Oberlin College Research Fellowship
2021 Application

Due April 4th, 2021 by 11:59pm

The Oberlin College Research Fellowship (OCRF) seeks to increase the diversity of academic researchers by providing full-time mentored research experiences to talented Oberlin students who are students of color, low-income students, and/or first-generation college students. OCRF aims to facilitate the intellectual and professional development of accepted students to prepare them to earn PhDs or other advanced degrees. Participation in OCRF will help to prepare students for careers in higher education or in professional fields such as law or medicine. The program is open to students in all research fields, disciplines, and majors who meet the requirements for eligibility.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

Non-graduating Oberlin College student who was enrolled during the 2020-21 academic year

Able to undertake full-time research and programming on campus June 8 to July 30, 2021

No other major commitments between June 8th - July 30th (e.g. classes, other employment, etc.)

Good academic standing and a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher

Have not previously participated in 2 summers of OCRF research

Identification with one or more of the following:

First-generation college student (i.e., no parent has ever been awarded a Bachelor's Degree)

Low-income student (i.e., Pell Grant eligible or the equivalent)

Person of color (i.e., Black, Latinx, Native American, Pacific Islander, or of Asian or Middle Eastern descent)

There is no citizenship requirement for OCRF, and undocumented students are encouraged to apply.

2021 Program Components

One summer mentored research with the ability to reapply for a second summer

Programming through Oberlin Summer Research Institute (OSRI) to promote research skills and personal development

Community building through shared housing and activities

Summer 2021 program dates: June 8th – July 31st, 2021

Award

Student stipend: $3200

Mentor stipend: $500

Housing support

$350 research funds

Program Requirements

8 weeks of full-time research and programming June 8 through July 31, 2021

No other major obligations during this period (e.g. classes, other employment, etc.)

In residence at Oberlin College

Participation in ObieSafe COVID testing and protocols throughout program

Participation in OSRI workshops and community building events

Mentors must be on campus for the majority of the program

IRB and/or IACUC approval prior to June 2021 if applicable

Application Procedure and Award Selection

The complete application should be submitted as a single PDF document (excluding reference forms) by 11:59pm on April 4th by email to OUR@oberlin.edu. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed. A complete application includes the following:

☐Signed and completed application cover page

☐Research proposal section: completed by the student under the guidance of their proposed mentor

☐Personal statement section: completed by the student

☐Mentoring plan: completed by the student and mentor in collaboration

☐Unofficial transcript

☐Two recommendations completed by Oberlin faculty who can speak to the applicant’s potential for research or advanced academic work

The General Faculty Committee on Undergraduate Research will review all completed applications submitted on or before the deadline and select a new cohort of fellows who will join the continuing OCRF fellows. Applicants will be notified by the end of April on the status of their application. Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Strength of the research project proposed by the student

Demonstrated promise for completing a long-term, intensive research project

Alignment with the goals of OCRF

Ability to contribute to an inclusive and supportive community of undergraduate researchers

Application Cover Page

Personal Information

Name:	Pronouns:	Date of birth:
T#:	Graduation Year:	# completed credits:
Major(s):	Minor(s)/Concentration(s):	GPA:

Contact Information

Email:	Cell #:	OCMR #:
Permanent Address:
City, State:	Zip Code:	Country:

Eligibility

Please check any of the following that apply to you: First Generation Low Income
Black/African Descent Asian Descent Native American Pacific Islander Middle Eastern Descent Latinx

Project Information

Project Title:
Does this project require regulatory approval? IRB IACUC No	If so, have you received approval? Yes will by May 2021 Not Applicable

Research Mentor’s Information

Mentor:	Mentor’s Department:
Mentor’s Email:	Mentor’s Phone Ext:

Academic References’ Contact Information

1st Recommender:	Email:
2nd Recommender:	Email:

Student’s Signature:

I affirm that all information submitted through this application is accurate to the best of my knowledge

I affirm that all the information provided on this application resulted from my own work and is not replicated from another source

If I am awarded OCRF:

I agree to engage in full time research during the eight-week program (June 8 to July 31, 2021)

