Research FAQs
Are there any eligibility requirements for applying to a LUROP Fellowship?
The only requirement for applying for a fellowship is that you are a current undergraduate student at Loyola with at least one year left. However, each fellowship contains its own requirements. Learn more about each fellowship here.
Am I eligible to apply for a LUROP fellowship if I am graduating this spring?
LUROP fellowships are only available to current undergraduate students at Loyola with at least one year remaining. Check out the fellowship office to find postgraduate research opportunities.
Do I need previous research experience to apply for a LUROP Fellowship?
No prior research experience is required so all interested students should apply!
Can I apply to more than one LUROP fellowship?
Yes! Students may apply to as many fellowships as they qualify for, but can only participate in one LUROP Fellowship at a time. In addition, students cannot hold no more than 3 LUROP fellowships throughout their undergraduate careers.
I'm working in a lab that already has an abstract and project proposal. Can I just use those in my application?
Students need to write their own abstract and project description. Your description should specifically address your role in that larger project.
The LUC Online Writing Lab has tips for writing abstracts and some examples here.
Does my letter of recommendation have to come from a Loyola professor?
For fellowships, your letter of recommendation must come from the Loyola professor who will be your mentor on the project.
For the programs that match you with a mentor (CURL, CCIH, Molecular & Computational Bio, RMP, WISER), there are circumstances in which the letter can be from a non-Loyola source who can attest to your abilities.
How competitive are these programs?
The level of competition varies depending on which LUROP fellowships you are applying for. Last year, about 50% of applications were awarded a LUROP fellowship.
How do I find a mentor?
Some programs match students up with mentors (CURL, CCIH, RMP, WISER). For the other LUROP programs, you are encouraged to find a mentor through department websites and taking classes with research professors. Learn more on our finding a mentor page.
Should I find a mentor first and then work on research related to their work, or pick a research topic of my own and then go find a mentor for that topic?
There is no right or wrong way, as long as you have a mentor and a research project with a question, methodology, and outcome that you’d like to produce.
Some students find mentors by joining ongoing research projects or participating in research labs. Others will collaborate with mentors to develop new projects of their own.
What does undergraduate research look like on a week to week basis? How many hours, which days, what kind of work, etc.?
Undergraduate research projects typically require 5 to 10 hours of work per week.
What that work will entail and where it will occur depends on the research project and the mentor. Be sure to talk with your mentor (or your LUROP Fellowship program director) about what they may require.
Can I get course credit for research supported by a LUROP fellowship? And can I get fellowship support for a research project that I am doing as part of a course?
Yes! There are many research courses offered at Loyola that can get you credit in conjunction with your LUROP-supported research. The course will also fulfill your engaged learning requirement.
The EXPL 391 course offered by the Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching and Scholarship (CELTS) is an interdisciplinary research methods course for students who work in labs or conduct independent research. Students are able to receive academic credit for their research, as well as fulfill the engaged learning requirement.