Undergraduate Research Opportunities at Fisher

We offer a competitive summer program for undergraduate students at St. John Fisher University to get involved in faculty-mentored research projects in a variety of disciplines and multidisciplinary collaborations. Explore the Summer Fellows Research Program which allows for the most creativity in designing projects or explore the special projects listed to determine which is the right fit for you to get involved or extend your research experience. The full 10-week program begins the first week of June each year.

Expectations

Summer Fellows students will:

• Engage in an intensive summer research experience mentored by a full-time Fisher faculty member
• Practice goal-setting and critical self-reflection through research
• Communicate research findings to peers and the broader community of scholars on/off the Fisher campus (poster printing fee is covered by this award)

Mentors will:

• Intellectually engage the next generation of scholars in their discipline
• Extend their scholarship and research, or mentor in a related area of expertise
• Be supported (e.g. stipend, mentoring support) by the Center for Student Research & Creative Work
  • faculty who are on 9 or 10 month contracts are eligible for a stipend; 12 month faculty are not

Eligibility

• Current rising sophomore - rising senior undergraduate who will be continuing their study as a full-time Fisher student in the fall semester following the summer fellowship
• Any major
• GPA in Good Standing (at least 2.0)
• Faculty can mentor a maximum of 2 Summer Fellows students
• Past Summer Fellows awardees are ineligible (except for the Presidential Research Fellows special project, if available, and those who were previously funded through an external grant) and are encouraged to explore other opportunities with help from the Center for Student Research & Creative Work.

Additional Program Details

• Student researchers and mentors will attend a required kick-off orientation meeting at the start of the program.
• There will be a series of "Coffee Talks" - informal gatherings where we will share our successes and challenges and engage in professional development. Also, students will receive support on resume building and mentors will be supported in articulating their work with students into their CVs and evaluation narratives.
• The Center also provides support for responsible conduct of research training, opportunities for publishing in undergraduate research journals, and a variety of other opportunities related to undergraduate research.
• EvaluateUR will be used to facilitate the mentor-student relationship and to provide program evaluation data for continuous improvement.
• Students will be required to present their research at our Fisher Showcase held each spring.

Support Options

Options for Student Support (students and mentors decide and justify):

• Tuition waiver (for 1-3 credits; 1 credit = 35 hours total for the 10 weeks) OR summer stipend of up to $5,425 (depending on current minimum wage and the number of hours per week for 10 weeks). 
• Most students request a stipend for 15-20 hours per week.

Request for Supplemental Project Support (justification required):

• Up to $450 for research supplies or project-related expenses (requests for travel support to conferences cannot be included here but instead can be made using the form under Travel Support)

News and Special Projects

Housing is available on-campus for summer research students. Visit the summer housing page for more information.

You can propose your project in consultation with a faculty mentor OR choose from one of the special projects accessible on the main summer research page. Special projects are updated in the spring semester each year.

Application Process

Applications will be due February 14, 2025.

Students

1. Consult with potential faculty mentors. Your summer research project should be designed in collaboration with a faculty mentor unless you are applying under a detailed special program where the project is already determined.
2. Complete the online Summer Fellows Research Program Student Application.
3. Submit the materials described below (saved as a single PDF file labeled "Student Last Name_2025_SummerFellows") to email studentresearch@sjf.edu
• With your mentor, craft the following:
  
  • Required: 1-page summary geared toward a generally educated audience, relatively free of disciplinary jargon, describing the research project and outcomes expected. You should include the title of your project, an introduction or background paragraph, your research question or project aim(s), proposed methodology, and a final paragraph placing your work in context with the field (think big picture).
  • Recommended: 1- page, in addition to the written summary, that outlines your timeline and work goals. We understand that research should be very flexible, but demonstrating your understanding of your project and its feasibility in the 10-week program is helpful to reviewers.
• 1-2 page student personal statement (12 pt font, 1.5 line spacing, normal margins) using the following prompt:
  • Describe two goals you have for yourself through your work as a potential Summer Fellow and identify how working to achieve these goals will help to prepare you for your future.
• A statement of your support request – choose ONE below and provide justification. Please be sure to consult with your mentor to ensure your request is appropriate for your proposed project. (NOT required for those applying under a special project)
  • Request for a tuition waiver for 3-credits (keep in mind that a 3 credit hour experience requires 105 hours total over the 10 weeks, appx. 10 hours per week)
  • Request for a stipend of up to $5,425 maximum (based on minimum wage; requires 35 hours per week for 10 weeks). You can also request a reduced stipend and calculate per hour ($15.50 paid per hour for summer 2025). Ten hours per week is the program minimum, but your mentor may have expectations for a different time commitment - please discuss with them.
4. Finally, request a statement of support from either a professor you have had in past or current coursework in the discipline of the proposed research or your current academic advisor. Your research mentor should not complete this form unless you are applying to be a Presidential Research Fellow. This support should be submitted via the online Student Applicant Support form.

