Program Overview
The Research Apprenticeship Program, RAP, provides early career undergraduates with an opportunity to work closely with a graduate student mentor on a research project over the fall semester. These meaningful learning experiences allow students to develop foundational research skills that they can build on as they progress through their academic career, as well as to establish mentoring relationships with graduate students.
Research apprentices commit to working on a graduate student mentor’s project over the course of the fall semester, with project weeks and hours per week to be determined in collaboration with the graduate student mentor. Research apprentices earn up to $500, paid as a stipend, and graduate student mentors receive a $500s stipend in recognition of their mentorship. Apprentices will be required to work approximately 2-3 hours a week over the fall semester. RAP participants will also have the option to continue over the spring semester for course credit as arranged by the apprentice and graduate student mentor.
Examples of RAP apprentice duties may include, but are not limited to: conducting literature reviews, assisting in designing a study or experiment, developing creative content, coding and/or analyzing data, and conducting and/or transcribing interviews.
This program is supported by The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) in collaboration with the Center for Access and Postsecondary Success (CAPS)/McNair Program, Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP), and The Graduate School.
If you have questions about the program, please contact Dr. Micah Heumann, Director in the Office of Undergraduate Research, at micah.heumann@uconn.edu.
Eligibility and Award Terms
Eligibility and Award Terms
To be eligible to apply, a student applicant must:
- Be a full-time undergraduate UConn student.
- Be a first-, second-, or third-year undergraduate student.
- Be in good academic standing at the time of application and remain in good academic standing while participating in the program.
Please reach out to Micah Heumann (micah.heumann@uconn.edu) if you have questions on eligibility.
You do not need prior research experience to apply for the Research Apprenticeship Program, RAP. This program prioritizes early career students with little or no prior research experience. Students from underrepresented backgrounds, 1st generation students, and students with financial need are encouraged to apply.
The goal of this program is to foster new student-graduate student connections. As part of the award conditions, graduate student mentors are asked to select a student they are not currently working with and/or have not previously worked with in a research capacity.
Undergraduate students are only eligible to participate in the RAP program once during their time at UConn. Students who have held a RAP apprenticeship in a previous semester cannot apply for a second apprenticeship. In addition, students are limited to one RAP apprenticeship in a fall semester.
Award Terms:
- Apprentices will earn up to $500, paid as a stipend, for work on the RAP project. Apprentices will be paid at the completion of the fall semester of the program.
- Apprentices agree to complete a reflection at the mid-point of the apprenticeship and to submit an end-of-semester reflection to the Office of Undergraduate Research at the conclusion of the apprenticeship.
- Apprentices agree to present at the Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition the spring following the apprenticeship.
Please note: All undergraduate students accepted for RAP apprenticeship will have the stipend paid through the fellowship workflow which places the stipend on to the students fee bill.
Dates & Deadlines
Dates & Deadlines
Fall 2026 apprenticeship descriptions will be posted on the RAP website and applications will open to students in early March 2026.
The application deadline is Friday, March 27, 2026. Application reviews will begin after the application deadline.
Apprentices will coordinate their fall apprenticeship start date and schedule with their graduate student mentors. Project work can begin once the fall semester has begun (no earlier than day one of the fall semester). RAP apprenticeships must be completed before the end of the fall semester (no later than the start of fall semester finals).
Apprentices will complete reflections at the mid-point of the apprenticeship and at the conclusion of the apprenticeship. RAP apprentices will also present at the Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition in the spring following the apprenticeship.
Preparing an Application
Preparing an Application
Applications are submitted via the Quest Portal link found in each position description.
There is a standard set of application questions that all applicants will be required to answer.
Please make sure to review the program eligibility requirements prior to applying. Applications from students who do not meet the eligibility requirements will not be considered.
- Link to application will be live in March 2026
Fall 2026 Apprenticeships
Apprenticeship Descriptions
| Graduate Student Mentor | Opportunity Link |
FAQs
FAQs
I participated in RAP last fall; can I apply again this fall?
I'm interested in multiple RAP apprenticeships. Can I work with more than one mentor in the fall?
How many hours will I be expected to work each week?
Can I keep working on the project after the fall semester?
I'm already working with a graduate student mentor; can I apply for this to fund my fall research with my graduate student mentor?
Who should I contact with questions about the RAP Apprenticeships?
I participated in RAP last fall; can I apply again this fall?
You are only eligible to participate in RAP once during your time at UConn. If you held a RAP apprenticeship in a previous semester, you are not eligible to participate in the RAP again in future semesters.
I'm interested in multiple RAP apprenticeships. Can I work with more than one mentor in the fall?
You can apply for as many apprenticeships as you are interested in. Students are limited to participating in one RAP apprenticeship in the fall.
How many hours will I be expected to work each week?
To earn the full $500 award, apprentices will need to work approximately 2-3 hours per week but will vary based on the needs and preferences of the graduate student mentor. Before accepting an apprenticeship, students are encouraged to discuss any prior commitments with graduate student mentors to assure there are no conflicts.
Can I keep working on the project after the fall semester?
Once the RAP apprenticeship is complete, it will be at the discretion of the graduate student mentor to determine if there are opportunities for the student to continue assisting with the project. We hope that these apprenticeships grow into longer-term engagement in research, whether it be through students continuing to work with their graduate student mentor on the mentor's research or through students pursing their own research projects.
I'm already working with a graduate student mentor; can I apply for this to fund my fall semester research with my graduate student mentor?
No, this program cannot fund the continuation of ongoing undergraduate student-graduate student research collaborations. The goal of this program is to foster new undergraduate student-graduate student connections and to provide students with little or no prior research experience an opportunity to gain valuable exposure to the research process. As part of the award conditions, graduate student mentors are asked to select a student they are not currently working with and/or have not previously worked with in a research capacity.
Who should I contact with questions about the RAP Apprenticeships?
Questions about the RAP should be directed to Micah Heumann (micah.heumann@uconn.edu) in the Office of Undergraduate Research.