Bryce Tappan Receives an Undergraduate Research Award from The University of Kansas

2014 Jan 27

This spring, 50 University of Kansas students will work on research projects funded by the Undergraduate Research Award (UGRA) program, coordinated by the Center for Undergraduate Research. Recipients will receive $1,000 to fund their projects, which encompass departments from across campus and explore a wide range of topics.

Students conducting research projects include Bryce Tappan, of Brookings, S.D., who is a sophomore in school majoring in environmental chemistry. Tappan's project is titled "Photoluminescence of Mercaptoazulenes and Their Complexes with Gold (I)." Tappan's mentor is Mikhail Barybin, chemistry.

Students apply for the award by writing a four-page research proposal under the guidance of a faculty mentor. This spring’s competition saw a 25 percent increase in the number of applications from the previous spring, making the awards all that much more competitive. Proposals were selected on the merit of the applicant's proposal, the applicant's academic record, and the recommendation from a faculty member who is familiar with the applicant and the proposed project.

“We are thrilled to see an increase in student interest in the KU Undergraduate Research Awards,” said John Augusto, assistant vice provost. “Regardless of the funding outcome, we know that all applicants benefit from the process of writing the proposal with input from their research mentor. Students who participate in the proposal-writing process find they can use the skills that they learn in applying for scholarships, fellowships, and graduate and medical school applications.”

The UGRA program started in 1986 and was run for many years by the University Honors Program. The Center for Undergraduate Research took over this long-standing program after opening in the fall of 2012. The UGRAs are funded by a partnership between the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Office of Research, and the Office of the Provost.

The Center for Undergraduate Research is currently accepting applications from students who will be conducting research in the summer and fall 2014 terms.