Mentors

Mentors need to prepare the project budget and justification for both the 1) budget and 2) number of student hours per week to be spent working on the project. This should be submitted via the online Summer Fellows Faculty Mentor Information form.

Application Deadline

All application components are due by February 14 at midnight.

Questions?

Email Center Director Dr. Kristin Picardo (kpicardo@sjf.edu) or stop by her office, Kearney 321.

Student Research Fellow Opportunities

• Up to 3 students will be awarded stipends to investigate issues using primary sources from the Special Collections at Lavery Library. Students in any major can propose work under this special project.
• General Applicants (1 student):  Mentors can be from any department as long as the project uses at least one item from the General Special Collections at Lavery Library as a source.  
• Radio History Applicants (1-2 students):  Mentors can be from any department as long as the project uses at least one item from the Radio History Collection at Lavery Library as a source.  
• Students will earn a stipend of $15.00/hour for 10 hours/week over the 10 weeks. This work can be done remotely.  
• Funding for this special project has been made available by Lavery Library and the MacMillan Radio Fund.

Mentors and Mentees can contact Special Collections Librarian Michelle Price, mprice@sjf.edu, with any questions about collection availability. To apply, see application instructions on the main summer research page.

Lavery Library actively participates in the research and teaching of the Fisher community by providing a responsive, collegial team committed to connecting people and ideas worldwide. In a welcoming environment, the Library innovatively guides discovery for a lifetime of informed decision-making.

Housed at Lavery Library are the Special Collections. The focus of the collection is social conflict and discovery. The collection encompasses items from 1829-1961, but concentrates on the years 1865-1914. Geographically, the collection focuses on the Rochester Region and New York State.

General Special Collection Content & Notable Figures

https://www.sjf.edu/library/archives/special-collections/ 

• Anti-Slavery & Abolitionist Newspapers
• Haudenosaunee
• Frederick Douglass
• George P. Decker
• Harriet Tubman
• The Grand Army of the Republic
• Bookplates, Local Diaries, Postcards
• Chief Levi General
• Monsignor Edward Byrne

Radio History Collection

The Rochester Radio History Collection is an exception to the General Collection Development Policy. Geographically, the collection focuses on the Rochester Region and has no chronological limits.  A sampling of the collection, https://www.sjf.edu/library/archives/special-collections/radio-history/. Additional photographs, memorabilia, and recordings are available.  

Research topics are not limited to Radio and could include any discipline that could incorporate the primary materials from this collection.  For example, interviews with Inez Quinn from WHAM radio for research on women in media, or transcripts from the Italian shows on radio station WSAY for research on Italian American Communities in Rochester.

• Up to 2 students will be awarded stipends and research supply funds to investigate radiation medicine-related projects. Students in any major can propose work under this special project.
• Mentors can be from any department as long as the project focuses on how radiation impacts human health
• Funding for this special project has been made available by Fisher alum Dr. Timothy Kinsella and the University Radiation Medicine Foundation.

To apply, see application instructions on the main summer research page.

St. John Fisher University has been awarded a sub-grant in partnership with both Lifespan to expand the capacity of respite services in Monroe County.  The team will leverage the expertise and resources of our organizations to develop a multi-pronged, person-centered, respite option for caregivers of older adults.  Specifically, our focus will start in the Cornhill and 19th Ward neighborhoods with the goal to replicate this program elsewhere.

