Save The Date: July 21-22, 2022 It’s time to mark your calendar and start making plans to join the University at Buffalo for our 27th Annual Undergraduate Research Conference! This year’s virtual conference will be held July 21-22, 2022. We’re working hard to plan an experience that will inspire students interested in demonstrating their knowledge and talents to an audience drawn from all over the nation. Stay tuned for updates and registration information in the new year!
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
Date July 21-22, 2022 Location This year’s conference will be held virtually on the Whova platform. Who should attend? All undergraduate student researchers are welcome, including (but not limited to) those from McNair, SSS, LSAMP and CSTEP. This conference is an excellent opportunity to: • Present faculty-supervised research. • Foster conversation around shared interests. • Network with your peers and current graduate students from your field of study. Registration • An email announcement will be sent in spring 2022 once registration is open. • Call for presenters will be announced in March. We can’t wait to welcome you to the conference next summer!
The King Center’s Predoctoral Research Fellows Program is a full-time, two-year postbaccalaureate program designed to prepare individuals for careers in academic research focused on issues related to global development. This multidisciplinary program operates in partnership with the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Fellows are appointed as non-matriculated graduate students and are expected to fully engage in the intellectual life at Stanford University. Fellows will work with King Center Faculty Affiliates on research projects and can take courses at Stanford University for credit. The fellowship offers tuition, health insurance, and a living stipend.
The King Center’s Predoctoral Research Fellows Program particularly encourages applications from students from low- and middle-income countries, as well as from others whose backgrounds and experience would contribute to the diversity (broadly defined) of the program. The King Center is committed to creating inclusive research environments and to fostering the growth of the next generation of researchers in global development. We are a proud participant in Pathways to Research and Doctoral Careers (PREDOC).
How to apply
We are currently accepting applications for the Predoctoral Research Fellows Program. The deadline to submit your application and supplemental materials for the program is January 31, 2022. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and decisions will be announced in March 2022. Predocs are expected to start in July 2022.
In your application, you will be asked to provide the following:
Application form, including short answer questions on your interest in the program and specific King Center thematic areas, your familiarity with programming languages (Stata, R, Python, Matlab, etc.), your prior experience as a research assistant and with independent research (e.g., a senior thesis), and other relevant information.
CV – Include all relevant education, research experience, work experience and skills.
Undergraduate and (if applicable) graduate transcripts – You may submit an unofficial copy.
Optional writing sample – A paper (or excerpt) that displays your writing and analytic skills and capacity to execute independent research. A senior thesis, Master’s thesis, or a term paper are all fine choices. Any length is acceptable.
The contact information for two faculty members or others who can attest to your relevant skills and experience. Your recommenders will be asked to upload letters of recommendation through our application portal.
Interested applicants should have
Completed an undergraduate degree (bachelors or foreign equivalent);
A strong quantitative background and interest in learning cutting-edge research methods;
A demonstrated interest in issues around global development and poverty alleviation;
Creative and independent problem-solving skills;
An interest in pursuing a PhD in a field related to global development.
If you still have questions about the Predoctoral Research Fellows Program after reviewing the FAQ, please contact Corinne Thomas, Program Manager, kingcenter@stanford.edu. We will strive to respond to all queries within one business week.
Taking advantage of these select opportunities can provide career building experience and develop important professional relationships. A SUNY student, who was awarded an internship, will share their experience.
Interns will work with experts in the fields of electrical and computer engineering, computer science, mathematics and physics, and will complete challenging technical projects applying their theoretical knowledge to real-life problems.
Presenter: Shu Wan, Presidential Fellow Date: Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021 Time: 9:30 a.m. Location: 107 Capen Hall Food: Coffee and light breakfast fare RSVP Here by Sunday, Oct. 24 to attend
Fellowships and Scholarships Roundup: STEM Edition
Undergraduate Opportunities Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship What: Students who have outstanding potential and intend to pursue advanced degrees in mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. Who: Sophomores and juniors planning to pursue a PhD in STEM, have research experience, and a 3.8 or higher GPA. Students must be a U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident. Deadline: November Learn more about the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.
Morris K. Udall Scholarship What: This scholarship is for students who intend to become leaders in any field related to the environment, including policy, engineering, science, education, urban planning and renewal, business, health, justice and economics. The foundation particularly seeks to support future Native American and Alaskan Native leaders. Who: Full-time sophomore or junior with at least a 3.0 GPA and is involved in an area of study related to the Udall Scholarship. Deadline: December Learn more about the Morris K. Udall Scholarship.
