The SHARE Award Program will not be offered in 2023-24.

The information on this page is provided for reference purposes only and describes program parameters from 2021-22.

Students and faculty are encouraged to consider participating in the
SHARE Virtual Summer Apprenticeship Program.

Program Overview
SHARE Recipients
Eligibility
How to Apply
Application Outlines
Information for Faculty Mentors
Working with a SHARE Apprentice
Criteria for Review and Selection
FAQ
Forms and Materials

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Program Overview

The SHARE program supports undergraduate research projects in the social sciences, humanities, and arts. SHARE is designed especially for students in the earlier stages of their college careers as a means of introducing students to research in their chosen field and of developing skills they will need for further research projects.

In this research apprenticeship, students spend an average of 9 hours per week during the spring semester working on a faculty project. Ideally, a SHARE partnership will continue past the spring semester, allowing both faculty mentor and student apprentice to continue the project, potentially leading to a more independent role for the student.

Examples of SHARE apprentice duties may include, but are not limited to: conducting library research, assisting in experiments, coding and/or analyzing data, and conducting and/or transcribing interviews.

During the Spring semester, student apprentices will receive up to $1,500 in stipend funding, paid out as hourly wages, and faculty mentors will receive a $500 professional development stipend.

SHARE Teams
SHARE teams consist of a faculty mentor and one student apprentice who apply jointly for the program.

Faculty members are encouraged to identify early career students who would benefit from a SHARE apprenticeship and invite student apprentices to work with them on a potential SHARE project. Students interested in the program may also approach faculty members to express their interest in a potential SHARE apprenticeship.

This program prioritizes early career students with little to no prior research experience. Students from underrepresented backgrounds, 1st generation students, and students with high financial need are encouraged to apply.

Please note: *Only ONE* SHARE student will be funded to work with a particular faculty member.

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SHARE Recipients

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Eligibility

The student apprentice:

• Must be majoring or pre-majoring in the social sciences, humanities, or arts at any UConn campus
• Must be a first-, second-, or third-year undergraduate student
• Must be a full-time student at a UConn campus during the SHARE semester (i.e., not studying abroad)
• May receive only one SHARE academic year award and one SHARE summer award during their years at UConn
• Must be eligible to work on-campus. International students interested in the SHARE program should consult with the International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) Office for information on their eligibility for employment on-campus.

This program prioritizes early career students with little to no prior research experience. Students from underrepresented backgrounds, 1st generation students, and students with high financial need are encouraged to apply.

The faculty mentor:

• Must be a full-time faculty member in the social sciences, humanities, or arts at any UConn campus
• May submit one (exceptionally, two) SHARE application(s) per application cycle
• May reapply in subsequent years with the same or different projects

AWARD CONDITIONS

• Funded projects will start in the spring semester.
• For funded projects involving human subjects, documentation of IRB approval or of a complete IRB protocol submission must be sent to OUR as part of the award acceptance process. The deadline for award acceptance is Friday, December 10, 2021, so please plan your IRB timeline accordingly.
• For funded projects, faculty mentors agree to complete the EHS/OUR Safety Confirmation form for the student apprentice, and if appropriate, add your student apprentice to your research group in the new HuskySMS platform and indicate the student’s job activities which will trigger any necessary EHS trainings. Students will provide OUR with a screenshot of their safety training history from the HuskySMS homepage.
• Students agree to devote an average of 9 hours/week to the project for 14 weeks during the semester.
• Students receive up to $1500 in stipend funding, paid out as an hourly wage.
• Faculty members receive a $500 professional development stipend at the start of the semester.
• Students will complete a brief weekly reflection to document their learning.
• Faculty will complete a weekly online activity log to document the student’s contributions.
• SHARE award recipients must present at the Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition (during the SHARE funded semester, the following fall, or the following spring).
• Student recipients must submit a SHARE Completion Form to the Office of Undergraduate Research by Monday, May 9, 2022.
• Faculty recipients must submit a SHARE Student Apprentice Assessment Form to the Office of Undergraduate Research by Monday, May 9, 2022.

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Submit an Application

The SHARE Award Program will not be offered in 2022-23.

The information on this page is provided for reference purposes only and describes program parameters from 2021-22.

Faculty: If you are interested in working with a research apprentice, please consider participating in the SHARE Virtual Summer Apprenticeship Program.

