Undergraduate students interested in working as a STEM Education research fellow have just a few more days to apply. The application deadline is Friday, May 22.
Molly Fisher, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of STEM Education, was awarded a three-year renewal of a $378,159 Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) grant, providing paid research experiences for undergraduate students. Jennifer Wilhelm, Ph.D., a STEM Education professor, is co-principal investigator for the grant project.
This highly competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) program helps provide student research opportunities for undergraduate students. The STEM Education grant will fund a 7th cohort of research fellows in the department. While UK students will be considered, interested students can be from any institution within driving distance of UK.
Research fellows work approximately 15 hours per week in the fall and spring semesters and are paid $7,200 per year. The project culminates with a fully paid trip to the National Conference of Undergraduate Research.
“This research program is great for any undergraduate student who would like to learn more about doing research in their own classrooms when they become a teacher,” Fisher said.
It is also helpful for those considering pursuing graduate programs.
“If a student is considering a graduate degree, this program can help them make more informed decisions about attending graduate school,” said Jonathan Thomas, Ed.D., STEM Education department chair.
Applicants must be:
• education majors (any grade level)
• a student at any college or university within driving distance of UK
• not student teaching during the 2020-2021 academic year
• interested in at least one of the four areas of STEM Education.
“Students involved with the research projects are fully invested in the project from the beginning to the end. Many of the previous research fellows have graduated with a manuscript published that they co-authored with their faculty mentor,” said Wilhelm.
To date, STEM Education undergraduate research fellows have co-authored 19 publications and 32 conference presentations.
For more information, visit https://education.uky.edu/stem/reu/. Contact Dr. Molly Fisher for more information at molly.fisher@uky.edu.