Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program - University of Houston
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The Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship (PURS) program provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in a semester-long research project under the direction of a UH faculty mentor. Recipients will receive a $1,000 scholarship to conduct a one-semester research project with their faculty mentor and two points toward the Honors in Co-Curricular Engagement transcript designation. All full-time UH faculty members are eligible to participate as faculty sponsors.

Applications for Fall 2024 are now open. Application Deadline: April 22, 2024

Learn More about PURS

  • Eligibility

    Sophomores, juniors, and seniors from all majors who have at least a 3.0 GPA are eligible to apply. Applicants must have earned at least 30 credits by the beginning of the mentorship period (excluding credit hours earned during high school). Students must enroll in and maintain a minimum of 12 hours in the semester of the award unless they are students graduating that semester. Only University of Houston main campus students are eligible to apply.

    Students who have completed fewer than 12 hours in residence at UH must submit a transcript from the outside institution to verify the 3.0 GPA.

    Students not attending the University of Houston main campus are ineligible. Previous PURS participants, graduate students and post-baccalaureate students NOT pursuing a second bachelor's degree are ineligible for PURS. Students may not enroll in a Senior Honors Thesis course or an independent study and receive a PURS scholarship in the same semester.

  • How to Apply

    Students must complete an online application which includes:

    • Statement of research objectives and goals (not to exceed 500 words)
    • Information on your prior academic and research experience
    • Name of the UH faculty mentor who will be providing a letter of recommendation
  • Statement of Research

    The statement of research should be:

    • Composed in consultation with the faculty sponsor
    • Written in first person and in your own words — not in your faculty mentor's words
    • Specific in stating the tasks to be accomplished during the semester program; scope and goals of the proposed research should be clearly defined, including the relative importance of the proposed research within its discipline
    • Free of any errors in spelling, grammar or syntax
  • Letter of Recommendation

    The UH faculty mentor letter of recommendation should:

    • Describe the student's qualifications
    • Identify the area of research, creative or scholarly activities in which the mentor will engage the student
    • Describe the faculty member's role as mentor to the student, including a description of how the proposed research relates to their on-going research
    • Be submitted to Debbie Reyes, Program Manager of OURMA
    • It is the student's responsibility to inform the faculty mentor of the required letter which is due within the week of the application deadline.
  • Competitive Applications

    Competitive applications generally include:

    • Demonstration of strong student academic record
    • Research proposals in the student's own words that are clear, thorough, within the 500-word limit and free of errors in spelling, grammar and syntax
    • Research proposals with clear, realistic goals that help the student focus and indicate that the project will lead to a substantive research experience for the student
    • Descriptive and informative faculty letter of recommendation (1-2 pages in length), that specifically addresses the prospects for results in the projected time frame, the value of the research project and the ability of the student to undertake the project

    Please be aware this is a competitive program with finite funding, and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards receives many more strong proposals than it is able to fund. For this reason, UH faculty are encouraged to limit their submissions to 1-2 proposals for student projects. The staff of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards is unable to share specific information about the assessment of individual applications after the decisions have been made.

  • Working with Human Subjects

    If your research proposal includes working with human subjects, please consult with your faculty mentor regarding IRB approval proceedings prior to initiating your research. For more information, reference the University's IRB policy

  • Expectations/Workload

    • Students admitted to the program must perform at least 6-7 hours of research a week/total of 100 hours per semester under guidance of a faculty member.
    • Students are expected to attend the PURS orientation during the first week of the semester and complete three short reflection essays at the start, mid-point and end of the program; PURS students are encouraged to also develop a research poster for Undergraduate Research Day.
    • PURS recipients' names, faculty mentors' names, research descriptions and possibly photos may be included in the annual Undergraduate Research Day booklet and in other online and print promotional materials, such as the office's website, brochure and social media accounts.
  • HCCE Points

    PURS recipients will receive 2 points towards the Honors in Co-Curricular Engagement (HCCE) transcript designationThe HCCE transcript designation is awarded to students upon graduation who pursue a broad range of experiential learning opportunities from freshman to senior year. Students can pursue undergraduate research, internships, learning away and abroad, service learning, leadership experience and other academic enrichment opportunities.
  • Questions

    Please contact Debbie Reyes, Program Manager of OURMA, or Stuart Long, the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Research and the Honors College, if you have any questions or if you require additional information.