UH Office of Undergraduate Research

 

Mentored Research Programs
Other Services

The PURS Program
The Provost’s Undergraduate Research Scholarship (PURS) program is a semester research program for juniors and seniors, and provides a $1000 scholarship to students. Throughout the semester, the scholars conduct about seven hours per week of research, which is mentored by a faculty member.  The program is open to undergraduates from all disciplines including the natural sciences, engineering, technology, social sciences, humanities, fine arts, education, architecture, business, and hotel and restaurant management.  Approximately 20 students receive the Provost’s Undergraduate Research Scholarship each semester. For more information about the PURS program, visit www.undergraduateresearch.uh.edu/purs.html

The SURF Program
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program is a full-time summer research program that provides a $2800 stipend to over 40 students from all disciplines each year.  The 10-week program also includes a weekly lecture series that all SURF participants attend.  The lecture series runs the gamut from sessions on applying for major scholarships, graduate and professional school to the importance of learning the language of the students’ discipline and research ethics. The students’ summer research endeavors are showcased through poster presentations during Undergraduate Research Day, which takes place every October for the campus community. For more information about the SURF program, visit www.undergraduateresearch.uh.edu/surf.html

Senior Honors Thesis Program
The Office of Undergraduate Research, under the governance of The Honors College, also administers the Senior Honors Thesis program.  The thesis program is a capstone program for graduating seniors from all disciplines, and allows participants to graduate with an honors distinction. The student’s thesis director serves as the instructor of record for the two thesis courses (a total of six hours), and mentors the project.  The thesis is typically conducted within the student’s discipline, and serves as the pinnacle of the student’s undergraduate career in research.  A student does not have to be a member of The Honors College to conduct a Senior Honors Thesis. For more information about the thesis program, visit www.undergraduateresearch.uh.edu/thesis_guidelines.htm

Major Scholarships and Fellowships
The Office of Undergraduate Research also assists students in finding and applying for nationally competitive awards.  These awards often require university endorsement of the candidates, and typically fund graduate or professional study in the U.S. and overseas.  The applications for these scholarships are vast in scope and ask probing questions of the candidates such as “who are you?” and “how are you going to make a difference in your field?”  Simply completing the application process is a journey of self-examination, and often assists students in determining their future academic and career goals, and more importantly, in answering why they have selected their particular path.  For a comprehensive listing of scholarships available to undergraduates, visit www.undergraduateresearch.uh.edu/scholarshipindex.html.