Blugold Fellowship: FAQs for Current Students

Last Updated Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 4:55 pm

What are the goals of the Blugold Fellowship?

To recruit and retain high achieving students to UW-Eau Claire
To provide an early introduction to student/faculty research collaboration opportunities arrow

How do students choose their projects?

Students look through abstract books, web pages, and lists of projects submitted to ORSP. In addition, they look at departmental web pages and talk to former Blugold Fellows. Once they select an area of interest they talk to various people in the departments.

What is the time commitment for the Blugold Fellowship?

Blugold Fellows work an average of four-five hours a week on their research projects for a total of 60 hours per semester. The project schedule is determined by the Blugold Fellow and you, their mentor. The students are paid bi-weekly for this work by the fellowship.

Do I have to work five hours every week?

No. The basic guideline is that a student works about 120 hours over the course of a year. This allows the mentor and the student to work around both of your schedules, including tests and absences, and allows you to do work over breaks and summer. It is whatever works best for the two of you.

Does the project have to last two years?

The expectation is that the student works for a couple of years in the same field so that they can delve deeper into their research area. A few projects end after a year and new ones are started with the same mentor. Oftentimes these second-year projects are driven by student ideas.

Can students work on more than one project at a time for the Blugold Fellowship?

Yes, but it is the hope that the mentors of both projects know about the other project. Sometimes this will work, as not all projects can fill the total time requirement. This type of arrangement should be discussed with me in order to avoid misunderstandings between all of the interested parties.

Can students get paid for the research they do?

Since students are paid to do research it is not acceptable to get additional grants. Additional funding is acceptable if they work in addition to the 4-5 hours per week.

Examples of acceptable additional funding include:

When the work is done during the Winterim.
When the student works during the summer.
When they are doing more than the 60 hours per semester.

Can students come up with their own projects?

This is totally up to the mentor and the student. Some projects have come from students with an interest in an area, and they are looking for someone to bounce ideas off of and as a resource. Many times these projects have some connection with a faculty member's interests.

Do I have to file reports?

Yes. The expectation is that the students will file reports every week with the Blugold Fellowship director. Copies of these reports are automatically emailed to the mentor.

What output is expected from this project?

The expectation is that the research will result in a finished or presentable project at the end of the second year. The default for this is presenting a poster at Student Research Day. Other methods have included presentations at state or national meetings, papers, and involvement in community projects.

What if the student is not ready to present during their second year?

The hope is that there is some way to have a presentation come out of the project. If it is better to bypass research day, then the hope is that there is an opportunity to present at a later date. This could include a meeting after their time in the program has ended, or finishing up a poster at the end of their two years (i.e. in May) but waiting until the next year to present the work. If you are ever in doubt call or email me (Matt Evans 715-836-5519 or blugoldfellowship@uwec.edu ).

Can I work more than two years?

The funding for the Blugold Fellowship runs out after two years. Students can continue through ORSP sponsored research.

What happens if I go abroad?

The student will not be in the program that semester, but will have an additional semester of support their junior year. In this case, the poster would be pushed back until the end of their junior year.

If I am doing research for the Blugold Fellowship program can I do research on additional projects?

You can do work on more than one project in a couple of circumstances. You can do more than one project for the Blugold Fellowship program, with permission from the director, or if you are already working 4-5 hours a week on the Blugold Fellowship project you can have an additional research project. It is not acceptable to be additionally paid for the second project if you are not meeting the hourly requirement of the Blugold Fellowship program.

For more information contact Matt Evans

blugoldfellowship@uwec.edu