Undergraduate Research Assistantship

The activities in which the research assistants (RAs) are involved are to provide a meaningful learning experience, one that introduces them to and gives them grounding in the ethos and mechanics of publication and research.

Suggested activities appropriate for undergraduate research assistants

The following list is of course not meant to be exhaustive. Specific duties are arranged between the RA and the faculty researcher.

• Collecting data (e.g. running an experiment, conducting a survey, doing interviews, etc.).
• Participating in the production of an annotated bibliography.
• Conducting basic archival research on local resources.
• Assisting the faculty researcher in reading and reporting on (primary) sources in the native language of the research assistant.
• Assisting the faculty researcher in conducting, translating and/or transcribing interviews with individuals in the native language of the research assistant.
• Assisting the faculty researcher with preparing a publication (providing critical feedback, helping with the index, creating tables, etc.) or with giving peer-feedback to papers or chapters of a book.
• Assisting the faculty researcher with their national/international collaborations (facilitating meetings online/offline, preparing online shared folders with literature and/or taking minutes of meetings, etc.)

Information for faculty members

Faculty researchers interested to work with a research assistant can send a call to the Research Assistantship Coordinator at least 10 days prior to the deadline for the student's application. This can happen throughout the academic year. The call (± 200 words) should describe the context and content of the work, the (type of) tasks involved, possible requirements or skills the research assistant should have, and the tentative period of time the assistantship will span (in specific, if any work is expected outside of regular semesters). Please note that the call can also be for two or more research assistants, depending on the nature of the research project.

The coordinator will advertise the call. Students who are interested should send their short motivation directly to the Faculty researcher, who will determine which eligible student(s) may take on the position(s). Once the faculty researcher has decided on the student(s) who will take on the positions, the researcher, along with the student(s) needs to fill in this registration form. Then, the completed form needs to be sent to the Coordinator, before the assistantship formally starts, who will further take care of the student registration.

Information for students

Students can respond to a call for a research assistant by sending a short written motivation (not longer than 300 words) directly to the Faculty researcher.

Students applying for a research assistant position should be in good academic standing with a GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Please note: This module cannot be used to fulfill general graduation requirements, or towards the fulfillment of Major or Minor requirements. It can only be taken as a general elective.

Students will discuss with the faculty researchers what tasks they will carry out and agree on the timeline. Students will keep a log of the tasks assigned and the hours required for the completion of the tasks.

Grading

A Research Assistantship (UCACCINT2A) is a Pass/Fail module of 2.5 ECTs.

In order to receive a passing grade, students must complete at least 90% of their work by the agreed end of the research Assistantship.

Faculty researchers are expected to submit the Pass/Fail grade of their research intern on the day specified in the registration form.