HURF

hand pointing to old book

The Humanities Undergraduate Research Fellowship program awards fellowships to students who conduct research or creative scholarship in the humanities under the mentorship of a University of Oregon faculty member. The program takes place over sixteen weeks during the winter and spring terms. 

The program is the result of a collaboration between the Oregon Humanities Center, the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, and the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program.

Eligible Projects

  • Independent, student-led projects 
  • Faculty-led projects where undergraduates contribute to a project developed by the faculty member

Announcements

Timeline

action date
Application Deadline November 29 at 11:59 pm
Selections Made Early December
Fellowship Period 16 weeks over winter and spring terms 
UO Undergraduate Research Symposium TBA



Fellowship Overview

The HURF program is a 16 week fellowship for undergraduate students conducting research in the humanities under the guidance of a UO faculty mentor.

During the fellowship period the cohort meets weekly to workshop their projects and participate in seminars related to research skills development, research ethics, communicating research, and career preparation.

Fellows receive a $2,500 fellowship award and their faculty mentors receive $500 in research support.

Fellowship Details

Recipients will receive a $2,500 fellowship award during the sixteen-week fellowship period. The faculty mentor of the fellow will receive $500.

IMPORTANT: If you are receiving federal financial aid, this award may affect your financial aid eligibility. Students who receive federal aid have a responsibility to report all awards earned to the UO Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships for more information.

Fellowship Expectations

  • Commit regular effort to conducting research during the fellowship period;
  • attend monthly meetings during the sixteen-week fellowship period to share research progress with the other students in your HURF cohort, and take part in guided discussions/workshops on topics such as the responsible conduct of research; effective research communication; graduate school preparation; and applying for other fellowships/scholarships;
  • complete a final paper;
  • share the results of your research project at the UO Undergraduate Symposium as part of a HURF panel;
  • acknowledge the Oregon Humanities Center, and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation in any work resulting from research done during the fellowship period;
  • notify the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program of any publications, conference presentations, or other awards or fellowships that result from your research project;
  • notify the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program immediately of other support or any conflict with the eligiblity criteria of this fellowship.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Research projects must be humanistic, but undergraduate students may be majors in any department, college, or school. The term humanities as used here includes literature; philosophy; history; religion; ethics; the history, theory, and criticism of the arts; and historical or interpretive aspects of social and natural sciences and the professions.
  • Applicant must be a full-time student with a GPA of 3.5 or greater in UO humanities courses.
  • Applicant must have a project proposal finalized and faculty mentor secured prior to applying.
  • Applicant must obtain a commitment from a faculty member to supervise their research project as their mentor. Faculty mentors must be Tenure Track Faculty or Career Non-tenure Track Faculty with an FTE of .50 or above.  Faculty mentors should have experience conducting research in the area of your project and utilizing the research methodologies your project requires. Please verify with your faculty mentor that they meet these criteria.
  • Undergraduate students may not be paid to conduct research through other internal UO research support programs during the same sixteen week fellowship period. Students may, however, accept an external award for the same academic year as the HURF award.
  • If for any reason a research fellow’s circumstances change (e.g., due to exit from the University, loss of full-time student status, or the receipt of any grant or award that conflicts with the con­ditions of this fellowship) and the grantee is unable to use the award during the academic year for which it was granted, the fellowship must be forfeited. HURF awards cannot be deferred.
  • Undergraduate students may receive only one HURF award during their undergraduate education.
  • Research with Human Subjects:
    • Determine whether your project requires IRB Review. If so, you must obtain approval from the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS), which serves as the UO’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).
    • Please note that if you determine that your project does require IRB review you will have to complete human subjects training.

How To Apply

Step 1

Review the Program Eligibility Criteria

  • Ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria listed above.
  • Determine whether your research project requires UO IRB Approval. If it does, you must submit to the UO IRB by the time you submit your application.
  • Work with your faculty mentor to craft a proposal that you will submit through the online application
  • OPTIONAL: Schedule a meeting with UROP (urop@uoregon.edu) to discuss your project proposal, receive feedback, and ask questions you have about the program.

Step 2

Complete the online HURF Application 

Step 3

Letter of Recommendation

  • The faculty member that is supervising your research project must submit a letter of recommendation in support of your project.
    • The faculty member that is supervising your research project must be Tenure Track Faculty or Career Non-tenure Track Faculty with an FTE of .50 or above.
  • Request that your letter writer complete the Letter of Recommendation worksheet.
  • Instruct your letter writer to submit the completed worksheet to urop@uoregon.edu
  • Under the federal law titled the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and according to the University of Oregon Student Record Policy, registered students are given the right to inspect their records, including letters of recommendation and teacher recommendations. If the student wants to waive their right of access to this recommendation, they may do so by completing a waiver form.

Step 4

Obtain an unofficial copy of your UO transcripts

Questions?

Contact urop@uoregon.edu

Program Leadership and Staff

  • Paul Peppis, Professor of English and Director of Oregon Humanities Center
  • Jena Turner, Associate Director of Oregon Humanities Center
  • Karl Reasoner, Sr. Program Manager, Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program