An Undergraduate Research Opportunity at the University of California, Berkeley
		Information for Spring 2009 Application

The Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP) provides an opportunity for Berkeley undergraduates to work one-on-one with faculty members on the cutting-edge research projects for which Berkeley is world-renowned. Students meet regularly with faculty for research mentoring and earn 1 unit of academic credit for each 3 hours of research work (limited to 4 units per term). The program is designed to stimulate awareness of advanced research and interest in graduate study. Students are not paid for their participation.

Please note . . .

You may submit applications for no more than three URAP projects, so please read the descriptions carefully and choose the project or projects that best suit your interests and abilities.

You may work on only ONE URAP project in a semester. If you are selected for more than one project, you should make your choice quickly and advise faculty immediately of your plans so that another student may be engaged to work on the project you decline. You will gain more by spending additional time on a single project, and going into greater depth in your research involvement, than by spreading yourself thinly over multiple projects.

Making your application:
Please read these instructions carefully!

Prepare Your Application:

1. Read the faculty project proposals carefully to see if you have the required skills and qualifications – they vary greatly from project to project. Make a serious assessment of your interests and abilities. Do you find the project truly interesting? Be sure to also look for opportunities outside your major. Many professors’ research projects are multidisciplinary, especially in the social sciences and humanities – you may be able to find a project matching your skills and interests in an unexpected place.

2. Ask yourself about your time commitments for the coming year – most fall projects are a two semester commitment. Are your course or extracurricular commitments already unusually heavy? Research apprenticeships are not easy units. To benefit from the program you need to be able to devote at least 3 hours a week to the project, over the course of the entire term.

3. Apply only for projects to which you are prepared to commit yourself, and for which you are qualified (some require only diligence and enthusiasm). There is little latitude for "shopping" here. You could jeopardize the research project or your potential relationship with the professor by applying to, or accepting, apprentice positions that you cannot carry through the end of the semester.

4. Make sure you are eligible. The program is currently open only to registered students with a GPA of at least 2.0. Students in any college and any class level are welcome to apply, although they may not be qualified for every project. A few projects require completion of upper division courses.

5. Return to this site and enter your application information ONLINE between January 13-January 26, 2009. You will be asked for contact and academic data, as well as a statement of interest for each project. In your statement, make sure that you address each project specifically: Why are you interested? Why are you qualified? What skills can you bring to the project? What classes have you taken that relate to the project? What do you hope to get out of this research experience? Each statement of interest should be about 400 words long.

Tip: You’ll be cutting and pasting your statement into the online application once you’ve started the application process, so be sure to have it open when you begin the online application process.

Enter Your Application:

1. Once you’ve picked which project(s) you’ll be applying to, and prepared a statement of interest for each project, you’re ready to begin the online application process. Go to the URAP application page and follow the prompts. You’ll receive some instructions, and then be asked for contact information. After you’ve entered your contact information, you’ll be taken to a screen listing all the professors with open projects. If a professor’s name appears twice, with two different departments, this means that his or her project is cross-listed; you can select either entry. Your selection will in no way affect your application. If a professor has multiple projects open, and you are interested in more than one, you only need to submit one application, but you should indicate your preferences. If there is really only one project that interests you, say so.
You can only submit one application on this screen, but you’ll be given opportunity to submit two additional applications later in the online application process.

2. Next, you will be taken to a screen where you can enter your statement of interest. Paste only the statement of interest that refers to the project to which you are applying; each individual project requires a separate statement of interest.

3. Now you will be asked to provide information about up to eight college-level classes you have taken that are relevant to the project you are applying to. This is an opportunity for faculty who choose to review applications electronically to view your grades before your paper application and unofficial transcript are forwarded to them (more about this later!), as well as a chance for you to demonstrate your understanding of the skills needed to successfully work as an apprentice on a given project. Do not include information about AP or any other classes at the high school level. Don’t be concerned if you have not yet completed eight relevant courses – this is a maximum number you can provide information about, not a minimum request.

4. Next you will reach a page providing a link to a printable copy of your application. The printable version will appear in a new window. YOU MUST PRINT THIS SCREEN! If something goes wrong with your computer or printer, don’t worry – you will also receive an email at the address you provided at the beginning of the application, linking you to the page containing all the information you submitted.

5. After printing your application, click the Continue button on the original window. You will now have the opportunity to apply for additional projects (up to 3 total) or finish the application process. But you are not done yet!

To activate your application(s): You need to activate your application(s) by submitting the paper printout of each application along with a copy of your unofficial transcript that you can print out using BearFacts (http://bearfacts.berkeley.edu) in 301 Cambell Hall by 5 p.m., January 26th. Do not forget to attach your transcript (one for each application!) – faculty will need to see your grades! Make sure you choose the Bear Facts option that includes your name on your printout. See also: Why do I have to submit a paper application after I applied online?.


Ready to apply? Click here to submit your application online!

After you have submitted your application...

1. You will receive a website link to each faculty member’s Virtual Office Door. KEEP THIS LINK! URAP faculty mentors will begin using their Virtual Office Door to notify applicants of their status as early as Tuesday, January 27th, so please check this door daily! Please check your email during this time as well, as faculty may contact you via email as well as through the Virtual Office Door.

2. Do not contact faculty or their departments before the fourth week of classes unless the instructions on their virtual door explicitly direct you to do so. It is your responsibility to check the virtual door and your email daily. If you do not see a listing by the end of the THIRD week, or receive and email from the faculty mentor, you should drop by the faculty member’s regular office hours during the FOURTH week.

3. Schedule a meeting with your prospective mentor as soon as possible if your name appears on their interview or selection list. If your faculty mentor contacts you by e-mail, respond promptly.

If you are selected...

Questions?

At a URAP info session you will obtain more general information on apprenticeships, and get tips on making clear and effective applications.

Info sessions about applying to URAP will be held during the first week of instruction at the following times and locations (sessions with an asterisk (*) will be held back to back with Workshop A: Getting Started in Undergraduate Research - Overview and Strategies, same location).

*Tuesday, January 20, 3-4 p.m., 344 Campbell Hall
*Wednesday, January 21, 1-2 p.m., 344 Campbell Hall
*Thursday, January 22, 10-11 a.m., 344 Campbell Hall
*Friday, January 23, 2-3 p.m., 344 Campbell Hall

You may also come by our office at 301 Campbell Hall, call 643-5376, or email urap@learning.berkeley.edu.