some students conducting research as part of their faculty research mentor's external grants may need to be hired as hourly employees. Please check with your research mentor to determine how you will be paid.  

Taxes

Regardless of receiving a stipend or being hired as an employee, student stipends are taxable and subject to withholding. Please contact the Payroll Office at 619-260-4818 for more information about possible exemption from withholding.

As a research scholar you are both invited and encouraged to attend a variety of seminars and community building events.

View the Summer 2019 Calendar of events

Space is limited and participation is on a first-come-first-serve basis. To ensure that you are able to participate in the events of your choice, please register as soon as possible. If you are no longer able to attend an event, you must give the office a week's notice prior to each of the seminar events and can cancel no later than June 18th for all community/ networking events.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact the office at ugresearch@sandiego.edu.