The University of Houston embraces its mission of providing a broad range of educational programs and services at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Supporting undergraduate participation in mentored research is an important component of the university's mission. The Office of the Provost in conjunction with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards offers Undergraduate Research Mentor Awards to honor the dedicated practice of undergraduate mentorship at the University of Houston and to encourage faculty to support that aspect of the university's mission. These awards are presented to faculty honorees at the annual Provost Faculty Awards ceremony.

The Undergraduate Research Mentor Awards recognize excellence in supporting undergraduate research and conveys the campus' high regard for outstanding contributions made to the academic and research community. Award winners advise and work one-on-one with students on personalized, creative, enriching projects; they are committed to providing undergraduate research experiences above and beyond the classroom.

Nominations are due by Friday, January 31, 2025 at 5 p.m.

The Undergraduate Research Mentor Awards celebrate the mentorship efforts of University of Houston faculty at all stages of their careers. This cash award of $1500 is available to faculty who are making a significant impact in their field by supporting and mentoring undergraduate students in research and scholarship endeavors.

Candidates must be full-time faculty members from any department at the University of Houston main campus who have demonstrated mentorship involvement for at least five years at the University of Houston main campus. Due to the large number of faculty participating in undergraduate research mentoring activities at the University of Houston, past award recipients are not eligible for future nomination. You may review the list of past recipients here.

Should you feel your undergraduate mentoring activities are particularly strong, but your position and time at the University do not qualify you for the award, please contact Dr. Stuart Long.

Nomination Procedure

Nominations may be made by department chairs, faculty members, or students who have worked with the nominee.

Nomination forms are available below. One .pdf file of all nomination materials and letters of support must be emailed to Dr. Rikki Bettinger in the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards by Friday, January 31, 2025 at 5 p.m.

Nomination Materials

Nomination package. The nomination materials should be created on single-sided paper, using 12-point font size, and assembled in the following order:

1. Nomination form – Download nomination form online.
2. Brief curriculum vitae of the nominee – No more than two pages in length.
3. List of mentored undergraduates – Create a document that includes: student name, dates or timeframe worked with student, and title of project. If possible, include information on the current position of each student; specifically, whether a student has enrolled in a Ph.D. program, professional program, or is employed in a research-intensive position in the private sector. List all students mentored since the beginning of academic career at the University of Houston.
4. List of all publications and presentations that involved undergraduates – Designate the undergraduate researchers involved in each project by underlining their names. Indicate whether the articles are peer reviewed or not. List student honors associated with the experience such as PURS, SURF, and other research awards or scholarships.
5. Description of mentoring philosophy – No more than one page in length. Explanation of how nominee works with students in regards to undergraduate research and mentorship. The nominee should explain specifically how he or she mentors students, and identify what types of activities undergraduates are involved in when working under his or her mentorship.
6. Four letters of support – one (1) letter from the Chair of department, describing nominee's impact on field or department, with emphasis on evidence of nominee's contribution to undergraduate research and mentoring; two (2) letters of recommendation from students who have worked with the nominee; one (1) letter from the nominator (if he/she is not the department chair). If the nominator is the Chair, this letter can come from a colleague, or another student who has worked with the nominee. Only these four letters of recommendation will be accepted with the nomination.

Submission

Nominations must be submitted electronically as a .pdf file. Please make a single .pdf file (labeled with the last name of the applicant) containing items outlined above and in the exact order indicated on the list: (1) nomination form, (2) C.V., (3) list of mentored undergraduates, (4) listing of publications and presentations, (5) description of mentoring activity, and (6) four letters of support. Please include the nominator's name, title, email, and phone number on the nomination form as requested. Email the nomination packet to rrbettin@central.uh.edu.

If you have any questions or require any additional information, please contact Dr. Stuart Long or Dr. Rikki Bettinger.