Information for Faculty
Faculty contribute to the University Scholars program as research mentors and/or by serving on the program’s Faculty Council. Faculty advise students throughout the research process and provide the space and intellectual freedom for students to develop an independent project. Faculty also equip students with the necessary tools, skills, experiences, and mindsets needed to conduct independent research within the student’s field of interest. The inspiration, guidance, and encouragement that faculty mentors and Faculty Council members provide are central pillars of the University Scholars experience.
Faculty interested in working with the University Scholars program are welcome to do the following:
- Promote open research assistantships in our weekly newsletter to current UScholars (please email a brief position description to the Program Coordinator, Ms. Taryn Painter (tpainter@upenn.edu)
- Join our University Scholars Faculty Council
For “New” Mentors to Current University Scholars: Welcome to our Community!
To orient you to our program, program staff created the faculty mentor orientation packet below. This packet contains additional information on the goals of the program and an overview of what faculty mentors can do to support their mentees in developing their individual research projects as a University Scholar.
Faculty Mentor Orientation Packet
Frequently Asked Questions
Please reach out to the UScholars Faculty Director to continue speaking over email or via Zoom. We are happy to organize a brief meeting to share more about the program’s vision and your role.
You are welcome to attend any event where your mentee is presenting their work, including our Friday Lunch Talks or CURF expos and symposia.
By the close of their second (sophomore) year, we expect all University Scholars to submit a plan for independent—yet mentor supported—research. This proposal should clearly outline how students developed their primary research question and explain which tasks students have primary responsibility and ownership. As students progress through the program, they will provide periodic updates on their independent projects and submit an updated plan of research for the following academic year.
Prior to graduating, University Scholars are required to present their work at a program event (either a Friday Lunch Talk or presentation at the Annual Launch Reception) and at a CURF Spring Symposium or Fall Expo.
Please see our Requirements page for additional information our Community and Research Requirements for students.
The University Scholars program defines independent undergraduate research as research that is primarily conceived and executed by the undergraduate student. Our program envisions students taking an active role in generating, answering, and analyzing research with the guidance of a mentor.
Your role as a mentor is to two-fold: first, to provide the space and intellectual freedom for students to explore and structure their research interests and questions; and second, to provide the guidance and feedback as they work on their individual research project.
The UScholars program accepts applications from current on-campus students in their second- or third-year at Penn each Fall semester. You are welcome to encourage a student to apply to the program through this process and write a letter of recommendation to accompany their written application. Please direct them to our Prospective Students page to learn more.
Faculty who wish to become involved in the UScholars Faculty Council should contact the Faculty Director to discuss responsibilities and learn more about the program. Please send an email to Dr. Alain Plante (aplante@sas.upenn.edu) for more information.