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Undergraduate Summer Scholars (USS)
2010 Program Guidelines (updated October 1, 2009)

Program of Individual Faculty Mentorship for Miami University Sophomores and Juniors

This nationally-recognized summer undergraduate research program encourages students to develop their capacity to construct knowledge through immersion in Miami faculty mentored summer research projects and embodies President Hodge’s call for “active, engaged educational experiences for our undergraduates through the fusion of scholarship and teaching”. Now in its sixteenth year, the USS program heightens the intellectual level of the learning environment at Miami University by enabling Miami undergraduates to do research or other creative activities in the summer under the supervision of an individual faculty mentor. Either a student or faculty member may initiate an application, but both the student and faculty member must sign the application.

UR 09 Forum Poster Presenters Katherine J. Heim, Ryan Gallagher


Table of Contents
I. USS Program Overview
A. PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION BY ELIGIBLE DEPARTMENTS/ PROGRAMS
B. PROGRAM FEATURES
C. PROGRAM BENEFITS
D. PROGRAM OPTIONS
• Option A – Standard USS Program Experience
• Option B – USS Program + International Academic Course Work Experience
E. PROGRAM SUBMISSION DEADLINES (Round 1 and Round 2)
F. AWARD NOTIFICATION AND REQUIRED COURSE REGISTRATION DEADLINES
G. COURSE ENROLLMENT AND STUDENT EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTIONS
H. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION / USS PROGRAM EVALUATION
I. STUDENT RESEARCH PRESENTATION OPPORTUNITIES

II. Eligibility
A. DEPARTMENT/ PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY
B. FACULTY ELIGIBILITY
C. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY

III. Application Procedures
A. STUDENT/ FACULTY MENTOR APPLICATION DUE DATE (Round 1 and Round 2)
B. DEPARTMENT/ PROGRAM APPLICATION PACKET DUE DATE TO OARS (Round 1 and Round 2)

IV. Roles and Responsibilities
A. DEPARTMENT CHAIR / PROGRAM DIRECTOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. General Oversight and Administration of USS awards
2. Submission of Department/ Program Application Packets to OARS
3. Department/ Program Internal Review and Awardee Selection

B. FACULTY MENTOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Preparation of Joint USS Application
2. Need to Comply with University and Federal Research Regulations
3. Need to Comply with University Study Abroad Requirements
4. Oversight of Student $400 Project Allowance (for supplies, services and travel)
5. Oversight of $600 Faculty Development Allowance

C. STUDENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Finding Your Own Mentor
2. Project Participation During Specific Period
3. Course Registration Requirements
4. Grading (some departments/programs may only allow credit/no credit)
5. Limits on Employment
6. Limits on Other Course Enrollments

V. Financial Matters
A. USS FELLOWSHIP AWARD PAYMENT TO STUDENT
B. TUITION SCHOLARSHIP AWARD TO STUDENT (differences for Option A & B) 9
C. STUDENT COSTS
1. Financial Aid Considerations
2. General Fee Payment Requirement
3. Housing Costs Are Student Responsibility
4. Tax Considerations

VI. USS Calendar
USS 2010 TIMETABLE (Submission and Award Schedules for Round 1 and Round 2 Applications)

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2010 PROGRAM GUIDELINES (updated October 1, 2009)

I. USS 2010 Program Overview

A.  PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION BY ELIGIBLE DEPARTMENTS AND PROGRAMS
The USS program focuses on individual student/faculty mentor relationship.  Faculty participation is voluntary and students are responsible for finding their own mentor and co-creating the research project.  

While the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS) sponsors and facilitates the USS program, administration is handled at the department/ program level. Applications submitted by individual student/faculty pairs to departments/ programs form the basis for subsequent allocation of USS positions by OARS. Departments/ programs are then responsible for selecting particular student/ faculty projects, approving those projects for up to 12 hours of academic credit depending on the choice of option A or B, and evaluating the student experiences. (See Section IV A. that describes roles and responsibility for the Department Chair / Program Director, Faculty Mentors and Students.)

