The College of Arts and Sciences invites faculty to apply for funding to support faculty–student mentorships in research/creative endeavors, teaching, and experiential learning opportunities each summer.
These grants are designed to provide outstanding undergraduate ArtSci students with a focused, funded one-on-one mentorship experience while also supporting faculty work. This is part of the College’s dedication to create meaningful learning opportunities beyond the classroom.
Projects should emphasize experiential learning opportunities that enhance a student’s professional development and can be highlighted on a résumé, while also supporting and advancing the faculty member’s work. Eligible experiences may include mentored internships, research and creative activities, teaching development and activities, other experiential learning opportunities, or extension activities.
Eligibility
Faculty must be tenure-track, tenured, or term faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students must be declared undergraduate majors in a College of Arts & Sciences program who are continuing in their program of study at USU into the next academic year. The undergraduate student does not necessarily need to be a major of the faculty member’s department, but the major must be in the College of Arts & Sciences. This funding is not available to graduate students.
Funding
Designated for Summer 2026 only.
- $1,000 to the faculty member (allocated to a departmental index for travel and/or research/creative/teaching materials)
- $2,000 student fellowship (approximately 150 hours of work; distributed in two payments to the student’s university account*)
Unused funds will revert to the college on June 20, 2026.
This mentorship grant may also serve as matching funds for USU URCO grants (deadline: June 15, 2026), which provides up to $750 in student compensation or up to $500 for research expenses.
*Any balance the student has for tuition, fees, or other charges will be paid first. Remaining funds may be refunded to the student or applied to a future semester.
Student Expectations & Final Report
Faculty and students together are required to submit a final written report by October 1, 2026. The report should include:
- A “day-in-the-life” summary of the experience
- Learning outcomes
- Successes and key achievements
- Visual documentation (photos or other evidence of work, if applicable)
- Proposed or completed dissemination of project outcomes
Students must disseminate their work through presentation, publication, or other appropriate formats by the end of the 2026-7 academic year.
Dissemination may include, but is not limited to, conference presentations (e.g., academic conferences, Posters on the Hill), publications (e.g., academic journals, traditional press), public outreach (e.g., workshops, campaigns), or skill-based outputs (e.g., mediation, editing, creative production). Because each mentoring relationship is unique, projects may focus on teaching, research, or extension.
Questions: Susie Tibbitts and Julia Gossard, Associate Deans