Undergraduate Summer Research Internships

The UT Knoxville Chancellor's Office and Office of Research & Engagement provide funding for a summer internship program to promote research and creative activity among undergraduate students. All current full-time undergraduate students enrolled at the Knoxville campus are eligible to apply. Students graduating in May or August 2013 are not eligible.

Up to 75 internships at $2,000 each will be awarded to support students who will work on a research or creative project with a UT Knoxville faculty mentor in the summer of 2013. The purpose of these internships is to increase the participation of undergraduate students in the UT research enterprise. The Office of Research administers the internship program.

The role of the faculty mentor is paramount in this program as they will provide guidance in the choice of a project and in the practice of professional approaches and methods. Projects proposed may be a student's undergraduate thesis, a part of the faculty mentor's research program, another research project, or an ongoing project begun previously. The key is that the student be involved in actual scholarly work independent of a classroom setting. Such scholarly work may be research or it may be a creative activity involving the fine arts.

Requirements

• Students interested in this opportunity must first obtain a faculty mentor for their project. The faculty mentor will assist in the choice of a topic, the completion of the proposal form, and in the pursuit and completion of the proposed project.
• Students should indicate a period of time during the summer which work will be devoted to the project and the amount of time devoted to project work.
• Students must submit a research paper (up to a total of three pages) or creation representing the completed work to be critiqued by the faculty mentor. Papers must also be submitted to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research via email to tayloje@utk.edu at the conclusion of the internship and no later than the first day of classes, August 21, 3013.
• Students funded by this program agree to present their results at the annual Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement, or another suitable public forum, such as a professional meeting in the student's academic field.

How to Apply

The following materials should be submitted via email to Jane Taylor (tayloje@utk.edu) by noon, February 28, 2013.

• 2013 Application for Undergraduate Summer Research Internship (Word)
• A copy of student's current unofficial UT transcript (academic history)
• A written narrative, up to two pages in length, describing the scope of the proposal and how it will enhance your educational program
• A schedule indicating the planned working period and number of hours of when various parts of the research or other creative activity will be undertaken

Selection

A faculty committee will review proposals and determine the internship recipients and level of funding. Particular attention will be given to achieving a broad range of disciplines supported. Applications will be reviewed by the following criteria:

• Relationship to the mentor's research program
• Research details
• Innovativeness
• Potential impact on the student’s career
• GPA

Students, mentors, and departments will be notified at the beginning of April of the decisions. Click here for a list of 2013 recipients

Funding

A new procedure has been implemented for 2013.

• Students chosen for an internship shall submit an Internship Acceptance form (Word) to Jane Taylor at tayloje@utk.edu which will outline the details of the internship.
• Upon receipt of the Internship Acceptance form, the department contact will be notified and will complete the process to hire the student in an Intern position with a subarea of Student: Fellow/Training. This will be a monthly paid position. The earliest possible date to receive payment will be May 31. Any delays in the hiring process could delay payment.
• In the event that a student is receiving other pay as a student assistant during the summer, the student intern payments will also be made through bi-weekly payroll with the intern amount converted to an hourly rate. This is because a person cannot be in both bi-weekly and monthly paid positions at the same time.
• The amount and timing of payments will be in accordance to the approved detailed work plan.
• Faculty mentors shall notify the Office of Research in the event that students are not meeting the requirements of the internship. Payments to the interns will be reduced as appropriate.
• The Office of Research will provide funding to the departments for the actual amounts paid to the Interns not to exceed the level of funding awarded.

Contact Information

Sharon Pound
Office of Undergraduate Research
Blount Hall
1534 White Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37996-1529
Phone: (865) 974-1475
Email: spound@utk.edu