URMI Proposal

The Undergraduate Research Mentorship Initiative (URMI) application process begins when a faculty member submits a two-part proposal to the Dean's Office for review and approval. The full URMI proposal must include a faculty-written proposal (with cover letter) and a cover letter and transcript from the student.

The faculty member should submit a written proposal describing the following:

* The nature and importance of the ongoing or proposed research or scholarly project, and how he or she came to pursue this line of research.

* The specific activities of the student and the ways the student will be included in the conceptual framework of the research or scholarly project. (The student's responsibilities should extend beyond the repetitive and mundane tasks associated with research and scholarship.)

* The skills and background the student needs to successfully assist the faculty member. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to participate in an URMI project.

* How the educational benefits of the project will be assessed, including reflective writings on the part of the student and the faculty member as the semester progresses.

The student should provide the following:

* A cover letter detailing his or her academic background and other experiences relevant to the faculty member's work, and the student's estimate of her or his ability to do the required scholarly or research activities.

* A Columbia grade transcript (or equivalent from a previous institution) documenting his or her grades.

The faculty member and student should submit the proposals together, prior to the start of the semester in which the URMI takes place, with a cover letter (or "letter of transmission") from the faculty member written to the Dean and to the members of the Dean's Advisory Committee. Please contact Andrew Whatley, Assistant Dean for Faculty Advising and LAS Initiatives, at 312.369.7261 or awhatley@colum.edu with questions or for current application deadlines.