UR2PhD Seeks Institutional Partners: Apply for Resources to Engage More Women in Undergraduate Research

CRA’s new Undergraduate Research to PhD program, UR2PhD (pronounced “you are 2 PhD”), is seeking institutional partners who would like support with growing the number of women and other gender-marginalized computing students who participate in undergraduate research and continue on to PhD programs.

UR2PhD is a national, virtual program with the goal of vastly increasing the number of women engaging in CS research–from the undergraduate level to the PhD.  UR2PhD comprises three pillars: (1) early undergraduate research training and community, (2) research mentor training for graduate students and post-docs advising undergraduate researchers, and (3) a bridge program to support undergraduate students from their first research experience through their application to a PhD program.

Institutional partners will work closely with the UR2PhD program leadership beginning in the Summer of 2023 to vastly expand the number of research opportunities for women and gender-marginalized undergraduates, including those from marginalized races and ethnicities, at their institutions.

Institutional partners will receive:

• A $2K stipend for a local coordinator to help manage and organize undergraduate research activities,
• Priority access for their students to all three pillars of the UR2PhD program, including $1K stipends each for up to 10 graduate students who participate in the research mentor training program,
• Guidance and support in implementing recruiting and selection strategies that result in a high participation percentage of women and other gender-marginalized students in CS, including those from marginalized races and ethnicities,
• Regular, personalized support from experts in implementing scalable, inclusive undergraduate research programs.

Institutional partners commit to the following:  

• To expand their undergraduate research capacity by recruiting, supporting (with credit or pay), and mentoring at least 20 new researchers in Fall 2023, with at least two students working on each project so that students can receive the benefits of peer collaboration,
• To give undergraduate students credit (or pay) for participating in the virtual research methods course and their research project,
• To designate a local coordinator who is paid a stipend through this project to manage the local recruiting and mentoring effort,
• To have undergraduate students present their work at an on-campus, regional, or national venue,
• To use an advertising, recruitment, and selection process that is likely to result in at least 80% of the new researchers identifying as women or other gender-marginalized identities, with a disproportionate number from a marginalized race/ethnicity.

To apply to become an institutional partner, please do the following:

• Make a copy and complete the application form: UR2PhD Institutional Partner Application Form
• Obtain a letter from your department chair expressing their support for this engagement
• Upload both documents to this form: https://forms.gle/6twr6CNM6nuffKRd7

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until June 15, 2023.

Information Session at ACM FCRC 2023
June 21st, 10-10:30 am

CRA will host a brief information session on UR2PhD to introduce the program, describe how departments–including graduate students/post-docs, undergraduate students, and faculty–can get involved, and answer questions.

Please contact ur2phd@cra.org with any questions.