We are pleased to welcome all returning students to Autumn Quarter 2020 with a remote series designed to encourage your re-engagement with your academic pursuits at the University of Chicago and beyond.
Join us during weeks one and three to learn more about what it means to move from student to scholar by pursuing knowledge through academic research and taking your inquiry to the next level. You will also learn more about how nationally competitive fellowships can advance your efforts beyond UChicago, helping you to pursue your academic and post-graduate ambitions. We are also offering two sessions on how to engage in successful research and learning in our current remote environment. A collaborative program brought to you by the College Center for Research and Fellowships, the University Library, and the Office of the Provost. View the promotional video here.
Week 1 Autumn Quarter 2020:
At UChicago: Pursue knowledge through scholarly research: Are you “in the know” about scholarly research? Do you want to engage in purposeful scholarly research and learn good research practice? Interested in joining a community of research scholars? This session will address these questions and help you to pursue meaningful undergraduate research activities while at UChicago. Bring your additional questions to this session to participate in a lively discussion about scholarly research and how to be successful in these efforts. New and current undergraduate researchers are welcome and encouraged to attend. Register below for this live session to ask your questions and learn about next steps:
Beyond UChicago: Pursue your scholarly purpose through national fellowships: Are you wondering how to take your academic training and research to the next level? Do you want to connect with learning communities worldwide and challenge yourself to think and act courageously? Have you thought about what motivates your activism, your academic studies, and how you might realize your ultimate goals? If so, join us for this session, where you’ll learn why national fellowships are for you. We’ll demystify what fellowships are, and explain how they can help you steer your educational goals and pursue your future path. Register below for this live session to ask your questions and learn about next steps:
Week 3 Autumn Quarter 2020:
Doing Good Research Remotely: Are you eager to continue to pursue your research activities successfully in this new remote environment? Are you writing a BA/BS or master's thesis and need further guidance on how to access vital resources virtually? Do you want to make sure that you maintain a productive relationship with your research mentor? If, so, then please join us for this session in which we'll discuss successful strategies for remote research and introduce you to the variety of ways you can continue to engage with scholarly materials remotely. Register by clicking on one of the dates below:
Doing Better Work Remotely: What challenges—as well as opportunities—does working remotely present to students and scholars? Join us for a panel discussion with academic professionals and students to learn more about how to continue successfully navigating study and research in today’s “remote” learning environment. Panelists will share tools, tricks, strategies, and insights on everything from establishing an “at-home” academic routine, to using technology for scholarship and research, to building scholarly communities, working groups, and support networks across the globe. Students will also be (re-)introduced to a variety of campus resources and how to make the most of them as they advance their studies virtually. Register by clicking on one of the dates below:
Throughout Autumn and Winter Quarters:
Following the two-part series, you are invited to participate in a sequence of targeted sessions and workshops that take place across Autumn and Winter quarters and relevant to your specific interests and dreams for the future.
