Applying to MURAP

Announcement of Summer Faculty Fellowships
MURAP Mentors
May 23 - July 29, 2010

The Institute of African American Research (IAAR) invites applications from faculty at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who would like to serve as faculty mentors in the 21st annual Moore Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (MURAP). MURAP's objective is to foster the entrance of talented students from diverse backgrounds into graduate school and faculty positions within the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts in U.S. colleges and universities. More broadly, the program seeks to change the demography of the academy to reflect more closely the composition of society by increasing the number of minority students who pursue graduate work. It also aims to structure campus environments so that they will be more conducive to improved racial and ethnic relations, and will provide role models in educational achievement for all youth.

MURAP attempts to meet this mission by identifying and supporting students of great promise who demonstrate commitment and pursuit of the program’s goals, and by helping them to become scholars of the highest distinction. Through the program, talented undergraduates are introduced to the professional work of university scholars and teachers while learning about the opportunities and challenges of graduate studies in the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. MURAP student fellows will work on intensive original research projects under the guidance of UNC-CH faculty mentors.

Faculty mentors who join the program are expected to meet with their two advisees at least three times per week to provide regular and detailed feedback on students’ projects, and to discuss various aspects of the professor’s own interests as a teacher and researcher. In addition, mentors must attend a three-hour seminar on Tuesday afternoons during each week of the MURAP program. Discussions at the seminars focus on the summer projects of both the faculty mentors and the students, and provide students with skills for academic analysis, critique, and formal presentation of research. Discussions also include more general conversations about the nature of graduate school, the process of applying to graduate programs, and the characteristics of an academic career.

The program will begin on May 23rd and conclude on July 29th. MURAP faculty mentors must therefore be resident in Chapel Hill throughout this period, and they must be willing to participate in required program components. All faculty mentors also are expected to attend the annual, two day MURAP Academic Conference, held on Thursday July 22 and Friday July 23, 2010.

The summer stipend for faculty mentors overseeing students' independent research projects and participating in all aspects of the program will be $8,000. Stipends will be paid in two lump-sum supplements to regular faculty salaries.

To apply, please submit the following materials by January 22, 2010:

• A cover letter indicating your interest in serving as a Mentor.
• A copy of your current curriculum vitae.
• A two-page description of a proposed research plan for the summer.
• A two-page description of your previous experience serving as a research mentor for undergraduates as well as your professional activities that demonstrate your commitment to educational diversity.

Faculty who have previously received fellowships to participate in MURAP are eligible and welcome to apply again. We also welcome applications from first-time applicants.

Students will be applying from a wide range of undergraduate institutions and majors; all of the successful applications will have competitive academic records. Every effort will be made to match faculty fellows and student applicants whose research interests overlap.

Applications should be emailed to MURAP’s Administrative Assistant, Kendra McKinney (mckendra@email.unc.edu). Deadline for applications is 5:00 pm on January 22, 2010.

If you would like more information about MURAP, please consult the website at http://www.unc.edu/depts/murap, or call Kendra McKinney at 919-962-6811.