Guidelines and Special Considerations for Undergraduate Research
Research Abroad: Safety Considerations
Research Independent Study Information for Students and Faculty
Research Compensation and Credit
Research Abroad: Safety Considerations
Undergraduate students traveling abroad on Duke-sponsored, Duke-administered, and Duke-approved programs may travel to all locations except those on the Duke Restricted Regions List. This policy also applies for Duke students whose research is supported by a fellowship or other funding from Duke. The policy is stated here.
Research Independent Study Information for Students and Faculty
A Research Independent Study course or the equivalent, e.g., thesis course, is the mechanism for students to engage in individual research in a field of special interest under the guidance of a faculty member and to earn academic credit for the research. Research Independent Study courses bear a Research (R) curriculum code and satisfy general education requirements in research and small group learning for a Trinity undergraduate.
The student should seek advice and use the faculty information on departmental web sites to learn about the research interests of faculty. The student should initiate appointments and conversations to convey their interest in the discipline or subdiscipline. When a faculty member agrees to guide the student in a research project, they should discuss together the objectives of the research, the time commitment the student will make (generally 10–15 hours per week), and what the requirements for the final product will be. Departments often require a written project proposal.
There are four academic requirements for students and faculty to plan, register and complete a research independent study:
1. The independent study must be approved by the student's proposed research advisor as well as by the director of undergraduate studies in the relevant department or program. Faculty approve students to enroll by giving them a permission number to enter into ACES.
2. The faculty research advisor and student must meet at least once every two weeks during the fall or spring semester (at least once a week during the summer).
3. The student must produce a substantive paper or written report containing significant analysis and interpretation of a previously approved topic or project. The student must submit the paper or report to the research advisor during the semester of enrollment in the course.
4. The faculty advisor must evaluate the work and final product and submit a grade to the Registrar during the semester grading period.
Research Compensation and Credit
Students may not be paid salary for research that is part of a course. Likewise, students may not receive academic credit for research employment.
During the academic year, faculty may apply for up to $400 each semester to pay salary to an undergraduate research assistant. These funds may not be used toward research supplies. See URS Assistantships. Students with their research advisors may apply for URS grants of up to $400 each fall and spring to be used toward supplies and travel, if approved, as part of a research independent study course. These funds may not be used for salary. See URS grants. Premajor students are eligible for Dannenberg Awards to support a research project or related activity. Faculty members searching for an undergraduate for a research-related job are encouraged to post the opportunity on Duke List. If undergraduate students ask about funds to support themselves for a research project in the summer, please direct them to the Opportunities page.
Compensation Considerations
If undergraduates are to be employed and paid hourly compensation, they must be added to the corporate payroll by the Payroll Officer of the faculty member’s department. Faculty should NOT use personal funds to pay a student with the expectation that they may be reimbursed.
URS Grant Reimbursements
The grant is to be used toward the items listed in the proposed budget. Any additional expenses must be paid from another source. The research sponsor and the purchasing agent in the sponsor’s department can assist in ordering the materials needed for student's research. The URS Office will reimburse these expenses once we have received all receipts for supplies purchased.
Receipts (or requests for JV transfer documentation from the department) should be submitted to Judith Asuzu, 011 Allen Building, Box 90049.
Unused grant funds may not be spent in a subsequent semester. Funds must be expended by the last day of classes for the current semester, and reimbursements processed by the 15th of the following month. The maximum reimbursement may not exceed the award amount. The URS Office will typically process reimbursements at the end of the semester or after the documentation is received. If there are questions about this procedure, please contact the URS Office (684-6536 or ursoffice@duke.edu).
If the receipt does not already contain the following information, please add: name of student,
name of faculty member and the fund code to be reimbursed.
URS Assistantship Payment
Maximum semester earnings from URS funds for this position are $400 (please do not allow the student to exceed the maximum this semester). Unused salary or grant funds may not be spent in a subsequent semester. Additional work must be funded by another source or performed on a volunteer basis. Please observe the following payroll procedures:
1. The payroll representative in the faculty mentor’s department will explain the procedures for keeping track of hours worked, obtaining time cards, and picking up paychecks. If the student is not already on Duke Payroll, the clerk will complete an Employment Notice (EN) for the student.
2. If the student is already on Duke Payroll in another department, the student must obtain a Personnel Change Notice (PCN) from the payroll clerk in the student's current department of employment. The PCN should be taken to the payroll clerk in the department where the student is using the URS assistantship so that the student's second source of funding can be added.
3. URS support may be combined with work-study aid. If the student is eligible, the student can obtain the work-study verification forms from the Undergraduate Financial Aid Office, 2106 Campus Drive, to accompany the PCN and/or EN (see above). Please note that enrolled students may not be compensated for more than 19.5 hours/week of combined employment.
4. All completed forms should be taken to the Benefits and Records Office (705 Broad Street). The student cannot be paid for any hours worked before Benefits and Records receives all of the correct forms. In addition, the student's paid research hours must be completed by the last day of classes.
Please note that all hours must be worked by the last class day of the award semester.
Other relevant information for assistantships: The student should identify the appropriate work-study status to the department payroll representative.
Position: Student; Position Code: 0699
Non-work-study - 100% from URS assistantship: (contact URS office for fund code)
Federal work-study –
25% from URS assistantship (contact URS office for fund code)
75% from Financial Aid code
Duke work-study –
50% from URS assistantship (contact URS office for fund code)
50% from Financial Aid code
If possible the department payroll representative should notify the student's supervisor when payroll earned approaches the $400 limit. Please send copies of all timecards and documentation of hours worked to: Gerly Ace, 011 Allen Building, Box 90051 (gerly.ace@duke.edu).
URS Office Consulting
Faculty who are planning to begin an undergraduate research program or those writing grant proposals to fund such an endeavor, are invited to consult with the URS Office about policies and procedures at the University regarding these programs.