FAQ | Information For Faculty

The Undergraduate Research Program website, created by the Undergraduate Research Program at the University of Washington, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available at exp.washington.edu/urp/about/rights.html

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I list an undergraduate research project on your web site?

Visit the Post a Research Opportunity page of this web site and follow the directions provided for UW faculty.

Does the Undergraduate Research Program provide support for students who conduct research?

Yes. The URP offers:

The Washington Research Foundation Fellowship (WRFF) , which supports selected promising students who work on creative and sophisticated science and engineering research projects under the guidance of UW faculty; and,
The Undergraduate Research Conference Travel Award, which provides funding toward conference or professional meeting travel expenses and registration fees.

Other local and national sources of funding are provided on our Get Funding page.

Do you maintain a list of research opportunities beyond UW or a list of summer research opportunities?

Yes. See our Find Research page, specifically the Research Beyond UW, Summer Research at UW and Summer Research Beyond UW pages.

Does UW have specific policies and forms for research involving humans or animals?

Yes. For work with humans, visit the Human Subjects Division web site. For work with animals, visit the UW Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee web site.

Can pre-college students or students under of the age of 18 conduct research at UW?

Under University and Washington State law minor employees and volunteers are not permitted to work with hazardous substances. This includes:

Minors ages 14-17 in the laboratory for purposes of education, as volunteer workers, or as employees may not be exposed to agents that pose higher health risks. These risks include such materials as human body fluids, radioactive and hazardous substances, or jobs requiring personal protective equipment other than gloves, boots, eye protection or hard hats (for more information, refer to

http://www.uwworksafe.com/worksafe/teens/index.php

Katia Harb, 616-3771 will assist the PIs in meeting these requirements and can be the contact person for questions. She would answer questions about specific lab practices that can be done.

Other resources:
HR's Employment of Minors Website which outlines the requirements for hiring minors.
http://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/polproc/emp-minors.html

The UW APS 10.9 Visitors and Children in UW Labs and Shops
http://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/APS/10.09.html

Can non-UW students do research in my lab?

Yes. However, there are policies and procedures you need to be award of depending on the student's enrollment status:

If the non-UW student is not receiving academic credit for her/his work, then she/he is considered to be a volunteer. The Office of Risk Management suggests that you send the volunteer an email or memo that outlines duties, dates of service, and confirms the volunteer assignment.

If the non-UW student is receiving academic credit, the UW regards them as visiting scholars, and you will need to have her/him sign a waiver. Download a sample waiver form.

What happens if a volunteer has an accident or injury in my lab?

According to the Administrative Policy Statement, volunteers are to be treated like employees for workers' comp purposes. Please visit the following link for more information,
http://www.washington.edu/admin/rules//APS/14.01.4.html#Coverage
Further details about workers comp coverage and how to file claims is available at
http://f2.washington.edu/treasury/riskmgmt/wc .

What happens if a student has an accident or injury in my lab?

Students are responsibile for maintaining their own heath care while at the University of Washington. Those who do not have health insurance coverage are encouraged (not required) to take advantage of student health insurance options available at the UW. Information on student insurance is available at: http://depts.washington.edu/ovpsl/insurance.

To ensure safe working conditions, all students are required to be trained in proper lab safety and labs must have strict safety protocols and training procedures in place. For more information on lab safety, visit: http://www.ehs.washington.edu/psoinfofor/labstaff.shtm.

I am interested in becoming a mentor, but don't have a particular research project for students at the moment. What should I do?

Let the URP know you are interested in becoming a mentor. We will add your name to our mentor database for student inquiries.

Do you have resources for undergraduates who are interested in presenting at conferences or publishing their work in a scholarly journal?

Yes we do. Visit our Find Conferences and Get Published pages for more.

How do I sign up to moderate a presentation session at the Undergraduate Research Symposium?

Thank you for volunteering! Just E-mail the URP your name, department and contact information. And be sure to visit our Symposium page for more information!

I am interested in presenting at Research Exposed! How do I do it?

Simply e-mail the URP your name, department, available Wednesdays, and proposed presentation topic. And be sure to visit our Research Exposed! page for more information, including past presenters and course schedule. Of note, Research Exposed! is only offered during the Autumn and Winter quarters.

Would you conduct an Undergraduate Research Information Session for my class?

Of course! E-mail the URP your course title, schedule and location, and we'll respond asap.

Information For Research Mentors

Frequently Asked Questions