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bulletMISSION

The mission of the UCARE Program is to enrich the academic experience of undergraduate students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and at the same time provide a tangible benefit to the research program of UNL faculty sponsors.

 

bulletGOALS

  • To engage undergraduate students in intellectual experiences early in their academic careers and to enable students to benefit from the wealth of creative activities and research experiences at UNL
  • To facilitate successful partnerships mutually beneficial to students and faculty
  • To foster development of a community of scholars by providing educational enrichment activities and ways for students and faculty to interact, network, socialize, and collaborate together.

 

bulletUCARE PROGRAM DETAILS

UCARE provides funding for undergraduates to participate in the research and/or creative activities of the faculty and in projects under the direction of a faculty sponsor. UCARE is organized as a two-year program.

During the first year, the student works as a research assistant for a faculty member on the faculty member's ongoing research or creative activity project(s). During this first year, the student engages in "learning by doing" -- learning why and how the faculty member does research and creative activities by assisting the faculty member in completing research tasks. The student may learn such skills as how to conduct library literature reviews, code or retrieve data, work in a research laboratory, undertake research techniques specific to a project or discipline, assist with an experiment, work in a studio, and so on.

In the second year, the student advances to a project proposed by the student and sponsored by the faculty mentor with whom the student worked during the first year. Ordinarily it would be expected that the project would be an extension of or related to the student's first year UCARE experience, but the key factor is that the faculty member sponsors and serves as a mentor for the project which the student will have primary responsibility for completing.


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bulletPROGRAM RESPONBILITIES FOR FACULTY SPONSORS

It is important that you have a good working relationship with your student and that the student has set aside time in his/her schedule for working on the UCARE project. Issues such as expectations and time commitments should be discussed during the application process.

If issues arise with your UCARE student, contact the UCARE office. It may be possible to replace your first year UCARE student with another capable undergraduate, especially if it is early in the academic year.

Applications

UCARE applications are accepted once per year; the application deadline is mid-February. There is one primary source of funds for UCARE awards: "Pepsi" funds, which run on an extended academic year (funds are available from JUNE 1 until JULY 31 of the next year). A small number of students may be supported by the Office of Research and those funds run on a traditional fiscal year (funds are available from JULY 1 through JUNE 30 of the next year).

The Agreement Form

Once your student has been awarded UCARE funds, you both must sign the UCARE Student Agreement Form and submit it to the UCARE office (1100 Seaton Hall, 0619).

Time cards (How Payment works)

UCARE Research Assistants are paid $8.00 per hour. During the school year, it is suggested that the student work no more than 10 hours per week. During the summer, the number of hours worked can be more flexible.

*IMPORTANT* If at the end of either cycle one (JULY 31) or cycle two (JUNE 30) UCARE money is still remaining, that amount will be returned to the UCARE Office.  There is no rolling over of funds allowed from one Academic Year to the next.

Departmental contacts

Students need to visit the financial support staff in the department office well before they start working and expect to be paid. Be forewarned that there can be a delay between the time that students fill out paperwork and actually get on the payroll. A list of department financial contacts is available on the Financial Contacts website

Most departments pay UCARE students as regular student workers. Students need to fill out time cards weekly that are signed by the faculty sponsor and are paid biweekly. Social Security (FICA) is taken out, unless the Department is willing to cover that expense for the student.

Note: “Second year students” working on an independent project, will still need to fill out weekly time cards and be paid by payroll.

FICA: During the school year students will not be charged FICA expenses by payroll as they should be full-time, but during the summer, FICA will be charged if the student is not full-time. FICA expenses cannot be in addition to the original UCARE award amount, so either FICA should be deducted from the award or separately taken out of the departmental accounts.

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Other Expenses

There are no additional funds available. The Maximum UCARE Award is $2400. Any other expenses students may have for their research must come out of the original award.

Students can set up with your department to take minimal funds from the UCARE amount for their expenses; that will just decrease the amount that the student will have available to be paid. Students can also set up reimbursement for travel funds. Again, these funds will have to come out of the original UCARE grant; they cannot be additional expenditures charged to the UCARE program.

  •  PLEASE NOTE: The maximum travel and/or pre-purchase expense is $400.00.
  • Please do not buy equipment with their UCARE funding. If equipment is purchased, it will belong to the UCARE office, and not to the individual student or faculty member. This is in compliance with University policy.

There are two forms that address these other expenses: the UCARE Student Pre-Purchase Approval and the UCARE Pre-trip Request. They can be found online on the UCARE website:

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The process for reimbursement on Pre-Purchase and Pre-Trip Request form is as follows:

  1. Estimate your expenses on the pre-purchase approval or the pre-trip request, sign the form and have your faculty sponsor sign the form.
  2. Submit the form to the UCARE Office.
  3. The UCARE Office will then email the approved form to your financial contact and faculty member in your department.
When you purchase your materials, save the receipts and then submit them to your department for reimbursement, unless other purchasing arrangements have been made within the department.

Student Questionnaire

In March, your student will receive an email with a link to a detailed questionnaire which asks specific questions about their personal and professional growth as a result of participating in the UCARE program. Please encourage them to complete this questionnaire and submit it online to the UCARE office. We also send out a faculty questionnaire; please provide your feedback to us so that we can continue to make improvements to the program.

