September 30, 2024 @ 11:59 pm

The First-Year/Transfer Student Research Experience (FYRE) program aims to facilitate meaningful faculty mentorship of new undergraduate students through early exposure to research or creative activity in any discipline or field. Faculty are asked to propose a research/creative project--either a new project or a project that is part of an ongoing research agenda--that would benefit from student involvement. Projects should be accessible to students who are new to research and unfamiliar with the field, yet eager to learn and contribute.

FYRE is open to all JMU faculty (part-time or full-time) who engage with students. Special consideration will be given to faculty who have not previously participated in the FYRE program. Faculty are responsible and required to obtain approval from their AUHs or supervisors prior to applying.

Selected faculty will be paired with a first-year or recent transfer student and are expected to meet regularly with their assigned student to mentor them and develop their skills and knowledge. Students should be given tasks that foster growth in the field rather than strictly administrative duties. Faculty must ensure that all assessment measures required from students and faculty are completed and submitted by the designated deadlines. Participating faculty will receive $500, which can be used to cover project-related expenses or be paid as a stipend at the end of the program.

Beginning on January 21, 2025, students should work an average of 5 hours per week for 16 weeks and complete any program assessment measures assigned. Students are expected to present their work at the FYRE symposium in the fall following the program. Participating students will receive $1,000 for their work.

IMPORTANT: To comply with JMU student employment policies, students cannot begin working with faculty prior to this date in the FYRE project. Faculty will receive a clearance email once your student has been approved to begin work; no student work of any kind can begin until you receive this email.

The number of faculty projects selected will depend on the availability of funds. Faculty projects will be chosen based on their accessibility and ability to engage students new to research, their potential to spark students' interest, and the quality of the proposed mentorship plan.

Students will rank their top three projects preferences. Students will be selected based on the strength their applications, the alignment between student interests/skills and the proposed projects, and the overall diversity of the student participant pool in terms of background, interests, departments, and colleges. As in previous years, we anticipate that interest may exceed our available funding.

As our goal is to provide research opportunities to students who might not otherwise have access to them, we are not accepting faculty nominations of specific students. If there is a student you would like to mentor, please encourage them to apply, keeping in mind that they may be selected to work with another faculty member.

Click on the link below to apply. Note that your home department, project title, project description, and preferred skills will be shared publicly on the STAIR website for students to view during their application window in October/November. Your answers about experiences with and interest in student mentorship will not be shared with students but are used for evaluation by the selection committee.

Online Faculty Application Form