University Scholars Program

The University Scholars Program (USP) at the University of Florida offers undergraduate students a unique opportunity to explore the world of academic research. Working closely with a UF faculty mentor, students choose a research topic, begin their work over the summer, and continue their investigation throughout the academic year. USP serves as a distinguished capstone experience, enriching students’ academic and professional journeys.

Scholars dedicate 8–10 hours per week to their research projects under faculty supervision. Students are expected to register for research credit within their mentor’s department each semester they are involved in the program.

Awards

Each student receives a $1,750 stipend to support their research, while faculty mentors are awarded a $500 stipend to assist with project-related expenses.

Eligibility

You may not graduate before May of the following year. If you receive Financial Aid, your scholarship could be affected, so please check with the Student Financial Affairs office to determine your Financial Aid status before you apply.

All undergraduate majors are eligible, and you may choose to work with a faculty member in a different college than one’s own major. The application is submitted to the faculty mentor’s college, not the student’s college. If choosing to work with a mentor from another college, please go to that college’s website or contact their staff to determine applicable requirements, deadlines, and contacts.

The College of Journalism and Communications can submit five scholars each academic year.

Program Requirements

Orientation, Presentation, and Paper requirements are listed here.

Research

Students can pursue research in any CJC area of expertise. Commonly, CJC research is on these five areas of focus:

Health and science communication, which examines public awareness, interest, understanding, confidence, and willingness to engage with information on health and science topics in mediated as well as interpersonal and organizational contexts.

Mediated communication & emerging technology, which examines how messages flow to large and small audiences, with an emphasis on how technologies of communication influence the formation, transmission, and reception of messages.

International and intercultural communication, which views messages as situated in particular linguistic, cultural, and national contexts and is applied in situations ranging from interpersonal interaction to the exchange of information through state borders.

Political communication, ethics, and law, which explores issues of how public opinion and communication practice are shaped through traditional and interactive media, laws, policies, and ethical codes.

Strategic communication which examines the capacity and ways organizations–corporations and nonprofit organizations (including advocacy and activist groups) and government engage in purposeful communication.

Application

If you are interested in applying:

Review all requirements and deadlines listed by the University Scholars Program.
Find a research mentor who will support your application. This can be any UF faculty member who will commit to sponsoring you on the proposed project, and may be a faculty member in a different college than your own major. A list of CJC research faculty can be found here. Note you can search this directory based on research interest.
Select a project. Be sure to discuss the project with your faculty mentor.
Type a summary of your proposed research project, maximum 500 words.
Obtain a letter of support from the faculty mentor, stating that the mentor will agree to supervise this project and any other supporting information to assist us in choosing you and your project.
Complete this application (upload your summary and letter of support to it).
Submittal deadline: February 1st