B.   PROGRAM FEATURES

• a student fellowship award of $2,600
• a student allowance of $400 for supplies, services and
• a faculty allowance of $600 to support the faculty mentor's scholarly activities and/or, at the discretion of the faculty mentor, to help the student project
• under Option A:  a tuition scholarship that covers only the instructional fees and tuition for the required 12 academic credit hours enrolled under the USS course number 340U, while the student must pay the general fee.
• under Option B:  a tuition scholarship that covers the instructional fees and tuition for the academic credit hours (between 6 and 12) for which the student enrolls under the USS course number 340U, and with certain stipulations (described in section V under Financial Matters) may cover some of the costs of the academic credit hours for the study abroad course work deemed research-intensive by the Associated Dean for Research and Scholarship. Under Option B, the student must pay the general fee.

C.  PROGRAM BENEFITS

• offers a faculty-supervised focus on learning the processes of research and scholarship
• adds a distinctive educational experience for a significant number of Miami undergraduates
• engages students as active research agents
• offers students the opportunity to include global awareness in the learning experience
• increases interaction between faculty and students
• enhances faculty research programs by the participation of talented undergraduates
• clearly links scholarship and teaching at the University
• provides an educational opportunity shown to increase student intellectual maturity
• improves Miami's ability to attract talented students
  

D.  PROGRAM OPTIONS
• Option A – Standard USS Program Experience
requires summer enrollment for 12 hours of extended independent study credit under course number 340U (or combined 12 credit hours, based on course designations as agreed to by individual departments/ programs and the Registrar).

• Option B – USS Program + International Academic Course Work Experience
encourages the synergistic combination of a department/ program approved international course work experience with a complementary USS program research project. Option B requires students to enroll for a total of 12 credit hours (comprised of a minimum of 6 hours of independent study credit under course number 340U and a complementary number of hours under a Miami department/ program approved international course that demonstrates a synergy between the research project and the international academic course work). As described in Section IV, departments/ programs are responsible for evaluating and approving the required synergy.

E.   PROGRAM SUBMISSION DEADLINES (Round 1 and Round 2)
Two rounds of USS program funding are available with submission deadlines on December 4, 2009 (Round 1) and February 26, 2010 (Round 2). Approximately one hundred awards will be available in Round 1 and approximately fifteen awards will be allotted for Round 2. Students submitting an application with a mentor in any Fine Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences or School of Education department/ program may apply in Round 1 or Round 2. All other eligible students must apply by the fall submission deadline of December 4, 2009. Students who submitted through any Fine Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences or School of Education department/ program and who were not selected in Round 1, may reapply for Round 2.

F.   AWARD NOTIFICATION AND REQUIRED COURSE REGISTRATION DEADLINES
For Round 1 and Round 2 USS awards are granted by the department/ program. The department chair/ program director will select and notify students and ensure they accept the award, and then provide OARS the name of selected awardees. Departments/ programs will notify Round 1 awardees by February 19, 2010. Departments/ programs will notify Round 2 awardees by April 16, 2010. The department chair/ program director will also notify non-selected applicants by these dates.

OARS will send award letters to all selected Round 1 students on Wednesday March 3, 2010. Upon receiving the USS Award Letter, these students must submit a signed USS Acceptance Form to OARS in Roudebush Hall Room 102 by March 26, 2010. In addition, Round 1 students must also register for the appropriate number of credit hours using the Undergraduate Summer Scholar Program course number 340U by submitting an Independent Study Form to the Office of the Registrar in the Campus Avenue Building by March 26, 2009.

OARS will send award letters to all selected Round 2 students on April 19, 2010. Upon receiving the USS Award Letter, these students must submit a signed USS Acceptance Form to OARS in Roudebush Hall Room 102 by April 26, 2010. In addition, Round 2 students must also register for the appropriate number of credit hours under course number 340U by submitting an Independent Study Form to the Office of the Registrar in the Campus Avenue Building April 26, 2010. respectively.

G.  COURSE ENROLLMENT AND STUDENT EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTIONS
Both Round 1 and Round 2 awardees are required to register during Summer Session I, regardless of when the research project will be conducted between May 10, 2010 and August 20, 2010. Due to the nature, duration and intensity of the program, students accepting USS awards must agree not to take additional summer courses (except an approved international experience under Option B) during the selected 9 weeks of their USS participation, nor accept any other concurrent internships, fellowships, volunteer positions or employment that would interfere with their full-time program participation.

