Undergraduate Research Awards

Congratulations to 2008 award recipients Diana Dickman, Scott Montanaro, Jenette Eccleston, and Michael Matsumaro! Winning projects are now available in the the Scholars' Bank repository. For more details, see UO Libraries News.

Watch this space for announcements and instructions regarding the 2009 competition. If you have any questions in the meantime, contact the award committee c/o libaward@uoregon.edu.

Purpose

Undergraduate education at the University of Oregon occurs in an environment where teaching, research, and service are integrated and mutually enriching enterprises. Many undergraduates already engage in the UO's research processes by working in laboratories and in the field. The UO Libraries' annual Undergraduate Research Award program recognizes undergraduate students who demonstrate extraordinary skill and creativity in the application of library and information resources to original research and scholarship. For 20078, funds are available for two awards of $1,000 each, plus two honorable mention awards of $500 each.

Eligibility

Individuals or teams must be currently enrolled University of Oregon undergraduates or recent graduates. All class levels and disciplines are eligible.
Eligible projects must have been completed for an upper division (300 - 400 level) UO credit course during the prior calendar year (e.g., for the 2008 competition, eligible projects are those completed during Winter term 2007, Spring term 2007, Summer Session 2007, or Fall term 2007).
Projects must be nominated by the faculty member responsible for the course.
Individuals or teams must agree to contribute their projects to the permanent collections of the University of Oregon Libraries and the UO Scholars' Bank digital repository.

Evaluation Criteria

Successful projects will:

Make extensive, creative use of library services, resources, and collections in any format.
Demonstrate effective application of information literacy and fluency principles:
- determining information needs
- evaluating and analyzing information
- managing, organizing, and synthesizing information
- applying information in the context of the research project
- communicating information in formats appropriate to an academic audience
- making responsible use of information by providing appropriate and accurate citations and credits
Show evidence of significant personal knowledge in the methods of research and inquiry.
Demonstrate originality of thought, mastery of content appropriate to class level, clear writing, and overall quality of presentation.

Evaluation Committee

For 2008, submissions will be evaluated by a panel of faculty members and administrators representing the University Library Committee, UO Libraries, Undergraduate Studies, and the Office of Financial Aid/Scholarships. Membership will be posted on this site when panelists are confirmed.

Application Procedure & Deadline

Applications will consist of:

Application cover sheet [pdf] for Individual Projects or Team Projects
Application checklist [pdf]
Nomination form [pdf] and letter from the supervising faculty member or instructor. Please provide a copy of the course syllabus with the nomination letter.
A 500-750 word essay describing research strategies and application of library tools and resources in completion of the project
A bibliography or other appropriate listing of sources consulted.
A final version of the research project:
- Written projects should be double-spaced; there is no minimum or maximum length.
- Digital projects: submit a printout of the first 'page' of the project in addition to the digitally formatted version. Provide a DVD or CD copy of web based projects. For all other project formats, consult with the Award Committee Chair, c/o libaward@uoregon.edu, to determine the appropriate format of project submissions.
- All other application components must be submitted in paper.

Application deadline is 5:00 p.m., January 31, 2008. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Late applications will not be considered. Applications will not be returned; please submit copies.

When preparing your application package, please do not use staples, bind projects, or put projects in 3-ring binders. Use paper clips, envelopes, or folders.

Mail or deliver the complete application package to:

Undergraduate Research Award Committee
115 Knight Library
University of Oregon
Eugene OR 97403-1299

Award Notification and Disposition

Winners will be notified no later than March 1, 2008. Award recipients and faculty sponsors will be honored at a reception early in the Spring term. For currently enrolled students, awards are given as scholarships, with funds applied directly to the UO billing account. If the recipient has already graduated, the award will be given as a cash prize. Team awards will be divided equally among all members. Please note that depending on the recipient's enrollment status and income, the Undergraduate Research Award may be reportable as taxable income.

Acknowledgements

The 2008 Undergraduate Research Award program is made possible by the Jon and Lisa Stine Endowment and the Milton C. and Barbara B. Sparks Endowment. We gratefully acknowledge this generous support. We also extend our thanks to the libraries of the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Washington for their guidance and direction in the development of the Undergraduate Research Award program.

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/researchprize/
http://www.lib.washington.edu/researchaward/

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Maintained by: Andrew Bonamici, bonamici@uoregon.edu