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Application Outlines

The application outlines linked below give you the information that you will need to provide and questions you will need to answer in the SHARE online application.

• Student application outline
• Faculty application outline

Applications are submitted via the Quest Portal. You can begin working on your SHARE application as soon as the online application opens and submit your application at any time prior to the application deadline.

Students, please note that the final question on the application will ask you to certify that you have prepared your application materials in accordance with University standards for academic integrity. Learn more about academic integrity.

The Quest Portal User Tips page addresses common user questions related to Requesting a Recommendation, Modifying a Completed Task, and Submitting an Application.

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Information for Faculty Mentors

The research apprenticeship opportunity offered by the SHARE program provides faculty members with eager assistants for faculty-driven projects, allowing faculty members to focus on their own research interests while introducing future researchers to the reality of research in their intended discipline. There is also a potential to continue the student’s involvement with the project past the tenure of the SHARE program, through independent study or research credits.

Faculty mentors will benefit from the assistance of the research apprentice, who will be able to provide support for the faculty mentor with aspects of a project including, but not limited to: library research, assisting in experiments, coding and/or analyzing data, and conducting and/or transcribing interviews. For their commitment to mentoring the student apprentice, faculty mentors will receive a $500 professional development stipend at the start of the semester.

Please note that it is expected that students will prepare their own application materials in consultation with you. The final question on the student application will the student to certify that he/she has prepared his/her application materials in accordance with University standards for academic integrity.

In SHARE teams, faculty mentors serve as “master researchers” to their student apprentices, exposing the students to research methods and procedures. As such, faculty mentors agree to:

• Directly mentor the student apprentice, including regular face-to-face meetings to discuss the project;
• Provide oversight and feedback for the student on his/her work throughout the project;
• Ensure that the student is adequately trained and added to any pertinent research compliance protocols;
• Provide sufficient tasks and duties for the student apprentice to fulfill the required 9 hours/week devoted to the SHARE project;
• Complete a brief weekly checklist indicating which tasks the student worked on that week;
• Complete the student apprentice assessment form at the end of the semester to offer feedback on the student’s performance and contribution to the project; and
• Make sure the student submits timesheets on a biweekly basis that accord with hours worked.

Please note: For funded projects involving human subjects, documentation of IRB approval or of a complete IRB protocol submission must be sent to OUR as part of the award acceptance process. The deadline for award acceptance is Friday, December 10, 2021, so please plan your IRB timeline accordingly.

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Working with a SHARE Apprentice

A SHARE research apprentice can support your work in a variety of ways while also deepening their understanding of the research or creative process. The research skills apprentices develop, the exposure to an area or topic of interest, and the valuable mentorship they receive can serve as a foundation for sustained participation in research.

The list below highlights some activities and tasks that SHARE apprentices have engaged in while participating in a faculty mentor’s research and creative activities.

Meetings, Observation, and Training:Attended lab/research team/research group meetings

• Observed faculty mentor conducting a project-related task
• Received instruction on how to execute a task (such as training on software, equipment, or other tools) and practice executing this task
• Provided project-related training to others

Design and Administration:

• Helped design a study or experiment (including materials, stimuli, protocol, or instrument development)
• Completed administrative tasks related to the SHARE project (e.g. schedule participant appointments, prepare assessment materials for use with participants)

Literature Search and Review:

• Searched for or located relevant sources
• Reviewed and summarized literature/sources
• Synthesized literature/sources in a literature review or other format

Data Collection and Analysis:

• Collected, recorded, and/or processed data or information
• Engaged in qualitative data analysis (e.g. code interview transcripts)
• Engaged in quantitative data analysis (e.g. run correlational analysis on a data set)

Academic Communication and Engagement:

• Prepared figures, graphs, tables, or other visual communication elements
• Provided feedback/comments on a piece of academic writing/output (e.g. article, book chapter, policy memo, grant proposal, poster)
• Wrote some of all of a piece of academic writing/output (e.g. article, book chapter, policy memo, grant proposal, poster)
• Attended a talk, presentation, conference, or other academic event
• Made a project-related presentation to an audience

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Criteria for Review and Selection

Applications will be reviewed by an interdisciplinary faculty committee and assessed on the following dimensions:

• Role of student mentee in the project and contributions to the outcomes
• Selection of student as a research mentee
• Faculty mentoring plan
• Potential for student intellectual growth
• Student interest and knowledge
• Potential for impact on the student

The review committee uses the Evaluation Rubric for SHARE Applications to assess proposed projects. Student and faculty applicants are encouraged to review the rubric as they draft and revise their application materials to ensure that they meet the criteria associated with strong proposals.

