• Provost's Undergraduate Research Initiative (Fall)

    Provost's Undergraduate Research Initiative (Fall)

    College of Social Science / AY26-27

  • The College of Social Science is pleased to offer the SSC-Provost's Undergraduate Research Initiative Program (SSC-PURI), which supports undergraduate research through awards of up to $2,000 during the Fall and Spring semesters for students majoring in the College of Social Science.

    SSC-PURI provides undergraduate students, from first-year students through seniors, with the opportunity to work closely with faculty on meaningful research projects. Projects may be part of a faculty member's ongoing scholarly work or an independent research initiative developed in collaboration with a faculty mentor.

    Application Timeline

    Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

    To help expedite the review process, applications may be reviewed as they are received. Earlier submissions may receive earlier decisions. All applicants can expect a final decision no later than Friday, October 9, 2026.

    Before beginning the application, please review the Program Guidelines to ensure you understand the eligibility requirements, funding parameters, and proposal expectations.

     

    Faculty Sponsor Approval

    Applications require approval from the Faculty Sponsor before submission. Faculty Sponsors are responsible for consulting with their Chair or Director regarding the departmental matching contribution of up to $500 per student.

     

    Signature Instructions

    If you have not yet identified a student before the application deadline, select "I have no students at this time." This will open the Faculty Sponsor section, allowing you to complete your portion of the application and provide your approval.

    If a student is identified before the deadline after you have submitted the application, return to the application, update the student information, and select "Forward to Student for Signature" so the student can complete their signature requirement.

    An application is considered complete once all required signatures have been received. No further action is required after submission.

  • I have consulted my Chair/Director for approval of unit matching funds up to $500 per student.*
  • I have notified my unit fiscal officer of my PURI application and submitted my budget proposal to them.

  • Please note that students will receive their funds via payroll (either stipend or hourly). This requires them to complete hiring paperwork. If your project is approved, it is the faculty mentor's responsibility to ensure their students complete the paperwork in a timely manner and ensure timesheets are submitted for their work.

  • Please include with your application:

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  • BEFORE CLICKING SUBMIT:

    Faculty Sponsor:

    NOTE: If you do not have your student(s) yet, please click on the "I have no students at this time." Skip step #1 and go directly to step #2.

    If you later obtain your student information, and it's BEFORE the October 4 deadline, you can edit your application and include the student information. There is a link in your confirmation email to edit for signatures you can use. Please follow step #1 so we can obtain your students' signatures.

     

    1. Click Green "Forward to Students for Signatures" button. This will automatically send an email with the link to your student(s) for their signature. It also notifies the college, chair/director, and fiscal officer an application has been submitted. You can exit out of the application. The information entered has been saved once you click on the green button.
    2. Once student signatures have been received you may complete the application by signing and submitting. (Your students should notify you when they have completed their signatures.)
    3. You can use the link in your confirmation email to edit your application. You can check the "I am the faculty sponsor" box. This will bring up the agreement. If agreed to the conditions, please sign the application.
    4. Only after ALL student signatures have been received and you have agreed to the conditions by signing, check the "Approve" box to click "Submit". (If no students named, you may check "Approve" to submit finished application.)

    Student(s):

    1. Based on how your name is listed above, please check the "I am Student 1" or "I am Student 2" box.
    2. This will bring up the agreement. If you agree to the conditions, please sign.
    3. Please click the green "Notify College" button to complete the process.
    4. Notify your faculty mentor that you have signed the application.
    5. No further action is required.

    Once all signatures are obtained, the application is complete. No further action is required.

    Decisions about the awards should be announced no later than Friday, October 16, 2026.

    If you have any questions about the application or have difficulty with the form, please reach out to Meghan Fang at fangmegh@msu.edu.

    Thank you!

  • Reminder for Faculty Sponsors and Student Researchers: Submission of a nomination gives the selection committee permission to review academic and financial aid records.

     

    By signing this application, I am stating that I have read and agreed to the requirements listed below: 

     

    1. I will complete required Responsible Conduct for Research modules. The Undergraduate Research Office will coordinate this requirement through email.
    2. I will track PURI experiences in the Spartan Experience Record using the My Spartan Story platform in collaboration with my research mentor and their team.
    3. I will present either a paper or a poster at the annual University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) in April of 2027.
    4. I will complete a final report describing my PURI experiences by the end of April 2027.
    5. I understand that it is my responsibility to work with the unit fiscal officer to complete my hiring paperwork and submit timesheets in a timely manner for work completed.

  • Reminder for Faculty Sponsors and Student Researchers: Submission of a nomination gives the selection committee permission to review academic and financial aid records.

     

    By signing this application, I am stating that I have read and agreed to the requirements listed below: 

     

    1. I will complete required Responsible Conduct for Research modules. The Undergraduate Research Office will coordinate this requirement through email.
    2. I will track PURI experiences in the Spartan Experience Record using the My Spartan Story platform in collaboration with my research mentor and their team.
    3. I will present either a paper or a poster at the annual University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) in April of 2027.
    4. I will complete a final report describing my PURI experiences by the end of April 2027.
    5. I understand that it is my responsibility to work with the unit fiscal officer to complete my hiring paperwork and submit timesheets in a timely manner for work completed.

  • Reminder for Faculty Sponsors and Student Researchers: Submission of a nomination gives the selection committee permission to review academic and financial aid records.

     

    By signing this application, I am stating that I have read and agreed to the requirements listed below: 

     

    1. I have consulted with my Chair/Director about unit matching funds or noted the funding situation in the Abstract.
    2. I will mentor the student(s) and encourage them to meet all PURI requirements including completing the Responsible Conduct for Research modules and presenting at UURAF in April of 2027.
    3. I will use the Spartan Experience Record to track the research experiences for my mentees.
    4. I will complete my portion of the final report and encourage my mentee to complete their portion by the end of April 2027.
    5. I understand it is my responsibility to ensure that my student(s) have completed their hiring paperwork and submit timesheets in a timely manner.
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