SPIRE student researchers develop their own plan for a faculty-mentored research project and then pursue their project during an intensive eight-week period of summer research. 

The Student Proposal consists of four sections:​

• Applicant and Project Information

• Project Description

• Project Timeline

• SPIRE Research Community Statement

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Instructions for completing each of these sections are provided below.

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Applicant and Project Information​

This section asks the applicant to address the following topics:

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• Their intended month and year of graduation

• The title of their proposed project

• Plans (if any) to begin their project before SPIRE starts and/or continue it after SPIRE ends

• The intended location(s) of their research while in SPIRE

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Seeking to cultivate a community of student researchers on campus over the summer,  OUR will generally prioritize SPIRE applications from students who plan to conduct research on or near UMD's campus in College Park. If an applicant indicates they wish to work outside the College Park area while in SPIRE, this section will prompt them to explain why an alternative location is necessary for their project. This discussion should be no more than 1,250 characters.

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Project Description​​

This section presents short essay questions on five topics. Character limits apply to each response. 

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1. Research Question & Academic Significance​​

For this question, the student should introduce the topic of their project and describe the key research question(s) it will address. Bearing in mind that the reviewers of their application will most likely not be experts in their areas of interest, the applicant should explain how their project contributes to the field(s) in which it will be conducted. What new insights will it offer? Each applicant should also explicitly indicate how their project relates to their mentor's research agenda; students are welcome to propose projects that relate only indirectly to their mentor's research, but the common interests that underlie the advising relationship should be made clear.

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If the student intends to work on part of a longer-running project during their eight weeks in SPIRE, they should also make clear exactly how the work they wish to do in SPIRE relates to the project as a whole. For instance, if a literature student ultimately wishes to write an analysis of three novels for an honors thesis, they might specify that they intend to focus on one of the novels during their time in SPIRE and explain how the analysis of this novel will advance the project as a whole.

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An excellent response will clearly state the research question(s) being addressed and 

describe how the proposed project fits into the context of one or more fields and relates to the mentor's research. If a student wishes to pursue SPIRE research as part of a longer-running project, the response will also clearly illuminate how the work to be performed during the student's time in SPIRE relates to the project as a whole.​

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2. Academic & Supplemental Preparation
The student should describe how their prior or current studies, research experiences, internships, jobs, extracurricular activities, study abroad, or other forms of learning support their ability to carry out their project. The student should be specific about the language skills, data analysis skills, or other abilities they possess that will enable them to carry out their project.

 

An excellent response will provide persuasive evidence that the student is well prepared to carry out their proposed project.

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3. Research Methods & Access to Necessary Resources
The student should explain the methods they will use to investigate the research question(s) specified in the "Research Question & Academic Significance" section. They should also highlight any special resources they will need to undertake their project and explain how they intend to access them. 

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An excellent response will clearly describe the research methods to be used in the project. If special resources are needed to complete the project, an excellent response will also provide a comprehensive list of these resources and indicate that the student will be able to gain access to them if accepted to SPIRE.

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4. Student Initiative & Responsibility 
In responding to this question, the student should describe their anticipated role in the principal activities of their proposed project, including data and source collection, analysis, and interpretation.  We expect that many applicants will propose working on research projects undertaken by larger research teams; this question will enable them to highlight their specific responsibilities within their research groups. 

 

An excellent response will demonstrate student creativity, initiative, and understanding of the proposed project's design. It will be clear that the student will be responsible for important activities, including the analysis and interpretation of data/sources. ​​

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​5. Impact of Project on Student Development
OUR wishes to support projects that meaningfully impact student learning and growth. In this section, the student should address how their proposed project will help them move closer to meeting their academic and professional goals.

 

An excellent response will clearly explain the proposed project's relevance to the student's academic and career goals and make a strong case that it will significantly advance them.

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Project Timeline​​​

This section invites the applicant to map out a week-by-week schedule for the eight-week SPIRE period. For each of the eight weeks, the student should identify at least one overarching research goal and a set of concrete activities they will undertake to advance their goal(s) for the week. The entry for each week should be no longer than 1,000 characters.

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Here is a sample entry for the first week of a SPIRE project:

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Research Goal(s):

I want to deepen my understanding of how previous studies have addressed my research question.

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Specific Actions to Advance Research Goal(s):

--I will meet with a UMD librarian for guidance on identifying sources.

--I will search for relevant sources using appropriate databases.

--I will review and organize selected sources identified through my literature search.

--I will meet with my faculty mentor to discuss sources identified through my search.

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In preparing their timelines, applicants should bear in mind that OUR will not expect them to follow these timelines strictly if they ultimately participate in SPIRE. The aim of this section is to encourage applicants to think concretely about what can be accomplished in eight weeks and to develop an initial schedule. This schedule can then subsequently be modified in consultation with the student's advisor as new issues and challenges emerge.

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An excellent timeline presents a clear, feasible schedule for the student's project.

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SPIRE Research Community Statement

During the summer, OUR aims to foster a sense of community among students conducting research on campus, and SPIRE students will attend periodic workshops and other events together. OUR will aim to make these meetings productive and engaging while addressing SPIRE students' needs. This section invites applicants to discuss what they think they would gain from participating in the SPIRE community over the summer, as well as how they would contribute to this community. Responses should be no more than 1,250 characters.

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If you are proposing to conduct research at a location that is not in or near College Park, MD, for your SPIRE project, please also include a discussion of strategies or approaches that could be leveraged to develop a sense of community between SPIRE researchers based on campus and SPIRE researchers based elsewhere. Please also address your commitment to pursuing these strategies or approaches if you participate in SPIRE.

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​​​​An excellent response will convey a clear interest in participating in the SPIRE community, as well as a concrete sense of what the applicant hopes to gain from their participation and what they intend to contribute.