College of Arts & Sciences Undergraduate STEM Experiences

Biology majors have the opportunity to receive financial support from the Undergraduate STEM program, which will be administered by the Department of Biological Science and overseen by Dr. Bruce Jayne.  Three broad categories of funding include:
1) "Standard Requests"
2) Student Fellowships
3) Awards for Research Excellence. 
The information below explains the details of the different procedures required for each of these three general categories. All projects, presentations and publications receiving support must include the following acknowledgement: "This research was partially supported by the Undergraduate STEM Experiences program through the College of Arts & Sciences, University of Cincinnati."

To be eligible

• The student must be a Biology major and enrolled in at least one biology course at the time the request is submitted.
• For summer funding, the student must have been a Biology major and enrolled in at least one biology course in spring semester.  In addition, students supported in summer are expected either to be enrolled in at least one Biology course for the summer or to be continuing in fall semester as a Biology major enrolled in at least one Biology course.  In other words, a student graduating in the spring semester will not be eligible for either a Standard Request or a Fellowship to support them in summer immediately after they have graduated.
• The research of the student must be associated with a biology course (this includes all sections of the Undergraduate Research and the Capstone courses) or a formal mentoring program such as WISE.
• The student must have a faculty mentor supervising their research for Standard Requests and Fellowships.
• Faculty mentors for standard requests must be UC faculty, but they need not be in the Department of Biological Sciences.  However, as indicated above the student must be enrolled in an appropriate Biology course.

1) Standard Request (Click here)
2) Summer fellowships: WISE program (Click here) or all others (Click here)
3) Research Excellence Award (Click here)
4) Purchasing supplies and equipment (click here). Use for making purchases ONLY after your standard request has been approved by Dr. Jayne.

The customary amount available for these requests is approximately $300 per student, and usually only one request will be granted per student during their entire time as an undergraduate.  Preference will usually be given to students who have finished their first two years of coursework including the sophomore level biology courses.  Students may also make a joint request with a total amount equal to approximately $300 times the number of students.  We especially encourage students conducting formal undergraduate research experiences (BIOL 4095 or 4096 any section) or completing capstone experiences (BIOL 5050 any section) to seek support.

 Acceptable uses of funds include:

• Supplies needed to conduct research.
• Services needed to prepare presentations or conduct research (eg.  printing posters, DNA sequencing, etc.).
• Travel for the purpose of research.
• Travel for the purpose of presenting the results of research at venues such as scientific conferences.
• Travel for the purpose of professional development and learning techniques related to research.

Application Procedure.
To receive the highest priority for funding, students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible  relative to the beginning of the fall semester. We are unlikely to have more funds available for these requests after March 1. We will try our best to reach a decision regarding a request within one week of receiving it.

Follow the steps below to apply.
1)  Obtain approval from your faculty mentor for your research project and funding request.
2)  Click here to download an application form (Excel file).
3)  Complete the application form and save it by substituting your last name (the student) for the last part of the name of the Excel file using the following format for the entire file name: STEM_request_lastname.xls (Example: STEM_request_Smith.xls).
4)  Send the completed Excel file as an email attachment to your faculty mentor.
5)  Have the faculty mentor fill out any additional details that are needed to complete the form and save it while taking care to preserve the name of the Excel file.
6)  Have the faculty mentor send the completed form as an email attachment to bruce.jayne@uc.edu.  The subject line of the email must include  “STEM request” followed by the last name of the student.  Only submit one request per email. This email will serve as an electronic signature indicating that your faculty mentor approves of your project and request.  Paper copies of the form will NOT be accepted.
7) Depending on the nature of your approved request, you will receive additional instructions on how to fill out and submit the relevant forms such as purchasing supplies and equipment, travel authorizations, etc.

Procedures for making purchases of supplies and equipment (only after your standardized request has been approved by Dr. Jayne).
1) Click  here to obtain the form neded for making purchases of supplies and equipment.
2)  The student and the mentor should complete the purchase form and save it by substituting the last name the student for the last part of the name of the Excel file using the following format for the entire file name: STEM_purchase_lastname.xls (Example: STEM_purchase_Smith.xls).
3)  The faculty mentor should send the completed form as an email attachment to charmaine.mitchell@uc.edu.  The subject line of the email must include  “STEM purchase” followed by the last name of the student.  Only submit one request per email. This email will serve as an electronic signature indicating the approval of the faculty mentor.  Paper copies of the form will NOT be accepted.
4) All supplies will be purchased by and delivered to the Department of Biological Sciences, and it will be the responsibility of the student to ensure that supplies delivered to the department are taken to the lab of the faculty mentor when that mentor is not a member of the Department of Biological Sciences.

For a limited number of students as many as 6 fellowships (up to $4,500 per student) will be awarded on a competitive basis depending on the availability of funds.  The fellowships are intended to support independent research not directly linked to a faculty member’s research or research funding paid for the benefit of the student to aid in the pursuit of study or research.  Hence, the fellowships are NOT salaries as no services are performed for UC in return for fellowship payment.  These fellowships will usually be restricted to Biology majors whose faculty mentor is in the Department of Biological Sciences.  Priority for funding will be given to students who have performed or intend to perform research in the lab of their mentor for at least one year.