Connect Your Scholarship to the Nation & the World |
Engage in Undergraduate Research |
|
Boren Scholarship Information Session: Boren Scholarships provide up to $25,000 to U.S. undergraduates to study critical languages overseas for 6 to 12 months. The program alumni are committed to public service, working in positions critical to U.S. national security throughout the federal government. Register by clicking on the date below: DAAD RISE: STEM Summer Research Fellowship in Germany: Join us for an information session about DAAD RISE Germany, a program that offers STEM undergraduates the opportunity to spend a summer working with PhD students on cutting-edge research in Germany. Open to students in the fields of biology, chemistry, earth sciences, engineering, computer science, physics (and closely related fields). Recipients receive a stipend for living expenses, a travel stipend, and health insurance; no knowledge of German is required. Register by clicking on the date below: Fulbright Information Session Please join us for a general information session about the Fulbright US Student Program, the flagship international exchange program of the US State Department. This workshop will introduce the mission of the Fulbright program and the four types of Fulbright awards: English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Award; Study Award (for a degree-granting graduate program abroad); Research Award (for independent research abroad); Study/Research Award in the Creative and Performing Arts (for applicants who plan to enhance their personal artistic or creative practice abroad). Register by clicking on one of the dates below: Yenching Academy Scholars Program: Information Session and Essay Overview: Join us for an information session about the Yenching Academy Scholars program. The Yenching Academy at Peking University offers support for at least the first year of a two-year Master’s in China Studies. The Academy's goal is to shape new generations of global citizens with a nuanced understanding of China. This workshop will offer a brief overview of the Yenching Academy Scholars program and then discuss the eligibility, requirements, and timeline for the 2020 UChicago Yenching Academy Campus Process. This workshop is a requirement of the 2020 UChicago Yenching Academy Campus Process. Register by clicking on one of the dates below: |
Undergraduate Research Information Session: Join us to learn more about Undergraduate Research at UChicago. We will share why undergraduate research involvement could benefit you as a College student in any major and how you can find research opportunities and potential faculty research mentors. This session will clarify what undergraduate research is and when you may be ready to engage in undergraduate research and creative scholarship activities. Register by clicking on one of the dates below:
Undergraduate Research Grant Funding: Information Session: This session will help you navigate the various undergraduate research funding sources available to College students across the disciplines, with an emphasis on CCRF-managed research grant programs. Whether you are new to research or an advanced undergraduate researcher, we will discuss research grant programs and options to fund academic year and summer research experiences for students in all majors. This session will also offer guidance and resources to assist you in planning for and preparing applications for undergraduate research grants and funding. Register by clicking on the date below: Planning for Summer Research: Join us to start planning for your summer(s) by learning about and preparing for summer undergraduate research programs and funding at UChicago and beyond. Summer may be the perfect time for you to engage in research for the first time or to advance/diversify your undergraduate research experience(s) without the pressures of coursework and academic quarter demands. This session will provide information on accessing summer research opportunities, applying for summer research programs and funding, and maximizing your summer research experience(s). Register by clicking on one of the dates below: |
Advance Your Research, Scholarship, & Service to Others |
Advance Your Research Practice |
|
Truman Scholarship for Public Service: Campus Application and Essay Overview Session: The Truman Scholarship for Public Service is comprised of a series of essays about your leadership and public service experience, plans for graduate school and what societal problems you hope to work on throughout your career. It also includes a formal policy proposal, which showcases your ability to think critically about the societal problem(s) that motivate you. This session will introduce you to the essays questions and policy proposal, as well as provide you with writing strategies and tools to get you started. Any student planning to apply in Autumn 2020 is required to attend a Truman introductory session. Register by clicking on one of the dates below: Beinecke Scholarship: Information Session: Join us for an information session about the Beinecke Scholarship, a program that provides $34,000 in support to third-year undergraduates who intend to pursue a PhD in the arts, humanities and social sciences. During this session, we’ll discuss what the Beinecke is looking for in competitive candidates, and how to apply through the UChicago campus nomination process. While only third-year students are eligible to apply, first and second-year students who are interested in learning more about the scholarship are encouraged to attend. Register by clicking on one of the dates below: James C. Gaither Junior Fellowship: Information Session and Essay Writing: The James C. Gaither Junior Fellows program offers one-year fellowships to uniquely qualified graduating seniors and recent alum who have a serious career interest in international affairs. Fellows work as research assistants to Carnegie’s senior scholars, contribute to op-eds, participate in meetings, among other tasks. In this workshop we will discuss the program's selection criteria and provide guidance on how to produce a compelling