STEM Research Abroad Fellowship

Cal Lutheran students in STEM disciplines, including psychology and public health, can apply for the Study Abroad Summer STEM Research Fellowship. Each fellowship ranges in length from six to eight weeks and combines an academically rigorous, full time research experience at a top university with a rewarding cultural experience in one of five countries.

The fellowship covers the cost of participating in an Arcadia University STEM Research Program. The opportunity is co-sponsored by OURCS and the Study Abroad Center.

• Funding
• Eligibility
• Requirements/Expectations
• How to Apply
• Decision Process

Funding

• Selected students will receive full funding to participate in an Arcadia University STEM
  Summer Research Program.
• Program fees include tuition for six credits of research, on-site orientation, full support
  services throughout the program, pre- and post-program advisory services, student health and accident insurance, and an official transcript.
•  Program fees also include housing in university accommodations. Accommodation type
  varies by location, but students will be in self-catered, shared accommodations on or
  close to the host campus.
•  Nominated students will also receive funding for the cost of one round-trip ticket to their
  program destination.
•  The student is responsible for meals, personal expenses and travel during the duration of
  the program.

Requirements/Expectations

• The student must complete all requirements of the Study Abroad Center including
  Pre-Departure paperwork associated with a typical term abroad and attend Pre-Departure Orientation sessions.
•  The student will be assigned a research project in a selected field of interest and guided in the development of a research proposal that includes a hypothesis, articulated goals, and an experimental strategy.
•  Prior to arrival, the student will need to complete and submit a comprehensive Literature
  Review to Arcadia.
•  Fellows will participate as an active member of a research group, spend 180-240 hours on research and research-related activities, and be assigned a member of the research group to act as mentor in the day-to-day research process.
•  The student is expected to master general and specialized scientific techniques and show initiative to complete work independently while approaching the research mentor
  regularly for guidance.
• By the end of the program, fellows will complete a research paper written in a style
  appropriate for publication in a peer-reviewed journal in the specific field.
•  The work culminates in the opportunity to present the research to members of the
  research team, and the Cal Lutheran community back home. The research presentation
  and manuscript will be evaluated and graded as part of the six-credit course.
•  Each fellow must present their results of their summer research work at the CLU Student
  Research Symposium which is held in the fall. Additionally, students are expected to
  present at the Festival of Scholars in the spring.
• Students must be enrolled the year following the opportunity (graduating seniors are not eligible). 

How to Apply

1. Look over the STEM Summer Research Project list: http://studyabroad.arcadia.edu/find-a-program/stem-summer/stem-summer-research-project-list/ 
2. Meet with someone in the Study Abroad Office to talk about the details of the opportunity: https://www.callutheran.edu/students/study-abroad/
3. Email OURCS. If you are planning to submit an application, please email OURCS@callutheran.edu let us know via email as early as possible. This is not binding, but rather to give us a rough idea of how many applications we can anticipate.
4. Letter of Recommendation -In addition to the application information outlined below, each application must include a confidential letter of recommendation from a faculty that can commit to supporting you in the Fall after you return from your trip. They will be responsible for helping you make a research poster for Student Research Symposium, Festival of Scholars and an off-campus conference.  In addition to this statement of support, the letter should comment on the student's academic abilities as well as their work ethic, responsibility, and initiative. The letter should be uploaded to the application.   The content of this letter will only be seen by the reviewers – it will not be shared with the student or the faculty mentor.

Application-

 With your faculty mentor, draft an application with the following information (below). When ready, you can submit a completed application online.  Proposals may not contain images or figures. 

The deadline for applications is 5:00 pm on November 15th. If November 15th falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the application deadline will move to the following Monday at 5:00 pm. Applications received after the deadline will be considered only if funds remain after all other projects are evaluated. The application document must include (online form will ask for the same information as noted below):

STEM Abroad Online Application

1. The application form will request  the following information: 
• Student  (Full Name, Major, Email, and Graduation Date)
• Faculty  Mentor (person who will write a letter of rec for you) (Name & Email)
• GPA. Student's grade point average (overall and in discipline of study)
• Student's previous research experience –Though not necessarily required for many of the projects (the program will provide training), please describe your previous research experience, including classes with a lab component:
• Statement of Interest

  Please respond to the following questions:

  • What competencies or skills do you hope to gain by participating in an academically rigorous international research experience?
  • How will your participation in an international research program help you achieve certain academic, professional and personal goals?
• Projects.  Please refer to Arcadia University’s list of topics from this year or last year and describe at least two categories of research you would be interested in pursuing and your rational (i.e. atmospheric science, botany, etc.). PROJECT LIST 
• Presentations. The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) has published extensively on the importance for the student's identity and professional development that the project leads to a product (e.g., paper, poster, performance, etc.) that is shared by the student with others beyond the university. Identify the venue at which you anticipate the results of this project could be presented, not including the on-campus presentations which are required as part of the award.
• SRS Availability. Presenting at the Fall Student Research Symposium is mandatory for all Research Fellows. Can you commit to attending this important event? 

For the application to be considered complete, the following additional items must be
completed:

• Letter of rec from nominating faculty.
  
  
• Study Abroad Office meeting .
  
  
• Official transcript to OURCS. 

Decision Process

All applications for the Study Abroad Summer STEM Research Fellowship will be reviewed by a committee composed of Natural Science Division Department Chairs and a representative from the Study Abroad Center.

 The committee will review and rate applications based on the following criteria:

•  The applicant’s talents and background are appropriate for the proposed work,
  given the guidance likely to be given by the mentor.
•  The applicant clearly articulates his/her interest in conducting research abroad and
  how participation in the program will develop the skills and experience needed to
  achieve personal, academic and professional goals.
•  The applicant submitted a comprehensive, well-written statement with
  demonstrative evidence of thoughtful planning for full-time research abroad that
  is backed up by a strong academic record and faculty reference.
•  The applicant explains how and to what degree this research abroad experience
  will lead to specific future publications and presentations.

 The Director of the OURCS, the Associate Provost for Experiential Learning and a Study
Abroad Center representative will be consulted as part of the decision-making process.

 The quality of the writing will be taken into consideration – a well-written proposal will
be given preference over a poorly written proposal.

Students will be notified of the status of their application within approximately 4 weeks
of the deadline via email.