Research Mentorships
The Bucknell Institute for Public Policy Summer Research Fellowship enables students opportunity to conduct research and be mentored by faculty who specialize in the field of policy.
An essential part of this program is providing students with a positive mentoring and research experience. After acceptance, students will be guided through the process of researching and presenting their work at the Susquehanna Valley Undergraduate Research Symposium. In addition to mentoring, faculty members are expected to plan and participate in the summer workshop series. Mentors will receive a $1,000 stipend for mentoring student research.
Important Deadlines
Deadline for faculty to submit a research topic: Feb. 10, 2020
Information Session: Feb. 13, 2020
Deadline for students to apply: March 6, 2020
Faculty and Student Application Process
Faculty should submit a short biography and a brief explanation of their policy-relevant research interests to provide information for the Student Research Fellow applicants. After they have met with interested student fellows and have determined a research project, the student application process can begin.
Students will apply to the program by submitting a letter of intent that outlines the methods they will be learning and research topic to which they will apply those methods.
Faculty mentors will separately submit a letter of support that includes the learning goals and educational outcomes for the student fellow.
As guidance, templates for all of these materials and additional information are available below:
Template and examples for faculty research mentor bio (.doc)
Template for faculty letter of support (.doc)
Template for student letter of intent (.doc)
Note: If the proposed project involves human or animal subjects, it is the student and faculty member's responsibility to obtain any required Institutional Review Board or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approvals.
Selection Criteria
In order to be selected, the student's application must clearly describe the methods and topic area that they are to research and the significance to public policy. The faculty letter of support must contain clear educational outcomes and demonstrate that the research project is clearly for the student's educational benefit. Both the faculty member and student researcher must propose a plan that will detail the project’s progress within an eight- to 12-week time frame.
Workshop Series
Student researchers will participate in a weekly summer workshop series. The summer weekly workshop series includes research and professional development sessions for the students. It is an enriching experience that also provides the student fellows with a sense of belonging in a research community.
Contact Details
Bucknell Institute for Public Policy
Location
100 Academic West Building