The goal of the Carolina Research Scholar Program is to foster and expand undergraduate research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Under the umbrella of the Office for Undergraduate Research (OUR), CRSP aims to build an undergraduate community based on research, scholarship and inquiry-driven learning. To this end, participants in CRSP who successfully meet the Program’s requirements will be recognized for their contributions to UNC’s intellectual and cultural climate with a designation on their transcript appropriately termed “Carolina Research Scholar.”

The criteria for the CRSP recognition include the varied and important ways in which students may contribute to undergraduate research at UNC. These criteria also serve as a framework by which students can navigate the process of designing and pursuing mentored research, scholarship or creative performance in an area of interest, communicate their discoveries and findings to the larger community, and share their experiences and offer advice to future scholars.

Eligibility:

All students are eligible to earn the CRSP recognition. The criteria for the Carolina Research Scholar designation on a student’s transcript will be as follows:

1. All participants in CRSP must complete IDST195, which is the introductory Modes of Inquiry class, a one credit pass/fail course. Formerly, this course was taught as SPCL390.10, and students who have completed SPCL390.10 do not need to enroll in IDST195.
2. All participants in CRSP must successfully complete at least two research-intensive courses (6 credit hour minimum). Research-intensive courses are defined as undergraduate courses in which over half of class time is devoted to students conducting original research and presenting research conclusions. The OUR maintains a list of these research-intensive courses on our website and updates the list yearly. To meet the CRSP requirement, the research-intensive courses may not be taken pass/fail and students must receive a grade of C or higher.
3. All participants in CRSP are required to present their research at a UNC-CH campus research symposium, such as OUR's Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research, that is open to all undergraduates, or at professional meeting or conference, either national or international. If you meet this requirement by presenting your work at a professional conference or meeting, you will need to verify your participation in one of two ways: (1) Receive an OUR Travel Award to present your research, OR (2) Ask a faculty member in your department to send a statement to OUR confirming that the event was a professional conference or meeting and that you presented your research at the event.

Associated programs:

In addition, CRSP participants will be encouraged to participate in the following programs sponsored by OUR:

1. Skill-building workshops including:
    
   1. Research proposal writing
   2. Navigating the IRB process
   3. Abstract preparation
   4. Web display creation
   5. Oral presentations
   6. Poster design
   7. Effective symposium discussions
       
2. The Undergraduate Research Peer Advisor program initiated in 2008 by Student Government (CRSP participants will be offered appropriate training and invited to serve as peer advisors).
3. The OUR Speaker's Bureau (for contributions to events such as CTOPS or undergraduate admissions programs).

Registration:

Please register for the CRSP program so that we can inform you of upcoming workshops and programs.

Application for the Carolina Research Scholar transcript designation:

You may submit the CRSP Application for Transcript Designation by the deadline in the semester in which you will finish all of the requirements, or by any of the deadlines after you have completed the requirements.

• Fall semester: November 20
• Spring semester: March 20
• Summer: July 20

We will check that you have completed all of the requirements listed on your application. If confirmed, we then will submit your name to the Registrar who will enter the Carolina Research Scholar notation on your transcript. This process should be completed within a month after the end of the semester in which you submit your application.

More information:

Please visit the FAQ page, or contact us at our@unc.edu if you have additional questions.