Research and Sponsored Programs

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The WCU Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) was created to increase the interest in and opportunities for undergraduate research and creative activity in all disciplines. Students work collaboratively with a faculty mentor through a five-week program in the first summer session, conducting research and creative activities which will help prepare students for graduate-level studies and/or careers. SURI participants will spend 37.5 hours a week on their project and receive a stipend to support their work. Students will also participate in weekly research-focused events and activities, to foster collaboration and networking. Contact a faculty member today to discuss your interest in research and apply for our next SURI cohort!

• All WCU students who will be enrolled as undergraduates and who will remain enrolled at the university through the completion of their project.
• Able to work full-time (37.5 hours/week) during the five-week duration of the program.

Students will receive a stipend to work on their research and creative activity project under the mentorship of a WCU faculty member and are expected to submit a final report in August 2023.

This opportunity has passed but please check back again next year for a similar opportunity!

West Chester University invites applications for our Spring 2023 Student Research and Creative (SRCA) Awards. The purpose of the SRCA is to recognize outstanding graduate and undergraduate students who have completed original research or creative projects in collaboration with a faculty mentor. Each SRCA application must be sponsored by a faculty mentor who has read and approved the application. SRCA awards are presented to students who have conducted independent work that is original and substantive, given the standards and objectives of their field. Students also must be enrolled at the university during the Spring 2023 semester to be eligible to apply.

1. The student should fill out the SRCA Application Form and submit it to studentresearch@wcupa.edu with the subject line: ‘SRCA Application 2023.’
2. The research or creative activity mentor should fill out the SRCA Faculty Mentor Recommendation form and email it to studentresearch@wcupa.edu. The Faculty Mentor Recommendation forms will only be accepted if e-mailed from a faculty mentor’s address. Please include the student’s first and last name, ‘SRCA Faculty Recommendation 2023’ in the subject line.

Deadline to apply is April 15th (Application Opens February 15th)

The Compost Research & Education Foundation (CREF) is offering scholarships to undergraduate through PhD students, studying at a college or university in the US, interested in doing a compost-related research project. The scholarship is for $4,000, and also includes an invitation to present research findings at a US Composting Council Annual Conference during a CREF research session.

The goal of this scholarship is to bring assistance to students doing compost-related research and to spark interest in future careers in the composting industry.

Learn more about the scholarship requirements and to apply.

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West Chester University invites applications for our 2023 Spring West Chester Undergraduate Creative Activity and Research Experience Stipends (WCU-CARES). The purpose of WCU-CARES is to:

• Increase the interest in and opportunities for undergraduate research or creative activity in all disciplines.
• Promote scholarly collaboration between students and faculty.
• Promote critical thinking and prepare students for careers and graduate studies.

All WCU students who will be enrolled as undergraduates during the Spring semester of 2023 may apply. These projects must be carried out during the Spring of 2023, under the mentorship of a WCU faculty member. Applications that are not submitted by the faculty mentor will not be considered.

Up to 20 undergraduate applicants will be chosen to receive a $500 stipend to work on research and creative activity projects under the mentorship of a WCU faculty member for 5 hours/week for ten weeks during the Spring semester of 2023. Students will be expected to submit a final report by May 12, 2023.

All enrolled students were asked to participate in an Experiential Learning Survey & were asked this question:

"Looking back, what was the highlight of your experiential learning – what impacted you the most?"

Here are some of their responses:

• “How research is a vital key in our lives and studies.”
• “Having a close relationship with faculty that allowed me to learn firsthand how to conduct research at the graduate level.”
• “I learn most when doing hands on activities, this research experience has taught me so much because I am actually collecting and analyzing data on my own. As a person who wants to go into research in the future, this is a very important skill to have. Learning this in a class is one thing, but actually doing a project of my own (with guidance from my advisor) has helped me develop these skills in a unique way.”
• “I enjoy being able to participate in research that relates to my passions.”
• “I believe engaging in research with my professor help shaped who I am. They have pushed me past my boundaries to make me stronger in my field. From that experience, I feel like I have created a direct career goal and passion.”
• “Research impacted me the most. I have mentors and peers who share the same interests and bringing academia to life was a life-changing opportunity.”

Ramifications is a student-run, peer-reviewed, open-access undergraduate journal published through the Council for Undergraduate Research at West Chester University. Ramifications publishes journal articles documenting research and creative activities completed by undergraduate students. West Chester University, part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, believes in the importance of student scholarship as an outgrowth of student learning, Ramifications is an expression of that learning.

Current Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1 (2023) Fall 2023

Goats Die, Butterflies Fly: Portrayals of Dominican Dictator Rafael Trujillo (1891–1961) in Historical Fiction and Non-Fiction

Intersections of Violence Against Immigrant Women on the United States-Mexico Border

Addressing Discrimination at West Chester University: A Battle at all Levels