After selecting a project submitted by a faculty member, the student works closely with that faculty member who serves as project director. The student works with the faculty member to develop a project contract specifying the work to be completed within a specified timeframe. The student immerses him/herself into the research domain and participates in various stages of the research project depending upon the agreed-upon scope of work. The project director is responsible for supervision of the student throughout the project and evaluating the student’s work. Students are required to formally present their work to their peers and project director at the end of the academic semester, and the project director must complete an evaluation of the student using the standard student evaluation form.
The role of a Randall Research Scholars student is to serve as a research assistant to a faculty member in a related field of study. The students should participate in the multiple stages of a research projects and develop an understanding of the objectives and value of the research.
Randall Research Scholars students receive three hours of Honors credit per semester which includes research project work and participation in a one-hour weekly RRSP seminar session. Therefore, students should engage in an active learning experience at an accelerated pace. Students are expected to work 10 to 12 hours per week on the project component. The students are not to be used as employees who only apply previously acquired knowledge to produce a product.
Randall Research Scholars students are not to be used solely as data-entry personnel or library research assistants although these activities may be a portion of their research project work.
Randall Research Scholars students are expected to work with their project director to create and sign a project contract specifying the goals of the research project, activities and deliverables for which the student is responsible, identified risks possibly compromising deadlines or deliverables and the learning outcomes for the student. Students and project directors should meet weekly to keep the research project on track and ensure learning objectives are met.
Randall Research Scholars students and project directors should develop a weekly standing meeting to keep the research project on track and ensure learning objectives are met. A preferred mechanism for communicating should be clearly established.
Project directors must complete an evaluation of the students at the end of an academic term using the standard student evaluation form. The form should be received by the Randall Research Scholars Director on the first business day following the student’s final examination.
If you have a research project you believe fits the RRS scope and are willing to participate by working with an RRS undergraduate student, then you are encouraged to submit a description of your project(s). You may submit your proposal at https://bit.ly/2024-rrs-proposal-submission.
If the project is selected (around the second week of an academic term) the RSSP student will contact you directly for further information and begin filling out a project contract for you to review and approve. If needed, please reference our Project Examples and Project Proposal Examples.
We encourage submission of project proposals by Monday, August 5, 2024, for priority consideration. The final deadline for submitting research project proposals for Fall 2024 is Wednesday, August 21, 2024. However, project proposals can be submitted throughout the year, but may not be considered until the beginning of a semester. Please do not hesitate to contact Jeff Gray, Randall Research Scholars Director, at gray@cs.ua.edu with any questions.