H.  ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION / USS PROGRAM EVALUATION
During the USS program, most communications from OARS with student awardees and their faculty mentors will be done electronically via Blackboard and via e-mail. The student is responsible for reviewing their e-bill electronically via banner web to verify financial payments and charges. Refer to section V Financial Matters. All questions requiring the student e-bill should be directed to the Bursar’s Office. USS student awardees may be asked to complete several questionnaires relating to their educational experiences and activities. At the end of the summer, they may also be requested to provide additional feedback on the USS program

I.    STUDENT RESEARCH PRESENTATION OPPORTUNITIES
Although not required as part of the USS program, in many cases students may produce a product (paper, oral presentation, poster, artwork, portfolio, model, etc.) as a result of their USS project. In these cases, the student and faculty mentor at the beginning of the student's participation should agree as to the purpose and form of this product. Students will be given the opportunity to present a poster about the results of the research at the spring Undergraduate Research Poster Forum planned for April 2011.

II. Eligibility

A.  DEPARTMENT/ PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY
All academic departments plus certain programs (American Studies, Black World Studies, Interactive Media Studies, International Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies Program, Latin American Latino/a, and Caribbean Studies, Journalism Program and Women's Studies) are eligible for participation in the USS program. By choosing to participate, these units agree to undertake the administrative burden required of them by the USS program. Students are not restricted to creating a project in their major and are free to create a USS project with any Miami tenured or tenure track faculty mentor in any department or eligible program listed above. Faculty may submit the USS application through their primary academic department or through one of the above programs if the faculty member is an affiliate of that program.

B.   FACULTY ELIGIBILITY
The USS program is open to all Miami full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty. Each student/faculty pair should make application as described under (Section III. Applications Procedures) through the chair of the faculty member's academic department or director of the eligible program. To participate in the USS program, a faculty member must be willing and able to provide appropriate supervision and mentorship of the student with whom he/she has elected to be paired.

C. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
Students may only receive one USS award during their time at Miami and the award must be used for the summer in which it is awarded. Research has shown that the full-time project involvement combined with faculty mentorship can have a significant effect on intellectual maturity of the student across the 9-week USS program. Therefore, program application is open to any Miami undergraduate student who:

• is a student in good standing (minimum 2.0 G.P.A., not on probation, etc.),
• will have completed his/her sophomore year (defined as having a minimum of 60 credit hours) or junior year prior to the beginning of the year 2010 Summer Session I,
• will enroll for at least one semester at Miami University as an undergraduate student after the completion the USS award participation,
• agrees to full-time participation in the USS program
• agrees to forgo any other courses (except an approved international experience under Option B as described in Section I. D. Program Options), University employment, fellowships or internships (volunteer or paid), or any employment that would interfere with the student's full-time educational commitment during the selected 9-week period of USS participation, and
• • under Option B will provide a plan that demonstrates the synergy between the planned international course work experience and the proposed USS research project, which must be approved by the mentor and department chair or program director.

III. Application Procedures

The application procedures are designed to:

• provide opportunities for those who show both an interest in the program and express a willingness to commit to the effort required to make the student/faculty interactions a successful educational experience
• allow for broad participation across the University,
• provide a means by which the application process itself fosters initial student/faculty interactions and leads to discussions about the meaning and implementation of scholarly activity, and
• emphasizes the fundamental role of departments/ programs in:
• establishing the form of student/faculty interactions,
• determining the degree of supervision necessary to help achieve the student's objectives, and
• monitoring the quality of the student's experience.

A.  STUDENT/ FACULTY MENTOR APPLICATION DUE DATES
Students should submit the USS Application to the Department or Program of the Faculty Mentor
Round 1: December 4, 2009             Applications due by 5:00 p.m. to Department/Program
Round 2: February 26, 2010             Applications due by 5:00 p.m. to Department/Program
We encourage both faculty and students to initiate these collaborations. Students can submit only one application. A single faculty member can be listed as a prospective mentor on up to four applications only. Other than these restrictions, there is no limit on how many applications departments/ programs may submit. Emphasis is on individual student/faculty mentor relationships. Each individual student/faculty pair should, therefore, jointly prepare the application following instructions on the application form and submit this to the faculty member's department chair/program director by 5:00 p.m. on the Round 1 or Round 2 deadline.

