Doctoral Undergraduate Opportunities for Scholarship (DUOS)

Assemble your PDF document pages according to the following format and attach to the application form as one single PDF file.

• Three-to-five page DUOS proposal (jointly written by the undergraduate and graduate student)
• The supervising faculty member’s one-page of written comments about:
  • The quality of the proposed project
  • The undergraduate’s authorship of the project
  • The capability of the graduate student to mentor the undergraduate

Required Proposal Instructions

Page Margins 1"; font-size at least 11 points.

PDF File Naming Format
Follow this pattern:
duos-25-app-undergrad unique id _ grad student unique id. 

Example:
duos-25-app potterhj_dumblea.pdf

Label your proposal sections as described below.

Required Proposal Section Headings

Make sure to address each of these issues concisely:

• Access, Belonging, and Opportunity Statement
  
  • In the proposal, include a brief statement explaining how the project promotes access, broadens participation, or supports students and communities who have historically faced barriers in higher education or public life. This may involve addressing structural challenges, engaging with underserved populations, or exploring questions related to human rights, fairness, or opportunity. Please reference this aspect of your work in the abstract as well.
  • In keeping with university-wide efforts to foster an environment where all individuals can fully participate in research, scholarship, and creative activity, the Office of Research for Undergraduates (ORU) encourages proposals that reflect a commitment to expanding opportunity and advancing understanding across social and cultural contexts.
• Project Background and Goals
  • Clearly state your research question and discuss what you intend to accomplish, achieve, or determine by completing your project. What work have you or others already done on this problem? You should include a statement of hypothesis or of the creative question at issue.
• Creative Processes or Methodology
  • Describe the materials you will utilize, the manner in which you will approach your project and the major steps involved in completing your effort. Explain how your intended creative techniques or research methods are appropriate for accomplishing your stated goals.
• Expected Accomplishments or Results
  • Discuss how you will analyze your results and interpret them or how you will present and critique your final product. Explain the significance of the intended achievements or results to the original project goals.
• Educational Value for the Undergraduate
  • Review the list of DUOS program benefits in these guidelines and discuss. What preparation does the undergraduate bring to this project? What skills/knowledge will the undergraduate gain by conducting the project, and how does this fit into the overall educational/career goals of the student?
• Mentoring Plan
  • What experience/preparation does the graduate student mentor have for supervising this project? Preference will be given to graduate students who can document prior research collaboration with a faculty member. Describe the expected manner, form, and frequency of the interactions between the undergraduate scholar and graduate mentor for the duration of the project.
• Feasibility and Scope
  • Provide a detailed budget and explain why these items are needed for your project. Why is it realistic to complete the project, given the time frame and program funding limits?

The program is highly competitive. In preparing the application, the graduate student mentor should assist the undergraduate to generate a well-written proposal that can be understood by an educated person who is not a specialist in the field. Graduate students should strive to provide a meaningful and appropriate undergraduate student experience.

• Oct. 14, 2024, Online Application Deadline
• In Mid-November 2024, the ORU coordinator emails applicants about the funding decision.
• April 26, 2025, Student and Grad Student investigator submit a final project report.
  • Request a no-cost extension to complete the research by April 19, 2025.
  • The final report due date for an extended project is Nov. 15, 2025.

The DUOS review committee, chaired by Gary A. Lorigan professor of chemistry, considers the following criteria during proposal evaluation:

• Readability/clarity of the proposal and its conformity to the required format
• Quality of experiences proposed by applicants, including the significance of the problem to be addressed, the clarity of linkage between problem and method/creative process, the feasibility of the project in terms of the partners’ skills, time, and budget, and educational value to the undergraduate student.
• Quality and appropriateness of the mentorship supervision and interactions proposed
• Distribution of awards across disciplinary areas

Note: A single graduate student can be listed as a prospective mentor on ONLY one application.

An eligible graduate student under the supervision of a faculty mentor (who has agreed to oversee the research project) will collaborate with a specific (eligible) undergraduate student in developing a research proposal to submit to the DUOS Program. If funded, the project will be conducted in the spring semester.

The graduate student must be willing and able to provide appropriate supervision and mentorship of the undergraduate with whom she or he has elected to be paired. The program is not intended to support graduate student supervision of undergraduates who are doing menial tasks in service of the graduate student's research.

The graduate student should assist the undergraduate to develop a proposed project that qualifies as research or other creative endeavor that will add to the sum of human knowledge and contribute to the growth of the scholarly or creative capability of the undergraduate scholar. Submit your final draft to the supervising faculty member at least two weeks prior to the application deadline for review and feedback.

Certification of the Project and the Researchers

In order for the project to be funded, the supervising faculty member is required to certify he/she is willing to oversee the research project.

The faculty mentor will write a one-page statement that addresses the following:

• The quality of the proposed project
• The undergraduate’s authorship of the project
• The capability of the graduate student to mentor the undergraduate

This signed statement MUST be included in the Application document PDF file the undergrad student submits.

Compliance with University and Federal Research Regulations

It is the responsibility of the graduate student’s faculty advisor to ensure that all required regulatory committee approvals (human subjects, vertebrate animals, radioisotopes, or recombinant DNA) are obtained prior to the start of the project.

Independent Study Credit

If the supervising faculty member determines it is appropriate for the undergraduate student to receive independent study credit for his/her conduct of the project, then the faculty member will serve as the instructor of record for that independent study.

Graduate Student Mentor Eligibility

You need an advanced (post-master's) grad student from one of Miami's doctoral departments: Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Educational Leadership, Geology and Environmental Earth Science, Microbiology, English (Rhetoric and Composition), Political Science, Gerontology, or Psychology.

Ask faculty members whose work interests you if they can refer you to an appropriate grad student. The program is open to all full-time post-master's doctoral students at Miami University. If the graduate student's program does not offer a master's degree, students must be in at least their second year of graduate study.

Preference will be given to graduate students who can document prior research collaboration with a faculty member. A grad student can be listed as a prospective mentor on just one application with an undergrad student.

Undergraduate Student Eligibility

An undergraduate student can be listed as a prospective mentee on just one application with a grad student.

Application to the program is open to any Miami University undergraduate student who holds a minimum 2.75 GPA and is otherwise in good standing (not on probation, etc.).

The student must also be willing to collaborate with the graduate student to complete the project and communicate the results of that work to the scholarly community.

An undergraduate student can receive only one DUOS award during their academic career.

Required Mentor-Mentee Scholarly Context Training

By signing the DUOS application form, all participants agree they will NOT be entitled to any compensation or royalties for the intellectual property developed through this research. Disclosure of inventions and intellectual property must be made during the research process using a Miami University Invention Disclosure form. Contact staff in the Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) 529-3600.

Project final reports are due by April 26, 2025.

Use the DUOS proposal section headings to create your final narrative report about the conduct and outcomes of the research collaboration. The graduate student may request a no-cost extension of the funding end date if warranted. Send an email with a clear justification to Fabienne Bohon, Undergraduate Research Coordinator, who will process the request.

It is expected that the undergraduate and graduate students will produce a product (paper, oral presentation, poster, artwork, portfolio, model, etc.) as a result of their joint project. The undergraduate student and graduate mentor at the beginning of the student's participation should agree as to the purpose and form of this product. The undergrad student will be expected to present this product, if appropriate, at Miami's annual spring Undergraduate Research Forum.

Online registration will open in Feb., 2025. In addition, it is strongly encouraged that partners aim toward regional, national, and international presentation, performance, and dissemination of their work.