Introduction
Requests for a Research Discovery APS or FWS worker for 2025-26 must be received by FEBRUARY 7, 2025.
ETSU is committed to providing undergraduates with quality research experiences. To support participation, the Honors College and the Office of Financial Aid offer a program that gives students an opportunity to discover the "what" and the "how" of research. By working in close collaboration with ETSU faculty, students participate in research activities and professional study that offer the training and knowledge to become successful in their careers.
The Research Discovery Program is designed to give students exposure to research projects and skills in their fields of study. The program allocates undergraduate work-study students (recipients of either Academic Performance Scholarships or Federal Work Study) into “research assistant” positions working under the supervision of a campus faculty member.
Research Discovery Program
- Research Discovery student-worker positions are assigned to faculty members in academic departments and are available through either the Federal Work Study (FWS) program or for juniors and seniors with Academic Performance Scholarships (APS).
- These positions are intended to provide students with an early, more informal exposure to research and research skills appropriate to different fields.
- A Research Discovery experience can be a great springboard to a more immersive independent study or senior thesis project.
- A Research Discovery position guarantees that a student worker will be working directly with a faculty member in a research environment, exposed to an on-going research project, and receive work assignments that will train or strengthen research skills.
- Tasks include (but are not limited to) such things as library research; general organization duties; working with research/creative software; laboratory work; fieldwork; data collection and analysis; or artistic support tasks.
- Research Discovery provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students in all disciplines to engage in a high impact practice as they use research to explore, expand, and understand their chosen field of study.
Students interested in a Research Discovery Position
Check the Student Service Positions database for Research Discovery FWS jobs and Research Discovery APS positions, or talk with your Professor or Department Chair to find out more about Research Discovery opportunities in your field.
By participating in an undergraduate Research Discovery student work position you will:
- DEVELOP a one-on-one mentoring relationship with a faculty member
- ENHANCE critical skills in communication, independent thinking, creativity, and problem solving
- LEARN how research is accomplished and how it contributes to expanding knowledge, and
- PARTICIPATE directly in the University's mission of scientific discovery, scholarly activity and artistic creation.
Faculty Requests for a Research Discovery Position
Request a Research Discovery APS or FWS worker for 2025-26 by December 13, 2024.
- Supervisors for these positions must be faculty members and they must assign tasks that will expose students to on-going research projects and research skills.
- Research Discovery positions must first be approved by the Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities. The Office will notify the faculty member and Financial Aid of approved positions.
- Faculty are limited to one Research Discovery position per semester. Upon approval by Financial Aid (to ensure students eligibility), positions will be administered by the faculty member’s home department, including posting a position announcement through Financial Aid.
- The department will be responsible for processing the hiring and timekeeping, and for covering the costs of any overages.
Questions?
Contact: Dr. Cerrone Foster, Director, at FOSTERC@mail.etsu.edu