The First-Year and Transfer Student Research Experience (FYRE) program aims to facilitate meaningful faculty mentorship of new undergraduate students while providing early exposure to research and creative activity in a chosen discipline. Students are matched with a faculty project and work 5 hours per week (80 hours total) during the semester, gaining important research experience and building a professional connection with a faculty member. Students and faculty are paid for their work and mentorship. Students and faculty apply separately.

Faculty
Spring 2024 Application Deadline
- October 20, 2022 @ 5pm
Eligibility
The FYRE program is open to all JMU faculty (part-time or full-time) who work with students.
Benefits
Selected faculty will receive a $500 stipend at the completion of the project.
Application
Faculty may propose a new project or a project that is part of an ongoing research agenda. A summary of each submitted project will be available online for students to view during their application window in October. In order to provide research opportunities to students who might not otherwise have them, faculty nominations of students are not accepted.
Additional details about the FYRE program are available in the online application.
Online Faculty Application Form
Students
Spring 2024 Application Deadline
- To be announced. Stay tuned!
Eligibility
- First-year or new transfer student (started at JMU Fall 2023)
- Eligible to work in the U.S.
- In good academic standing
- Enrolled in at least 6 credit hours in the spring semester
Benefits
Students are paid $1,000 for their work through the FYRE program and gain important research skills and faculty mentorship.
Application
Review a list of available research projects and select not more than three projects of interest, which you will indicate in the application. Because space is limited and we often have more applications than available projects, students are encouraged to list three projects if there are three projects of interest. Listing only one choice will not improve the chances of selection for that particular project; rather, it will decrease the chances of selection overall.
Complete the application form below. Additional details about the FYRE program are available in the online application.