application. By offering specific suggestions and examples, the workshop aims to equip you with effective strategies for developing and writing essays. We strongly encourage students intending to submit applications for UChicago endorsement this year to attend. RSVP and register for the Zoom webinar by clicking the link below: Udall Scholarship: Information Session and Essay Writing: Udall Scholarships offer up to $7,000 to second- and third-year students for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to the environment or Native American nations. The scholarship seeks to attract highly motivated individuals who have made a difference in one of these areas through positive solutions and consensus building. In this workshop we will discuss the program's selection criteria and provide guidance on how to produce a compelling application. By offering specific suggestions and examples, the workshop aims to equip you with effective strategies for developing and writing essays. We strongly encourage students intending to submit applications for UChicago endorsement this year to attend. RSVP and register for the Zoom webinar by clicking the link below: Introduction to the Rhodes, Marshall and Mitchell Scholarships: Join us for an introductory information session about three extraordinary national fellowship opportunities for graduate study in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and at the University of Oxford. Open to US citizens (Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes) and select international students (Rhodes), UChicago undergraduates and recent alumni are eligible to apply for university nomination as 3rd- or 4th-years, or shortly after graduation. This session will introduce students to the individual scholarship programs and criterion, as well as the campus endorsement process. Open to all disciplines; candidates must have a 3.7 overall GPA to be eligible for any of these three awards. Students intended to apply for any of these awards in this cycle (2020-2021) are required to attend an introductory session. Register by clicking on one of the dates below: |
CCRF and Regenstein Library Series: Tools and Strategies for Successful Research ProposalsThe series aims to build your information literacy and research skills. You will learn how to search, identify, evaluate and effectively read scholarly sources. You will further learn how to develop a literature review and write a persuasive research proposal, which can be used for your thesis, UChicago and external grants, national fellowships and graduate school applications. The sessions build upon each other, but they are also stand-alone and students in all disciplines are welcome to attend any of the three sessions that are especially relevant to their research endeavors. (1) Literature Review: The goal of this session is to help you understand the purpose of literature review. You will also learn how to read scholarly publications most effectively, as well as how to develop and write a compelling literature review. You will further learn about the purpose and the characteristics of well-posed research questions asked in STEM, social sciences and humanities. Register by clicking on the date below: (2) Searching and Finding Scholarly Sources: The goal of this session is to improve the variety and quality of scholarly sources you use in your literature review. You will learn how to search like a scholar, using specialized research tools and databases, and techniques for evaluating sources. We will discuss methods for identifying primary source materials for various disciplines. Finally, you will learn about services available at the Library to support your research. Register by clicking on the date below: (3) Research Proposal: The goal of this session is to help you produce a persuasive research proposal. This proposal can be used for both your thesis and successful UChicago and external grants, national fellowships and graduate school applications. We will discuss the process of research design and the principles of research ethics. You will further learn about the structure of research proposals, the characteristics of compelling proposals as well as common areas of weakness in research proposals. Register by clicking on the date below: |
Develop Your Academic Profile |
|
Preparing an effective Curriculum Vitae (CV): Develop and draft your undergraduate CV for use in scholarship, fellowship, research opportunities, and graduate school applications. A Curriculum Vitae (“CV” or “vitae”) is a comprehensive, biographical document which emphasizes your academic training, professional qualifications and significant activities, including research, service, leadership, international engagement, honors & awards, etc. Distinct from a resume, the CV affords you the freedom to prioritize your undergraduate engagement and create a useful, comprehensive, holistic framework of your overall engagement while in college. Bring a working draft to the session, such as an existing resume, and a comprehensive list of the significant activities you have participated in since arriving at the University of Chicago. Open to all undergraduates. Register by clicking on one of the dates below:
Applying to Graduate School: planning and preparing for success: This session is open to current undergraduates considering graduate school as a part of their academic and professional trajectory. Whether you are certain that you will pursue graduate education or are just beginning to consider the possibility, we will use this time to introduce you to: the general process of investigating graduate study options, the application timeline, common application components, and what makes for a competitive application. This general session is open to all disciplines and years. Note: this will not cover pre-professional application processes specifically (e.g. medical, business or law school), although some of the application components like personal statements, letters of recommendation and CVs will be discussed as universal components to all application processes. Register by clicking on one of the dates below: |