I agree to conduct my research with the highest ethical standards

I agree to be in residence at Oberlin College for the eight-week program (June 8 to July 31, 2021)

I agree that I will not commit to any other major obligations such as employment or coursework during the eight-week program (June 8 to July 31, 2021)

I agree to attend all required workshops and community building events

I agree to participate in ObieSafe COVID testing and follow all ObieSafe protocols

Signature:	Date:

Mentor’s Signature:

If my student is awarded OCRF:

I agree to serve as the mentor for the student listed on this application

I agree to be in residence at Oberlin College for the majority of summer (June and July) 2021 and to make arrangements for continued mentorship of my mentee if I will be away

I agree to meet with my mentee in person at least once a week for the majority of the program

Signature:	Date:

Department/Program Chair’s Signature:

I support the enclosed application

I agree to help the student find another mentor if the current mentor is unable to continue mentoring the student

Signature:	Date:

Research Proposal Section

***Completed by the student under the guidance of the mentor***

Background and Literature Review (1500 characters or less): Provide a brief introduction to your research project. Please keep in mind that individuals on the selection committee come from a diverse array of academic backgrounds. Thus, your descriptions should be targeted to a general academic audience and provide enough background information for us to evaluate the rest of your proposal. Your introduction should address the following questions: In what research field would you place your proposed research project? What work has already been published in this field?

Provide the full citation for any references used in the above section:

Research Question or Critical Problem (1500 characters or less): Discuss your initial research question or critical problem for your proposed project. How does your research question address a gap in knowledge in your field? Why is your research question important to your field and the common good?

Methodology (1500 characters or less): Describe the methods that you will use to address your research question. Why are these methods the most appropriate for your research question? Again, you should keep in mind the broad academic backgrounds of individuals on the selection committee and ensure that they understand what your research would involve and how your methods would allow you to address your research question.

Ethics Statement (1500 characters or less): If appropriate to your project, discuss any ethical issues raised by your research question or methodology. For example, would your research involve collecting data from a vulnerable population? How will you mitigate these issues? A response is required for any project requiring IRB or IACUC approval.

If appropriate to your field, discuss your anticipated findings and/or hypotheses (1500 characters or less): Based on the information presented in your background and literature review, what do you expect to find from your research? Why do you expect these findings? How will your findings address your research question?

Provide a timeline and/or strategic plan for how you will complete your research project over the course of your summer in OCRF. If you plan to continue working on your research project during the academic year, you may include goals for the academic year in your timeline/strategic plan.

Personal Statement Section

***Completed by the student***

Why are you interested in academic research and your proposed research project in particular? (1000 characters or less)

What are your academic and career goals? How will your participation in this program help you achieve these goals? (1000 characters or less)

OCRF offers a community of individuals that will support, offer accountability for, and inspire each other to conduct excellent academic research. How will you contribute to this environment? (1000 characters or less)

OCRF aims to increase the diversity of academic researchers and is intended for students underrepresented in their fields of research. How would your participation in OCRF promote the goals of the program? (1000 characters or less)

Mentoring Plan

***Completed by the student and mentor in collaboration***

What knowledge and research skills are necessary to complete the proposed research project (e.g. reading the literature on the use African American Vernacular English in 20th century literature, mastering the technique of Western Blotting, learning how to design an appropriate survey, etc.)? (1000 characters or less)

How will the student acquire the knowledge and research skills mentioned above? (1000 characters or less)

For students proposing an independent project, why is the chosen mentor best suited to serve as the research mentor for the proposed project?

For students joining an ongoing collaborative project, how does this project align with your research interests?

(1000 characters or less)

Given that a key component of OCRF is mentored research and that mentors are required to meet with their mentees at least weekly, will the mentor be away from campus during the summer? If so, how long and how will the student be supported during these absences? (1000 characters or less)

For students proposing independent projects, discuss how structure, accountability, and training on the methods needed to complete the project will be provided to the student by the mentor.

For students joining ongoing collaborative projects initially designed by their mentors, describe how the student’s independence will be promoted and what specific role(s) the student will have in the project. (1000 characters or less)