There are many changes happening to student research as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and campus closure. The URA selection committee has some advice to encourage you to apply for a URA and start to plan your research, even if there are some unknowns for the summer and fall semesters.

1. We have moved the application deadline back to May 15, 2020 in order to give students some extra time to prepare their research proposals.
2. Some research that was scheduled to start this summer may be delayed until the fall or spring semester- that’s ok! The URA is good for the entire year, June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2121. You can complete the research at any point during that time frame.
3. Our expectations for a final product are fluid and relaxed. If the research plan doesn’t work out exactly as you proposed, that’s ok- it’s the nature of doing research.
4. Be creative in the ways you think about your project. You may have to focus instead on doing a thorough literature review, using a pre-formed data set to analyze, or looking at case studies, rather than collecting in-person data, or conducting research in a lab.
5. Methods such as lab benchwork, participant observations, focus groups, travel-related, in-person interviews, or other real-time collection methods may need some re-thinking. How can you collect data via online interviews, the internet, or other technological interventions?
6. Creative arts projects may incorporate some kind of online delivery method. We are hoping to be back on campus for URCAD 2021, but consider how VoiceThread might be used to display your creative work.

Remember:
URAs provide up to $1,500 to undergraduate students to support their research, scholarship, or creative work with a UMBC faculty mentor on an original project. UMBC students of all years and disciplines are invited to apply, as long as they remain enrolled at UMBC long enough to complete the proposed work.

Deadline: May 15, 2020

Dear Graduate Students, 

We are approaching the end of the spring 2020 semester and find ourselves in a very different place from where we were at the start of the semester in January. The transition to social distancing by staying at home and accessing our academic, research and personal lives virtually has been challenging for all of us. We are all doing our part to slow the spread of COVID-19, but we also look forward to the next phase of life. The uncertainty of when and how this will happen leads to stress and anxiety, and we want you to know that we’ve been focused on doing what we can to meet your needs.

The Graduate School and the Graduate Student Association (GSA) are hosting a virtual Town Hall meeting on Friday, May 8, 2:00-3:00 pm, to share information and answer questions you may have about all aspects of your academic progression and success at UMBC. We invite you to submit questions as you register to participate in the Town Hall here. The Webex link will be sent to all those who register, and will be shared with the graduate student email group on Friday morning.

Topics to be covered at the Town Hall include the planning underway for a phased opening of the campus for research and creative achievement, core facilities and classroom instruction; changes to academic policies that respond to the unusual circumstances of the spring semester; supporting your mental wellness; and issues of interest to graduate assistants.

Here are some links to information and resources to support your success

UMBC Information: https://covid19.umbc.edu/
Graduate Student Specific Information: https://gradschool.umbc.edu/admissions/requirements/coronavirus-covid-19-updates/
Research and Creative Achievement Information: https://research.umbc.edu/research-and-creative-achievement-at-umbc-during-covid-19/
UMBC Counseling Center: https://counseling.umbc.edu/
PROMISE Productivity Guide during COVID-19: https://promise.umbc.edu/productivity-guide-during-covid-19/

We look forward to seeing you at the Town Hall meeting.

Sincerely,
Janet C. Rutledge, Ph.D.
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School

Alex Rittle
President, GSA

Starting on June 1, 2020 the new Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 20-1) goes into effect.   One significant impact of this is the new requirement that the Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending Support be generated using an NSF supported tool.