Application Procedure.
The target date for receipt of all application materials is March 1 every year. If funds are still available, applications will continue to be considered after that date, but they will have a lower chance of being funded. Two different procedures should be used depending on the nature of the request. 

WISE (Women In Science and Engineering) applicants follow the steps below:
1)  Click here to download an application form (Excel file).
2)  Complete the application form and save it by substituting your last name (the student) for the last part of the name of the excel file using the following format for the entire file name:  
STEM_WISE_ lastname.xls xls (Example: STEM_WISE_Smith.xls).
3)  Send the completed Excel file as an email attachment to your faculty mentor.
4)  Have the faculty mentor fill out any additional details that are needed to complete the form and save it while taking care to preserve the name of the Excel file.
5)  Have the faculty mentor send the completed form as an email attachment to bruce.jayne@uc.edu.  The subject line of the email must include  “STEM WISE” followed by the last name of the student.  This email will serve as an electronic signature indicating that your faculty mentor approves of your project and request.  Paper copies of the form will NOT be accepted.
6)  Follow the procedures of the WISE program for submitting all other application materials.
The WISE program will decide the recipients of these awards.

All other STEM Fellowship applicants follow the steps below:
1)  Obtain approval from your faculty mentor for your research project.
2)  Click here to download an application form (Excel file).
3)  Complete the application form and save it by substituting your last name for the last part of the name of the excel file using the following format for the entire file name:
STEM_fellowship_ lastname.xls (Example: STEM_fellowship_Smith.xls).
4) Send the completed form as an email attachment to bruce.jayne@uc.edu.  The subject line of the email must include “STEM fellowship” followed by the last name of the student. 
5)  Use a procedure similar to step 4 to transmit the following additional application materials:
   a) A word document 2 pages (1” margins,12 point Times or Times New Roman font) or less briefly explaining the research project including a final paragraph that explains how the results of the research will be disseminated and how the research project is well suited to the career goals of the student. Use the following format for the file name:
STEM_fellowship_ lastname_ project.
   b) A resume or Curriculum Vitae in a Word document 2 pages (1 inch margins, 12 point Times or Times New Roman font) or less. Use the following format for the file name:
STEM_fellowship_ lastname_ CV.
   c) A current transcript or degree audit of all course work completed at the University of Cincinnati. Use the following format for the file name (where the last name is that of the student):
STEM_fellowship_ lastname_transcript.
   d) A letter of support and recommendation from the faculty mentor who will be overseeing the research of the student. This should be a pdf file emailed directly by the faculty member. If the faculty member has had the student in a class, then the letter should include the final rank of the student and the total number of students in the class. Use the following format for the file name (where the last name is that of the student):
STEM_fellowship_ lastname_ letter1.
   e) A letter of recommendation from another faculty member who is not the mentor overseeing the research of the student.  This should be pdf file emailed as an attachment directly by the person writing the letter. If the person writing the letter has had the student in a class, then the letter should include the rank of the student and the total number of students in the class.  Use the following format for the file name (where the last name is that of the student):
STEM_fellowship_ lastname_ letter2.

These annual awards ($500 per awardee) to students are for research accomplishments that have been outstanding in their program, and the highest priority will be given to students in their last or next to last year.  The awards will be presented at the annual awards day for the Department of Biological Sciences near the end of the spring semester, and the deadline for receipt of all application materials is 3 weeks before the awards day ceremony. The research conducted by the student may be in the lab of a mentor outside of the Department of Biological Sciences. 

Application Procedure.
Follow the steps below to apply.
1)  Click here to download an application form (Excel file).
2)  Complete the application form and save it by substituting your last name (the student) for the last part of the name of the excel file using the following format for the entire file name:
STEM_award_lastname.xls. (Example: STEM_award_Smith.xls).
3) Send the completed form as an email attachment to bruce.jayne@uc.edu.  The subject line of the email must include “STEM award” followed by the last name of the student. 
4)  Use a procedure similar to step 3 to transmit the following additional application materials:
   a) If a manuscript of the research has been completed send a pdf version of it. Alternatively, provide an abstract of the project that fits onto a single page (1” margins,12 point Times or Times New Roman font). Use the following format for the file name:
STEM_award_ lastname project.
   b) A resume or Curriculum vitae in a Word document 2 pages or less (1” margins,12 point Times or Times New Roman font). Use the following format for the file name:
STEM_award_ lastname_ CV.
   c) A letter of recommendation from the faculty mentor overseeing the research of the student. This should be a pdf file emailed as an attachment directly by the faculty member. Use the following format for the file name (where the last name is that of the student):
STEM_award_ lastname_ letter1.
   d) A second optional letter of recommendation may be included from an individual other than the faculty mentor directly overseeing the research of the student. This should be a pdf file emailed as an attachment directly by the person writing the letter.  Use the following format for the file name (where the last name is that of the student):
STEM_award_ lastname_ letter2.