B.   DEPARTMENT/ PROGRAM APPLICATION PACKET DUE DATE TO OARS

December 11, 2009 Round 1 Department/ or Program Packet is due by 5:00 p.m. to OARS
March 5, 2010       Round 2 Department/ or Program Packet is due by 5:00 p.m. to OARS

Departments/ programs should submit the packet to OARS one week after the student deadline.
The department chair/ program director has one week to review the student applications for eligibility of the student, the mentor and the proposed research project.  The department chair/ program director should then prepare and submit a packet containing the originals of all eligible student applications to Martha Weber, Undergraduate Research Coordinator in the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS), 102 Roudebush Hall by 5:00 p.m. on the Round 1 or Round 2 date below. 
The department/ program application packet should include:

• a cover page signed by the chair or director that specifies the total number of applications from that department or program and which includes an unranked list of the individual student/faculty applicant pair names, and
• the original student/faculty applications judged by the department/ program to meet the criteria for either an Option A or B project as described in Section I.D. Program Options.

 

IV. Roles and Responsibilities

Responsibility for a successful program will rest with the student scholar, his/her faculty mentor and the faculty member's department or program. Although others may participate in a student project, typically each award will be to one specific student and one specific faculty mentor as identified by the department/ program.

A.  DEPARTMENT CHAIR / PROGRAM DIRECTOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1.   General Oversight and Administration of USS awards
While the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS) sponsors and facilitates the USS program, administration is handled by the department/program.

Individual departments/programs will be responsible for:

• identifying student/faculty projects to be supported
• assuring faculty and student eligibility for the program
• submitting a department/program application packet to OARS by the appropriate deadline
• assigning allocated awards and notifying awardees and non-selected applicants within the department/program
• approving specific student projects under the requirements for either of the two options A or B:

1) Option A – Standard USS Program Experience
2) Option B – USS Program + International Experience
*specifically, approving that the planned international course work and the proposed USS research project are correlated and they complement each other

• working with the Registrar's Office to reconcile any differences between the USS program and department/ program course and credit requirements
• assuring the educational value of the student experience
• monitoring the student/faculty mentor collaboration

2. Submission of Department/ Program Application Packets to OARS
Student/faculty pairs should submit their individual applications to department chairs or program directors by 5:00 p.m. on either the Round 1 Student Application deadline or the Round 2 Student Application deadline. Departments/ programs have one week to collect and compile 1 (one) original set containing the department/ program cover letter and the original individual student/faculty applications. This department/ program packet should then be delivered to the Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (OARS), 102 Roudebush Hall by 5:00 p.m. on December 11, 2009 for Round 1 or March 5, 2010 for Round 2.

3. Department/ Program Internal Review and Awardee Selection

Each department/ program will make final decisions concerning the delegation of awards within the department/ program as long as the awards are consistent with USS guidelines. The number of awards allocated to each department/ program may affect the type of internal review and selection procedure a department/ program chooses to use. Therefore, we suggest a department/ program delay their internal ranking or other selection procedure for applications submitted in Round 1 until after allocations are announced on Friday, January 29, 2010. For Round 2 we suggest that departments /programs delay their internal ranking or other selection procedure for applications until after allocations are announced on Friday, March 26, 2010. In each instance, departments /programs will still have at least two weeks after notification from OARS during which to make final selections. Departments/ programs will then:

• inform the students whether they have been nominated for an award or not,
• verify that students who accept and will abide by the conditions of the award, and then
• provide OARS the names of these students for OARS to send out the official award letter

B.   FACULTY MENTOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Preparation of Joint Applications
Faculty members who agree to participate will collaborate with specific students in developing and submitting applications for the USS program. If selected for the USS program, the designated faculty mentor will determine the time of the student 9-week participation in consultation with the department chair or program director and the student. The faculty mentor is then expected to be generally available to the student during the selected 9-week period of mentorship and will be responsible for assuring a meaningful and appropriate student experience. The faculty mentor will also determine, in consultation with the student participant and with approval of the department chair/ program director, whether student participation in this program will be evaluated with a letter grade or on the basis of credit/no credit for the required 6-12 credit hours enrollment in 340U. Note, some departments or programs only allow participation in this USS program on a credit/no credit basis.

2.  Need to Comply with University and Federal Research Regulations
It is the responsibility of the faculty mentor to assure that all required regulatory committee approvals [Institutional Review Board (IRB) - human subjects, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) - vertebrate animals, radioisotopes or recombinant DNA] are obtained prior to the start of the student project.