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FAQ

I’m a freshman. Can I apply for a SHARE Award? What should I enter in the GPA field of the application?

Yes, you can apply. First-, second-, and third-year students interested in getting involved in research are encouraged to participate in the SHARE program to gain the experience and knowledge necessary to continue research in their discipline. Freshmen have received SHARE Awards in past competitions. Please enter 0.00 in the application field that requests a GPA as you do not yet have a UConn GPA.

What are the benefits of participating in a SHARE project?

Because you will be paired with a faculty member on his/her research project, you’ll benefit from close interaction and a mentoring relationship with an expert in your field. You’ll develop as a scholar as you gain first-hand experience with practical application of concepts learned in classes. Students are encouraged to continue their work on the SHARE project with their faculty mentor in subsequent semesters through independent study or research credits. The SHARE project experience can also provide a foundation for independent research leading to the completion of an Honors thesis or capstone project.

How many hours per week will I be expected to work?

During the funded semester, you will be expected to commit an average of 9 hours per week for 14 weeks. Your SHARE Award of up to $1,500 will be paid out as hourly wages.

What are the student apprentice’s responsibilities during the SHARE project?

As a student apprentice, you are responsible for fulfilling all the terms of the SHARE program, including:

• Devoting 9 hours/week to the SHARE project for the 14-week Spring semester;
• Working directly with your faculty mentor, including meeting regularly, completing assigned tasks, and adhering to any additional requirements set out in the project agreement;
• Completing a brief weekly reflection indicating which tasks you worked on that week and what you learned;
• Submitting a SHARE Completion Form to the OUR at the end of the SHARE semester; and
• Presenting a poster at the Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition in the fall or spring semester. Note that a spring presentation can take place during your SHARE semester or the following year.

How can I find a faculty mentor to work with?

Students interested in the SHARE program are encouraged to approach faculty members in their departments or related fields to express interest in partnering on a SHARE project. If you have ideas for a potential research project, familiarize yourself with the faculty research going on in your department and related fields to find faculty members with research interests similar to yours. Be sure to set up an appointment or stop by office hours to talk to the faculty member in person. Once you have a faculty mentor, you will submit a joint application to the OUR.

Can I get course credit for working on a SHARE project?

Under certain circumstances, it may be possible to earn credit for work associated with the SHARE project. The availability of credit will ultimately be determined by the department, and you are encouraged to discuss the possibility with your faculty mentor. In order to earn course credit through an independent study or research course, you will be required to complete additional work outside of the 9 hours/week devoted to the SHARE program. The supplemental work should be of an academic nature and might include writing a final paper about your findings or experience during the SHARE work, contributing to a paper or article with your faculty mentor, or another assignment at the faculty mentor’s discretion.

Can I continue working on the SHARE project after the funded semester?

Yes! Students and faculty mentors are encouraged to continue working on the SHARE project past the funded semester. Express your interest in continuing your work on the project with your faculty mentor at the beginning of the project, to start considering different options. You may also opt to continue your research on an independent project, perhaps leading to the completion of an Honors thesis or capstone project.

How are SHARE funds disbursed?

The Office of Undergraduate Research will arrange for the student to be added to payroll and paid for hours reported on biweekly timesheets (submitted electronically via the CoreCT system) up to the $1,500 award amount. The $500 faculty professional development stipend will be transferred to the ledger 2 account provided by the faculty member on the award letter.

I have questions about SHARE. Is there someone I can speak with?

If you have questions about SHARE or the application process, contact the Office of Undergraduate Research at our@uconn.edu or schedule an appointment with an OUR Advisor via Nexus under “Enrichment Programs.”

I was not selected to receive a SHARE Award. Can you tell me why?

OUR staff are available to meet with applicants to provide feedback about the strengths and weaknesses the review committee identified in their proposals. We will not provide rubrics, scores, or name the reviewers of particular proposals.

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Forms and Materials

SHARE Faculty Application Outline

SHARE Student Application Outline

Evaluation Rubric for SHARE Applications