Open to Undergraduates and Graduates National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships Program (NSF GRFP) What: Funding for students pursuing graduate degrees in mathematical, physical, biological, engineering, behavioral and social sciences. There are various award types available, see program website for all availabilities. Who: Graduating seniors or students in their first or second year of graduate school. Applicants must also have a high GPA and past research experience. Deadline: October Learn more about NSF GRFP.
Graduate Opportunities National Institutes of Health (NIH) F31—Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Fellowships What: Provides predoctoral individuals with supervised research training in specified health and health-related areas, with the intent of leading to a research doctoral degree (PhD). This award is also intended to promote diversity in the health-related research workforce. Who: Students must be enrolled in a research doctoral degree program and be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Deadline: Various Learn more about the National Institutes of Health (NIH) F31—Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Fellowships
Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program Tip of the Day The editing process is crucial. First drafts usually aren’t perfect, give yourself the time and utilize available resources to polish your application. The Office of Fellowships and Scholarships is always willing to review applications with students, and the Center for Excellence in Writing has an amazing staff that can help as well.
Please join us for our Experience UB Fair! Explore countless experiential learning opportunities through departmental programs, research, internships and service in the greater Buffalo community.
If you are looking for ways to apply your learning outside of the classroom and gain invaluable hands-on experiences to add to your resume, the Experience UB Fair is a fantastic way to start.
Location: Academic Spine Dates and Times: Fri., Sept.17 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The international research team is seeking undergraduate peer researchers for a study about the impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ+ and/or racialized youths’ intimate lives. This position will be 5 hours weekly at $15 per hour.
Researchers will be conducting interviews, being trained, and will collaborate with colleagues here in Toronto and in Melbourne, Australia.
Students must be undergrads and have work/study OR be interested in receiving academic credit.
We would like to inform you of the 3rd edition of the Fulbright Canada- Mitacs Globalink internship program that will allow exceptional U.S. undergraduate students to do an internship in Canada during the 2022 summer semester.
This programwill provide high performing students with the opportunity to be part of a 10 to 12-week research internship under the supervision of Canadian university faculty members in a variety of academic disciplines, from science, engineering and mathematics to the humanities and social sciences.
Mitacs, our partner in this initiative, is a federally funded, national, not-for-profit organization that has designed and delivered research and training programs in Canada for some 20 years. Working with 70 universities, 6,000 companies, and both federal and provincial governments, they support industrial and social innovation in Canada.
1. U.S. students will come to Canada to undertake advanced research projects.
2. Projects will cover a broad cross-section of research topics including most academic disciplines.
3. Students will spend 10 to 12 weeks (May – August) in Canada on a research project in their area of interest.
4. Students will be placed at a Canadian university and undertake a supervised research project.
5. Students will have extensive opportunities for cultural, social, and recreational experiences.
Eligibility
Participants in this program must:
1. be currently enrolled as an undergraduate student at an accredited university located in the United States ;
2. be a United States citizen, and hold a valid U.S. passport;
3. have at least one semester remaining in their program of study as of Fall 2022 (this program is not suitable for 1st-year NOR last year students);
4. ideal candidates will have finished their third year in the year they are doing their internship;
5. have a competitive grade point average;
6. be available to spend between 10 to 12 weeks in Canada between May and August;
7. apply by October 15, 2021 at 10 PM EST
Benefits
Students who participate in this program will have:
1. access to the prestigious worldwide Fulbright network (the Globalink program will not impact the eligibility to apply for Fulbright Student programs);
2. access to some of Canada’s top research facilities;
3. the opportunity to gain valuable international experience;
4. a rewarding experience combining academic research, professional skills, and personal growth; and,
Are you applying for an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship in this year’s competition? This will be a particularly good year to apply, as NSF has announced plans to increase the number of GRFP awards!
Sponsored by SUNY’s Office of Research and Economic Development and hosted by Professor Susan Brennan of Stony Brook University, SUNY Research Fellow for Innovation in Graduate Education (and former Program Director of NSF GRFP), this webinar series is designed to prepare rising junior and senior undergraduates as well as first-and second-year graduate students in STEM fields to apply to NSF’s prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).