3. Need to Comply with University Study Abroad Requirements
If the USS participant plans to travel abroad as part of the USS project, it is the responsibility of the faculty mentor to assure the compliance of the student with Miami University’s Guidelines for Study Abroad. Contact Office of International Education or Lifelong Learning for these guidelines.

4.  Oversight of $400 Student Project Allowance (for supplies, services, travel)
Each USS participant will be accompanied by a $400 allowance for supplies, services and travel used in direct support of the student’s project. The faculty mentor will supervise spending from this department/ program account using standard University ordering and accounting procedures. All charges must be made against this allowance by February 1, 2011. This allowance account will be cleared and closed by the University Accounting Office on February 15, 2011. The faculty mentor is responsible for any charges made to that account above the alloted $400 or after February 1, 2011.

5.  Oversight of $600 Faculty Development Allowance
As part of each USS program, a faculty member will receive a $600 supplies, services and travel allowance for each award on which he/she is a mentor. However, a faculty member may not be a mentor for more than four USS program students during the summer. Thus, a mentor will not receive a total of more than $2,400 in faculty allowances as a result of USS program awards. The allowance will be available for use in supporting the faculty mentor's own scholarship and professional development and/or, at the discretion of the faculty mentor, for use in supporting the student project. This allowance will be subject to standard University ordering and accounting procedures, and the faculty member is responsible for the appropriate use of these funds. The project and faculty allowances are not considered income for tax purposes and cannot be used as supplemental pay for either the student participant or the faculty mentor. All charges must be made against this allowance by February 1, 2011. The faculty mentor is responsible for any charges made to that account above the $600 allotted or after February 1, 2011.

C. STUDENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Finding Your Own Mentor
The USS program focuses on individual student/faculty mentor relationship for Miami University sophomores and juniors. Faculty participation is voluntary and students are responsible for finding their own mentor and co-creating the research project. Students may only receive one USS award during their time at Miami and the award must be used for the summer in which it is awarded. The program provides an opportunity for full-time, intensive interaction between a student and his/her faculty mentor. Enrollment for 12 academic credit hours under Option A or Option B (between May 10, through August 20, 2010) is a requirement of USS program participation and students are expected to be involved in this program for a minimum of 40 hours per week.

2. Project Participation During Specific Period (May 10, through August 20, 2010)
The supervising faculty mentor in consultation with the student and department chair/ program director will determine the specific 9 weeks of a student's participation during the summer. Participation time can be divided into two different periods if necessary. Both of these times must be within the 15-week interval from Spring Commencement through the last day of Summer Sessions, which is from May 10, through August 20, 2010.

3. Course Registration Requirements
Although the 9-week period of appointment can vary within the interval from May 10, through August 20, 2010, Summer I has been designated as the term of enrollment for the USS program. Students must, therefore, enroll for the required credit hours during the Summer I enrollment period, which for 2010 runs from mid-March through May 10, 2010.

Each student who receives a USS appointment under Option A must enroll for 12 hours credit (no more, no less) either for a letter grade or on a credit/no credit basis under the course number 340U Summer Scholars Program. The course number will include the acronym of mentor's department or program, e.g., BOT 340U, PSY 340U, ENG 340U.

Each student who receives a USS appointment under Option B student must enroll for a combined total of 12 credit hours. Each student who receives a USS appointment under Option B must enroll for no less than 6 credit hours under 340 U. The course number will include the acronym of mentor's department or program, e.g., BOT 340U, PSY 340U, ENG 340U. The student must also register for a complementary number of credit hours of a department/ program approved international academic course either for a letter grade or on a credit/no credit basis to reach the required 12 credit hours.

4. Grading - some departments/ programs may only allow credit/no creidt
Each faculty/student pair, in accordance with department/ program policy and congruence with the department chair or program director, should determine if the credits taken under 340U will be graded on a credit/no credit basis or with a letter grade. The student is responsible discussing with his/her mentor and department/ program how his/her research will be graded. The Office of the Registrar will not permit any change status of grading after May 10, 2010 (start of Summer I).

5.   Limits On Employment
The required full time commitment to the summer scholar project precludes student participants from accepting any full time employment or internship (volunteer or paid) during the selected 9-week period of USS participation.

