FIRST-YEAR INNOVATION & RESEARCH SCHOLAR TRAINING
“Nurturing your curiosity from day one”
The First-Year Innovation and Research Scholar Training (FIRST) Fellowship offers an opportunity for select, highly motivated first-year students to participate in original research experiences coupled with a focus on innovation. FIRST fellowship recipients are awarded up to a $1000 paid hourly to compensate for their time spent on research.
Applications for the 2023-2024 academic year open May 1st and will close June 16th
This year, we are happy to announce FIRST is also accepting applications from incoming transfer students. Upon announcement of FIRST recipients, awarded students will work with the office of Undergraduate Research Scholars and the Registrar’s Office to register for the required one credit seminar – to be held Mondays or Thursdays. If you have questions, please contact us at ugresearch@mines.edu.
About FIRST
FIRST Fellowship Structure
- In the fall semester, students are required to attend a one credit seminar that introduces them to academic research and provides the tools needed to navigate the complex landscape of research. This seminar will be approximately one-hour per week. Depending on institutional guidance, this seminar might be hosted online and/or in person.
- During the fall semester, students work to identify a faculty or graduate mentor. Students will work with their mentor to identify a research topic, formulate a hypothesis, and identify research objectives by the end of the semester.
- In the spring semester, students will participate in up to 4 hours of faculty-mentored research. Depending on the nature of the research and the limitations of the lab, research may be conducted remotely.
- At the conclusion of spring semester, selected students may receive funding to continue working with the faculty mentor and participate in an innovation workshop over the summer.
- Students conclude their fellowship by presenting their research at the Undergraduate Research Symposium hosted towards the end of April. For more information about the Undergraduate Research Symposium, please view the symposium landing page, here.
TIMELINE
Applications for the 2023-2024 academic year open May 1st and close June 16th. Accepted applicants will be announced no later than the first few weeks of the Fall 2022 semester.
Upon announcement of FIRST recipients, awarded students will work with the office of Undergraduate Research Scholars and the Registrar’s Office to register for the required one credit seminar. Within the first few weeks of school, selected FIRST students will begin attending the seminar. Within the first month, FIRST awardees will begin identifying their mentors and projects of interest.
The available times for the seminar will be announced soon. Even if you are unable to attend either of these times, we still recommend you apply. If you have questions, please contact us at ugresearch@mines.edu.
Featured FIRST Projects
Testimonials
Participating in research as a first-year taught me a lot about topics in my field that may not even be directly covered in class. I was also able to have the opportunity to learn about every step of a research project – from the hands on sampling to addressing issues in lab meetings. Lastly, I found amazing mentors that have helped me significantly throughout my time at Mines!
Chemical Engineering, Class of 2022
Mentor:
Dr. Junko Munakata Marr
Project Title:
Impact of Lanthanides on Wastewater Treatment
The research I conducted as a first-year provided me with a fair bit of learning opportunity; both in concrete skills and more abstract soft skills. […] I learned about a variety of scientific tools such as x-ray synchrotrons and programs like ImageJ, Avizo, and Dragonfly. Additionally, conducting research obligated me to manage my time effectively […] as well as improve my ability to communicate with others professionally.