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Division of Academic and Student Affairs 
Office of Undergraduate Research

OUR Federal Work-Study Research Assistant Program

This program utilizes the U.S. Government’s Federal Work-Study program to provide an hourly wage to undergraduates conducting research under the guidance of their own mentor. Participants’ professional development is also encouraged through workshops and opportunities to present their results. Applications are accepted for fall, spring, or the entire academic year.

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Assitant Professor Tarek Aziz works with a student in the Hydraulics Lab in the Fitts-Woolard building on Centennial Campus. Photo by Becky Kirkland.

Funding

  • Total funding depends on awardee’s individual financial aid package. Typically, students can earn up to $1500-$2000/academic year. Applicants should check with their financial aid counselor for more information.
  • New awardees earn $14/hour up to their individual maximum.
  • Returning awardees earn $15/hour up to their individual maximum.

Eligibility

  • Must be an NC State-enrolled undergraduate student enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours.
  • Must be eligible for the U.S. Government’s Federal Work-Study program. Applicants should check with their financial aid counselor to determine their eligibility. Note: non-citizens, depending on status, may also qualify for Federal Work-Study.
  • Must have a research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor (or other mentor with appropriate research expertise).
  • Previous awardees must have finished the program in good standing.

Program Requirements

  • Work 5-10 hours/week with the mentor/research project connected to the approved application. Changes to the mentor or research project after an award has been made must first be approved the Office of Undergraduate Research.
  • Participate in one approved professional development activity each semester of the program and complete a post-activity survey each time.
  • Present the research worked on as part of the program at the Annual Spring Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium. Projects can be presented at any stage of their progression.
  • Complete a final survey covering the research experience.

Deadlines

Fall Applications

August 19, 2024 –
September 30, 2024

(for academic year and fall semester awards)

Spring Applications

December 2, 2024 –
January 20, 2024

(for spring semester awards)

Summer Funds

Under certain circumstances (as determined by the federal government), spring awards can be continued through the summer with new funding.
If eligible, you will be notified.

Application Process

To apply, fill out the OUR Federal Work-Study Research Assistant Program Form. You will be asked to provide the following:

  • Applicant Information (email, name, ID, phone number, and department)
  • A brief description of the duties you will be performing for your research project (Please note, we expect awardees to be meaningfully engaged in the research process which means the use of critical thinking and data analysis skills.)
  • Mentor Information (name, email, and phone number) + ID and department (for NC State Mentors) or institution/company and job title (for non-NC State Mentors)

FAQs

Yes, summer Project Supply Grants are able to support student living expenses and are not limited to Federal Work-Study-eligible students. While we hope to expand our financial support of students in the future, we also encourage you to look through our list of external funding opportunities, and to visit with the University Fellowships Office (who can help your search and application process).

Awardees will be paid biweekly and will track their hours via the WolfTime web-based time clock. Also, yes, earnings are taxable (as financial aid, not regular income). Note: funding cannot be awarded as a lump sum or stipend.

Awardees can only log hours for work during the academic term(s) of their award (ending on the last day of classes). Once an awardee reaches their individual maximum, the OUR will discontinue payments. Please check with your financial aid counselor for more information.

*Only for academic year awardees.

There are no applications for summer Federal Work-Study Research Assistantships; eligible students will be notified. This is because one federal requirement of summer funding is that it be a continuation of a position held during the spring. Ineligible students are encouraged to apply for a summer Project Supply Grant to use for living expenses. Students using Federal Work-Study funds during the summer may also apply for a summer Project Supply Grant, but if it is for the same project, they can only receive supply funding (not funding for living expenses).

Mentor-Mentee Support

Check out our mentorship tools and resources.

Extra Opportunities to Present

Check out our list of additional conferences for undergraduate researchers.

Please email any questions you have to the office at undergraduate-research@ncsu.edu