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Peer Mentor Program

The Peer Mentor Program is designed to help guide undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing research and inquiry, by providing student mentors. Each summer, 10 peer mentors are selected and are active mentors/researchers for one year. These students will be representatives of all disciplines, colleges, and partner campuses.

Peer Mentors serve as ambassadors for the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry. These students are active researchers who assist their peers in getting involved in research and inquiry by mentoring, hosting workshops, giving classroom presentations, and other activities. Peer mentors work closely with the Council for Scholarship and Inquiry (CSI) to support this initiative. If you are interested in getting involved in research please contact one of our current Peer Mentors to learn more about how you can get involved!

Interested in Serving as a Peer Mentor?

See instructions on how to apply below.

Deadline to apply is the last Friday in May, annually.

Eligibility

  1. Be in good academic standing at the university
  2. Have a minimum of one semester of DIS/DIR or other documented research experiences completed before applying(Preference will be given to those applicants with more than one semester of documented research.)
  3. Commit to a one year agreement as a Peer Mentor (Summer through Summer)
  4. Commit to active participation in the student club, Council for Scholarship and Inquiry (CSI)
  5. Commit to continue research in the academic year as an active peer mentor

Responsibilities and Commitments of peer mentors

Depending on the strengths and interests of peer mentors, responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Mentor undergraduate students interested in engaging in research and inquiry.
    • Office Hours
  • Student Professional Development
    • “Meeting of the Minds”: a series of events co-hosted by CSI targeting different colleges to expose students to the research being conducted by faculty within the college.
    • “How to…” series: a series of workshops developed to assist undergraduates to get involved in research and scholarly activities including ethics, developing a research question, and much more!
  • Outreach
    • Orientations
    • Classroom Presentations
    • Tabling Events
  • Coordinate, organize, and actively participate in OURI Sponsored Events
    • OURI Summer Retreat
    • Undergraduate Research Symposium
    • CSI events and monthly meetings
  • Attend 80% of the bi-weekly meetings to organize various events

Internship Option

Selected peer mentors will have the option to enroll in the zero-credit internship course IDS 3949 that is coordinated through the FAU Career Center. Students will receive a transcript notation for the internship without paying tuition or fees. Undergraduate and graduate peer mentors are encouraged to enroll. This will be further discussed at the first peer mentor meeting of the semester. The core requirements of this course include:

  • Have completed at least on semester at FAU.
  • Work with OURI for at least 60 hours per semester.
  • Complete midterm and final evaluation.

If you have any questions regarding this course please contact intern@fau.edu.

Compensation

Selected Peer Mentors will be awarded $600 ($300 in December, $300 in May) to be used for materials and supplies toward their research endeavors. In order to have funds dispersed mentors must have completed the following:

  • Attend 80% of the meetings held each semester
  • 30 hours of peer mentoring or other related activities(hosting OURI workshops, classroom presentations; and coordinate, organize, and actively participate in at least two OURI events each semester)
  • Participate in the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium (spring semester)

Timeline of Application Process

  1. Application Deadline: Last Friday of May, annually
  2. Interviews: June
  3. Notification of Acceptance: July
  4. Team Building Activity/meeting: end of July
  5. Annual Summer Retreat: Early August
  6. Meetings commence in August

How to apply

If you would like to apply to become a Peer Mentor with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry please complete the list below and email all application materials or questions to OURI.ouri@fau.edu

  1. Navigate to OURI's Survey Monkey Apply (A guide to submitting on Survey Monkey apply can be seen here)
  2. Answer Required Eligibility Questions (under Tasks) by clicking "Start." You must agree to ALL eligibility questions before the Peer Mentor Application will show up under your programs.
  3. Find OURI programs you are eligible for (i.e. the Peer Mentor Program) by clicking "view programs." If the Peer Mentor Program application does not show up on your program list, please review your eligibility form: you must agree to ALL eligibility questions before the Peer Mentor Application will show up under your programs.
  4. Once you find the program you wish to apply for, click "Apply Now" to the right of your screen
  5. Complete all sections of the online application and be prepared to:
    1. Upload and Attach a current CV or resume
    2. Provide a letter of recommendation from your faculty research mentor
    3. Upload your Fall academic schedule
  6. Prepare for an interview

**If you have any questions, or difficulty completing your online application please email alexismiller@fau.edu

This application was adapted from the University of Central Florida's Office of Undergraduate Research.

This program is part of our University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) efforts at expanding a culture of undergraduate research and inquiry at FAU.