6.   Limits On Other Course Enrollments
In addition, the required full time commitment to the summer scholar project precludes a student from registering for any other credits (except credits for an approved international course work under Option B) during the selected 9 weeks of USS participation. Any USS participant who plans to take summer courses other than the credit hours for the USS program must file a written “USS Course Registration Request Form” with Martha Weber, USS Program Coordinator, to obtain permission to register for any additional courses. The request must include a week-by-week timeline indicating the 9 weeks during the summer term that will be reserved solely for a student's USS participation and the dates the student will be enrolled in other course work. Permission to register for other courses will only be granted in cases where participants can demonstrate that there will be no overlapping weeks of participation between the other courses and the 9 weeks of USS participation. In addition, the individual student will be responsible for all costs associated with academic courses taken outside of the USS project.

V. Financial Matters

A.  USS STUDENT FELLOWSHIP AWARD PAYMENT TO STUDENT
A single fellowship payment of $2,600 will be made to the USS participant through the student bursar account in June 2010. The Bursar’s Office will then apply this $2,600 to any outstanding balance on the student account including the required general fee (see below) of approximately $48 per credit hour enrolled in 340U. The Bursar’s office will disburse any remaining funds approximately two weeks later. USS awardees are encouraged to contact the Bursar’s office at 529-8744 with any questions about the E-bill or bursar account. <http://www.muohio.edu/bursar>

B.  TUITION SCHOLARSHIP AWARD TO STUDENT (differences for Option A & B)
If student chooses Option A, the USS award includes:

• a tuition scholarship that covers only the instructional fees and tuition for the required 12 academic credit hours for which the student must enroll under the USS course number 340U, while the student must pay the general fee.

If student chooses Option B, the USS award includes both:

• a tuition scholarship that covers only the instructional fees and tuition for the number of academic credit hours (a minimum of 6) for which the student must enroll under the USS course number 340U, while the student must pay the general fee, and

• a tuition scholarship only for credit hours associated with selected Miami international research-intensive course(s) or capstone course(s) that offer the student an in-depth student inquiry-based experience and that have been approved by the department/ program as part of the USS student Option B project. Students should verify with OARS whether the international course they plan to take is research-intensive. As established by the Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship, this USS program Option B policy specifically excludes the USS program from paying for tuition for seminars, lecture courses, or field courses.  
  
  

C.  STUDENT COSTS

1. Financial Aid Considerations
Students are responsible for contacting Miami’s Office of Student Financial Aid to review the affect of the USS program participation will have on their financial aid eligibility. Miami is required to report the amounts of USS Fellowship Award and the Tuition Scholarship Award (described above) to the Internal Revenue Service on Form 1098T. All financial assistance that students are eligible to receive must be taken into consideration when calculating need-based financial aid. Consequently, as soon as the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSF) is notified that a student has received these USS program amounts, the OSF is required to recalculate the student’s eligibility for aid.

2. General Fee Payment Requirement

General fee charges for the academic credit hours under USS course 340U are the student responsibility and will appear on the student’s E-Bill. The Bursar will deduct these charges from the USS fellowship payment of $2,600 as described in Section A. above.

• Students choosing Option A – Standard USS Program Experience and enrolling for 12 credit hours under 340U would expect a charge of approximately $48 for each of the USS 340U credit hours included in their project. 

• Students choosing Option B – USS Program + International Experience would expect a charge of approximately $48 for each of the USS 340U credit hours included in their project and for the general fees for their international academic course work. Students choosing Option B are responsible for all other costs associated with the international experience (travel, room and board, etc.)

3. Housing Costs are Student Responsibility
Students are solely responsible for making arrangement for and paying for their own housing during USS participation. Students are recommended to decide with their faculty mentors whether or not they need to stay in Oxford while participating in the USS Program. Many student/ faculty pairs communicate electronically.  

4. Tax Considerations
Miami is required to report the USS student fellowship award ($2,600) on the student’s 1098T for tax considerations. Income taxes will not be withheld from USS student fellowship award unless the student is a foreign national whose country does not have reciprocal tax agreement with the United States. Depending on how the fellowship award money is used by the student, portions of the fellowship payment may be considered taxable income by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). For additional information on Scholarship and Fellowship Grants, refer to IRS Tax Topic 421, and Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education.