Responsible Conduct in Research and Research Compliance

All UCARE students are required to complete an online Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) training module offered through the Office of Research.  We believe that it is particularly important for students in any discipline who are involved in research to be aware of some of the following issues:

  • environmental health & safety
  • use and protection of human subjects and lab animals
  • safe and responsible use of biological materials
  • conflicts of interest
  • publication, intellectual property and data
  • error, negligence or misconduct
  • violations of ethical standards including plagiarism

Issues around these topics will take different shape depending on the academic discipline and individual program of research. We hope that you will also address these issues with your student and enhance their online training.

In addition, all research involving human subjects at or associated with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) before research can proceed. Human research includes everything from surveys to physical testing. Any human research that is conducted without IRB approval can place the University, its faculty, staff, students and human research participants in jeopardy. Further information can be accessed from the Research Responsibility website.


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bulletFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

1. What is the role of a UCARE Faculty Sponsor?

Your role is to academically engage students in your research activities while gaining assistance with your research. Specific responsibilities are to:

  • Interview and select students
  • Co-sign student agreement forms provided by the UCARE office
  • Train the students (or oversee their training) and provide them with background information about your research in order to contextualize their work
  • Meet with your students on a regular basis (the frequency will vary from project to project but we recommend you meet with them at least every other week)
  • Monitor work hours and sign timesheets on a weekly basis
  • Talk to your students about Responsible conduct in Research and support our efforts to train them to be responsible researchers.

2. What kind of research assistance is available for my students? 

The Reference Librarians in Love Library can work with students one-on-one on a specific research project to teach them how to locate both text materials and web-based materials. Many UCARE students are relatively new to the University, and they often do not have the library skills necessary to start their projects. If your students need assistance with the library, please contact the subject specialist in your disciplines.  A list can be found at: Libraries Subject Specialists website.

3. Will I have to keep track of my students' work hours and sign timesheets?

You will have to sign timesheets for students weekly. While students should keep track of their own hours, you should keep track of whether students are meeting their time obligation by showing up for work when and for the time they agreed to. If you need to know how many hours your student has worked, contact the staff member in your department who is handling the UCARE student time-sheets.

4. Can I apply with more than one student in a given year?

You can supervise both a first year student and a second year student during the same academic year.  If, however, you apply with more than one first year student, the UCARE office will ask you to either
a. choose between them, or
b. split the funding between students.

5. Can I apply for UCARE funding after the application deadline?

We do not encourage faculty and students to apply for funding at any other time than the once/year application deadline.  However, both at the beginnings of the fall semester and the spring semester, we will consider a new application if there are funds available, that is, if there may be leftover funds or if students have left the program. Please contact the UCARE office for more information.

6. Can I replace my original UCARE student with another student?

If you selected to work with a student, and that student is not working out, you may “replace” that student.  Please note, this student substitution can only take place in the fall semester (before the end of October).

You should contact the UCARE office if:  

  • you can't get in touch with one of your students
  • your student is not showing up for work on a regular basis
  • your student's performance is not up to your expectations
  • your student is difficult to communicate with about concerns, has a problematic attitude, poor work performance.


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bulletREQUIREMENTS FOR UCARE STUDENTS

Research

UCARE students are expected to work an average of 6-10 hours/week on their research projects and to establish regular working hours. The faculty sponsor in consultation with the student determines the hours.

Academic Credit

In some cases it may be possible and appropriate for the student to receive course credit (e.g., under internship or independent study course numbers) for the work being done. All such arrangements should be worked out between the student and his or her faculty sponsor, subject to the department's and college's rules and expectations.

Updates on all Information

It is important that students keep the UCARE office updated as to the student's telephone number and email addresses. There are times during the year when the UCARE Office may need to contact students with reminders of deadlines, events, and other information pertinent to their experience. Therefore, it is extremely important that students keep the office informed.

UCARE Website

The UCARE website is updated frequently. This information should be checked periodically.

Publicity

In order to advertise and support the program and to seek additional funding, we may occasionally call you for publicity purposes. We hope that you will actively participate and welcome the media attention should the occasion arise. The Office may also ask for pictures of you and/or your projects in order to enhance our web pages.

Please remember to acknowledge UCARE program at formal presentations and in any publications resulting from your participation.

Expectations for Second Year Students

Students must reapply for a second year of funding. There is a separate YEAR 2 application form and applications for the second year are due at the same time as the new applications. (See Application Forms on the UCARE website.)

Student and faculty responsibilities to the program are essentially the same as for first year students, with the addition of mandatory participation in some public forum at UNL or other scholarly outlet to present your independent research project. The Undergraduate Research Conference in the spring is one possibility, but other opportunities available to students may arise on campus and will certainly fulfill this requirement.


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bulletUNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE

UCARE students who are working on their independent research projects (specifically YEAR 2 students, but also students who are only going to participate in the UCARE Program for one year) are required to participate in the Undergraduate Research Conference on the UNL campus. YEAR 1 UCARE students are strongly encouraged to participate and expected to attend.

2013 Undergraduate Research Conference

Nebraska Union
Thursday, Thursday, April 11, 2013

 

A poster session highlighting undergraduate student research and creative activity will be held on Thursday, April 13, 2013 in the Nebraska Union. The purpose of the poster session is to give undergraduate students the chance to showcase their research or creative activity, to communicate their results to others and to learn about other areas of research and creative activity. Students do not have to be in UCARE to present; all undergraduates are welcome.

 

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It is the policy of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln not to discriminate based upon age, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, gender, sex, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran’s status, marital status, religion or political affiliation.