Funded by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, and managed by The Philanthropic Initiative, the 2022 EXHALE - The Family Caregiver Initiative, funds innovative collaborative projects that are re-imagining and increasing respite opportunities for family caregivers of older adults. Respite, a period of rest or relief, can play a key role in reinforcing caregiver well-being and effectiveness, and improved caregiver well-being can be linked to better health, social-emotional outcomes, and lower costs of care for family caregivers and older adults they care for. Simply knowing respite services are available can lower caregiver stress by 70 percent. ¹  

Learn more about the EXHALE Family Caregiver Initiative.

¹ Reference: ArchAngels 2019-2120 Caregiver Intensity Research, archangels.me

A key aspect of the initiative is enhancing student learning and community-engaged experiential learning with hands-on respite opportunities across academic disciplines, to include undergraduate research and program evaluation, along with developing a structured volunteer program that will help address workforce shortages. The project will result in the creation of a toolkit based on the student volunteer model with the intent of replicating the program elsewhere.

Student Research Fellow Opportunity:

Preferably, a rising junior or rising senior student, although undergraduates at any level will be considered, who has successfully completed or is currently enrolled in coursework in Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, Gerontology, Public Health, and/ Nursing. Coursework in Research Methods or Statistics is a plus. Someone who enjoys engaging with and/or has experience working with older adults would be an ideal candidate for this position.

Preferably, the student will have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applications by members of all underrepresented groups are especially encouraged. The program will provide a chance for students to learn about research, program development, implementation, data collection, analysis and the human services and aging fields. Co-creation of a toolkit to be delivered by the end of the grant period (year 2025). There is a possibility for co-authorship of publications in Social Science journals.

Student researchers will have the opportunity to:

• Engage in at least a 10-week summer into early fall research experience at Fisher. Position will begin July 8^th and will continue into September. Students will earn a stipend of $15/hour and will be expected to work on-campus, on-site at ROC Respite (scheduled for Tuesdays each week) and remotely with Dr. Rodriguez-Galan up to 35 hours/week through the 10-week period. 
• Become trained in Respite Care and Institutional Review Board training for students

To apply, see application instructions on the main summer research page and submit a one-page statement of purpose outlining your skills and interests relating to this opportunity. Submit to studentresearch@sjf.edu along with the other required components.

1-2 page student statement (12 pt font, 1.5 line spacing, normal margins) using the following prompt:

Describe two goals you have for yourself as a potential Summer Research Fellow specific to the EXHALE project and identify how working to achieve these goals will help to prepare you for your future. Include at least one paragraph about your passion for engaging with older adults in the community.

Student Research Opportunity in Chemistry with Dr. Alexey Ignatchenko

Dr. Alexey Ignatchenko (Dr. I.), Associate Professor of Chemistry, has been funded by the National Science Foundation for his project titled “Mapping Catalytic Sites on Alkali Promoted Anatase Titanium Dioxide (TiO2)” which will involve a truly enriching student research component. You can read the Fisher News release to learn more!

The subject of the study is in the area of organic reactions on metal oxide surfaces at the cross-section of analytical, physical, and organic chemistry. Students are expected to learn modern methods of surface analysis including electron microscopy, x-ray powder diffraction, and photo electron spectroscopy at University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory and will be engaged at Fisher in the research activity.

Ideal Partner

Up to 3 sophomore or junior students who have successfully completed General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry (may be currently enrolled in Organic Chemistry), and who, preferably, hold an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applications by members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged. The program will provide a chance for students to co-author a publication in highly cited journals and it will mostly benefit those students who are going into a graduate school in chemistry, physics, biology or medical sciences.

Student Research Activities

• Engage in a 10-week summer research experience at Fisher after June 1, 2023. Students will earn a stipend of $14.20/hour and will be expected to work on-campus with Dr. I. and other students for 35 hours/week over the 10 weeks.
• Gain informal training in the lab at Fisher that may lead to academic credit open in spring 2023 to begin to prepare students.

Interested students should contact Dr. I. at aignatchenko@sjf.edu for more information on how to apply.

Fisher does not discriminate against applicants or employees in hiring, promotion, termination or the terms and conditions of employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sex, perceived sex, gender identity, gender expression, the status of being transgender, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, marital status, military status, veteran status, predisposing genetic, characteristics or genetic information, arrest or conviction record, status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other characteristic protected by law.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1955139. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Interested in seeing what our 2023 Summer Fellows were up to? Check out the variety of projects!