Eligibility and Application Questions
 

What are my chances of being selected to participate in SPIRE?
We expect that the application process for SPIRE will be very competitive. To maximize your chances of receiving an award, please review the application instructions carefully and follow them closely.

Is SPIRE open to all majors?
Yes, students from any major conducting research in any field may submit a SPIRE Proposal. 

I am not a US citizen or permanent resident. Am I still eligible to submit a SPIRE Proposal?
You do not need to be a US citizen or permanent resident to apply. However, if you are a non-US citizen, your visa status must permit you to receive the SPIRE award funds. If you experience difficulties determining whether your visa status qualifies you to receive these funds, please inquire with OUR (our-office@umd.edu), and we will work to refer you to university officials who can assist you.

I am planning to graduate in December 2026. May I still submit a SPIRE Proposal?
Yes. You may apply as long as you will be enrolled at UMD (or in an approved study abroad program) as an undergraduate in the fall semester after your SPIRE research takes place.

I'm technically a senior at the end of the spring semester in terms of credits, but I'm not planning to graduate until December 2026 (or spring of 2027). May I still apply? 
Yes. You may apply as long as you will be enrolled at UMD (or in an approved study abroad program) as an undergraduate in the fall semester after your SPIRE research takes place.

I received and accepted an award from SPIRE or from the Maryland Summer Scholars Program (SPIRE's predecessor program) in the past. Am I eligible to submit a SPIRE Proposal? 
You are eligible to apply, but the selection committee may choose to give priority to students who are seeking their first award. 

Student Proposal Questions
 

My proposed project will require human subject research. Do I need to get Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for it? 
Yes. If your proposed summer research project involves human subject research, you must have IRB approval to pursue research through SPIRE. You should discuss the question about IRB approval with your mentor before application.  Your mentor will verify IRB approval with us while evaluating your proposal.

​​

Do SPIRE proposals require the proposed research plan to be performed on campus in College Park?  Can research be completed remotely?

OUR seeks to build a community of undergraduate researchers on campus in College Park this summer, and SPIRE generally prioritizes funding projects that will be undertaken in or near College Park. We recognize, however, that sometimes research must be performed in other locations due to the subjects and methods engaged.  If your proposal involves research that will not be completed in or near College Park, you must make a case for the necessity for the research engagement elsewhere and provide clear reasons for the specific alternative location in the "Applicant and Project Information" section of the application form. At this time, SPIRE can only support research projects conducted within the United States.

​​​

If I propose to work on my project primarily from a location that is not in or near College Park, MD, how do I address the SPIRE Research Community Statement section of the application? 

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

​​

What policies govern intellectual property co-created by undergraduates participating in the SPIRE program?

Please see the University of Maryland's intellectual property policy. If you have questions related to intellectual property in the context of the particular project on which you are proposing to work as a SPIRE student, please discuss them with your prospective research advisor.

​
Faculty Mentor Questions
 

How do I find a faculty mentor for my project? 
There is no formal process for finding a SPIRE mentor.

 

Most students find mentors by:

• approaching professors whose classes they have taken

• speaking with professors with whom they are already engaged in research

• identifying faculty in their major or minor department who share their interests and approaching them with ideas for a SPIRE Proposal

 

Your current instructors or undergraduate major or minor advisors may help point you to potential mentors.

May I work with someone at the University of Maryland who is not a professor? 
If an appropriate UMD mentor for your project does not have a faculty appointment but has a position of comparable expertise/responsibility at the University, that is acceptable.

 

I am in the FIRE program.  Can I apply to work with my FIRE Faculty Leader?

No.  FIRE Faculty Leaders are committed full-time to the OUR IRIE program during the summer.  If you wish to work with your FIRE Faculty Leader or a different FIRE stream, you must apply for OUR IRIE.

Can a professor from a different university serve as my SPIRE faculty mentor? 
No. Your SPIRE mentor must be a faculty member (or an individual holding a position of comparable expertise/responsibility) from the University of Maryland. 

Funding Questions
 

Can I use SPIRE to fund participation in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program? 
SPIRE cannot be used to pay for participation in an REU that is not based on a student-driven research proposal or consists primarily of research activities not proposed by the student.

Can I use SPIRE to pay for a study abroad program that includes research? 

No, SPIRE cannot be used to pay for a study abroad program. (Please see our discussion of remote research above.)

Can I have a part-time job while carrying out my SPIRE project?
Yes, as long as you can devote approximately 20 hours a week to your project during the duration of SPIRE. If you receive the award, you will be expected to schedule work hours that do not conflict with SPIRE research and activities.

Can I be paid a wage by my advisor's research group while I am participating in SPIRE? 

You may not receive SPIRE funding and a wage for your work on a single research project. 
 

If I am invited to participate in SPIRE and I also receive an offer to support my summer research from another UMD program, can I accept both offers?

You may not receive summer funding from both SPIRE and another UMD program.

​

Does OUR provide housing? 

We are not able to provide housing. However, SPIRE students can find off-campus housing resources through UMD's Off-Campus Housing Services. 

​

​