Full guidelines and application available at: http://www.muohio.edu/undergradresearch/
For questions about the USS Program or guidelines contact

Martha E. Weber, M.S.
OARS Undergraduate Research Coordinator
USS Summer Scholars Program Coordinator
102 Roudebush Hall
Phone: 513-529-3600
Fax: 513-529-3762
www.muohio.edu/undergradresearch

VI. USS 2010 Program Calendar Round 1 Important Dates Submission in Round 1 open to all eligible students. See Section II Eligibility for details.
Weekday	DATE(S)	INTERVAL	DEADLINE or SCHEDULED EVENT
Tuesday	October 6, 2009		Undergraduate Summer Scholars (USS) program Announcement and Guidelines distributed
	October 01 to December 4, 2009	9 weeks	Students, faculty and departments/ programs arrange appropriate collaborations and complete individual student/faculty application forms
Friday	December 4, 2009		Individual student/faculty Round 1 applications are submitted to the mentor's department chair or program director
	December 4 to December 11, 2009	1 week	Departments/ programs compile packet of USS applications with cover page
Friday	December 11, 2009		Departments/ programs submit to OARS their application packet containing individual student/faculty USS application forms identifying the eligible projects
	Intersemester Interval
	January 11 to January 22, 2010	2 weeks	Application and department/ program data compiled by OARS
Friday	January 29, 2010		USS positions are allocated to departments / programs
	February 1 to February 19, 2010	3 weeks	Departments/ programs identify which applicants will be offered USS awards
Friday	February 19, 2010		Departments/ programs provide OARS with names of student awardees, names of faculty mentors, and 9-week periods of specific student appointments
Wednesday	March 3, 2010		OARS sends award letters to selected students
Friday	March 26, 2010		Round 1 Students submit Independent Study Form to Registrar's Office in Campus Avenue Building
Friday	March 26, 2010		Round 1 Students return signed USS Acceptance Form to OARS in 102 Roudebush Hall
Monday	May 10, 2010		All USS student awardees must have completed enrollment procedures and paid fees
	May 10 to August 20, 2010	15 weeks	Possible interval for 9-week Undergraduate Summer Scholar activities
	October, 2010		OARS evaluation of USS activities
	February 1, 2011		All 2010 USS allowance funds must be spent, including student project and faculty mentor development allowances
	February 15, 2011		2010 USS accounts cleared

VI. USS 2010 Program Calendar Round 2 Important Dates Only students submitting through departments or programs in Fine Arts and Humanities or Social Science departments, and School of Education Health and Society departments may apply in Round 2. See USS Guidelines Section II Eligibility for details.
Weekday	DATE(S)	INTERVAL	DEADLINE or SCHEDULED EVENT
Tuesday	October 6, 2009		Undergraduate Summer Scholars (USS) program Announcement and Guidelines distributed
	January 11, 2010 to February 26, 2010	7 weeks	Students, faculty and departments/ programs arrange appropriate collaborations and complete individual student/faculty application forms
Friday	February 26, 2010		Individual student/faculty Round 2 applications are submitted to the mentor's department chair or program director
	February 26, 2010 to March 5, 2010	1 week	Departments/ programs compile packet of USS applications with cover page
Friday	March 5, 2010		Departments/ programs submit to OARS their application packet containing individual student/faculty USS application forms identifying the eligible projects
	Intersemester Interval
	March 15, 2010 to March 26, 2010	2 weeks	Application and department/ program data compiled by OARS
Friday	March 26, 2010		USS positions are allocated to departments/ programs
	March 29 to April 16, 2010	3 weeks	Departments/ programs identify which applicants will be offered USS awards
Friday	April 16, 2010		Departments/ programs provide OARS with names of student awardees, names of faculty mentors, and 9-week periods of specific student appointments
Monday	April 19, 2010		OARS sends award letters to selected students
Monday	April 26, 2010		Round 2 Students submit Independent Study Form to Registrar's Office
Monday	April 26, 2010		Round 2 Students return Student USS Acceptance Form to OARS in 102 Roudebush Hall
Monday	May 10, 2010		All USS student awardees must have completed enrollment procedures and paid fees
	May 10, 2010 to August 20, 2010	15 weeks	Required interval for 9-week Undergraduate Summer Scholar activities
	October, 2010		OARS evaluation of USS activities
	February 1, 2011		All 2010 USS allowance funds must be spent, including student project and faculty mentor development allowances
	February 15, 2011		2010 USS accounts cleared