Except for Webinar #1, which was conducted earlier this year, each webinar will begin with a presentation (recorded over Zoom in summer of 2020), followed by live Q&A and discussion.
Don’t worry if you cannot make the scheduled time for a particular webinar; you can view the pre-recorded presentation (about 1.5 hour) at any time and then join the scheduled webinar later, for live Q&A, or come to the scheduled office hours with your questions, strategic issues, or statement drafts.
Below are the links and passwords to access the webinar recordings and to register. Please email jacquie.spano@rfsuny.org with any questions.
WEBINAR #1 (For undergraduates only) Are You Ready For Graduate School? Finding Fellowship Funding
This recorded webinar was conducted live on April 28, 2021. Are you curious about or excited by the prospect of a career in research? Are you thinking about a career in a leadership role that involves science, technology, engineering, or mathematics? Are you wondering about the best time to apply to graduate school, and how to get someone else to pay for it? This webinar may help you decide.
WEBINAR #2 Applying to NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program Monday, August 2 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
This webinar will include all the basics about GRFP, such as the benefits, eligibility, parts of the application, the review process, and basic tips and strategies. Please bring your questions!
Webinar #3 Winning Strategies for GRFP (and How to Get Started) Wednesday, August 4 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
This webinar will include discussion of NSF’s review criteria (Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts), how to maximize the impact of your planned research, and other winning strategies. Bring your questions and draft statements for comments!
Webinar #4 Write! (As if Your Career Depends on it) Thursday, August 5 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
This webinar will cover how to write about your research in an interesting and lively way, tailored to your audience (recommended for all fellowship and grant writers). Bring your questions and draft statements for comments!
Fly Drones Initiative for Campus Tree Conservation Undergraduate Research and Training Opportunity Dr. Souma Chowdhury, ADAMS Lab, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University at Buffalo Initiative Goal: To develop a systematic framework for conducting drone based aerial survey of the health of vegetation in the UB North Campus, and assist in the creation of a workshop for training students to program and fly drones for related remote sensing applications. Initiative Description: This multidisciplinary initiative is an integral part of a project led by Dr. Souma Chowdhury on “Automated Design of Decentralized Robust and Explainable Swarm Systems”, and is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The novelty of this initiative lies in synergizing an enjoyable hands-on learning experience (in emerging technologies such as autonomous drones) for undergraduate students, with the opportunity to solve a real-world problem with direct impact on the health and wellness of our campus community. A summary description of the initiative is given below. Our UB North campus, spanning over 5 sq. km. has seen an alarming rate of tree loss in recent years. Together with the Professional Staff Senate (PSS), we have converged on the idea of flying unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs (aka drones) to capture high-resolution images of trees to assess their health. The overall concept is to identify patches of the vegetated area to survey, design the best flight paths to conduct this survey, and then program and perform remote-controlled and supervised autonomous flights of 1-2 UAVs based on the planned flight paths over these patches of vegetation. The data collected thereof will be analyzed, under the advice and feedback of academic domain experts on vegetation health, to assess the health of the trees surveyed. These efforts will be strategically interjected with training tutorials, where the participating undergraduate students will get trained on the techniques underlying various moving parts involved in this project. Training, mentoring and day to day feedback will be provided by the PI, Dr. Chowdhury, and other graduate students working on this project. Additional Support: University Honors College students selected to work on this project are then eligible to apply to the Honors College Research Fund for up to $1,000 per semester per student to further support the research and learning efforts under this initiative. Expected Learning Outcomes: In this project, undergraduate students will learn to:
Plan and program single and cooperative UAV flights for automated data collection, subject to weather and regulatory constraints;
Prepare UAVs with appropriately mounted sensors and rain-checks for useful flight experiments;
Fly UAVs safely (the new SOAR facility will be used for training in this regard);
Best practices in data logging, geotagging and data processing; and
Prepare technical publications and presentations for leading international conferences. Student Eligibility: Sophomore, Junior and Senior year students from Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial & Systems Engineering, and Geography at University at Buffalo are encouraged to apply. Prior experience with programming (in C or Python), mechatronics, flying drones, and/or computer vision is a plus (but not required). Interested students should contact Dr. Souma Chowdhury at soumacho@buffalo.edu. Please include your latest resume and unofficial transcript in your email.
Fellowships and Scholarships Roundup: STEM Edition 
