Frequently Asked Questions

If the answer to your question does not appear below, please contact the Office of Student Research at osr@truman.edu, or use the feedback form. 

STUDENTS

Are there any formatting requirements for the written parts of the application?

There are no specific formatting requirements.  You are free to select single- or double-spacing, font, type size, margins, etc.  Be aware, though, that your application will be read by a panel of reviewers, who may not look kindly on very small type, hard-to-read fonts, or extremely densely packed pages.  Your safest bet is to use single-spacing with 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins (again, these are not formal requirements).  It is also wise to clearly label different sections of your project description with headings like "Goals", "Methodology", and so on to make it easy for the review committee to find the pertinent information.

In similar vein, there are no specific formatting requirements for the "relevant references" that should be part of the application.  You should adhere to the standards of your discipline in preparing a list of references or a bibliography in terms of content and style.

How should letters of recommendation for the TruScholars Program be submitted?

Each application requires one letter of recommendation from a Truman faculty or staff member who is not your proposed TruScholars research mentor.  You should ensure that the person writing your letter of recommendation submits the letter by the TruScholars Application deadline.  Recommendation letters must be emailed to osr@truman.edu with the subject line: "TruScholars Letter of Recommendation for xxx", where xxx is the applicant.

Is it possible to get an exemption from the rule that TruScholars Program participants may not take any classes during the summer?

Although the desire to both do research and catch up on required course work is completely understandable, your  research will be more successful and achieve better outcomes if it is the sole focus of your efforts during the summer term.  The Office of Student Research will not grant any exceptions to the rule that TruScholars Program participants may not take any summer classes.

Must I work 40 hours per week on my research project during the eight-week duration of the program?  Or must I work a total of 320 hours in total?  How will my hours be monitored?

The $3000 stipend is intended to be an appropriate compensation for the intensive effort you put into your research project, and to reduce the need for you to seek other employment during the summer.  It is not a research grant to be used for supplies, travel, etc.

I would like to submit a TruScholars application as part of a research team. Is that permitted?

You may not split a single TruScholars stipend among two or more program participants, and each application must be submitted by only one student.  Students may submit individual applications with the intent of working as members of a team, but each application will be considered individually, and there are no guarantees that all potential members of a team will be selected to the TruScholars Program.  Your application should should not describe a project that depends critically on the participation of other team members who are also applying to the TruScholars Program.

What if I can't attend one of the required program activities?

The required program-wide meetings and the TruScholars Research Symposium are very important elements of the summer research program.  Your attendance at all of these activities is expected.  However, there may be circumstances where your absence may be excused.  Some examples might be: if you are engaged in research activities that must take place on that day and at that time; if you are Studying Abroad in the fall semester and leave Kirksville before the Research Symposium; or if you are ill or a family emergency prevents your attendance.  In these circumstances you should contact the Director of the Office of Student Research as far in advance of the required activity as possible.

If I am accepted into the TruScholars Program, am I required to present at the 2012 Truman Student Research Conference?

The presentation of the results of your research project at the 2012 Student Research Conference is strongly encouraged, but not required.  You are required, however, to present your research at the TruScholars Research Symposium on Saturday, August 25, 2012.

FACULTY

I've been asked to submit a letter of recommendation for a student applying to the TruScholars Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Where should I send the letter?

You can prepare a copy of the letter as a Microsoft Word or PDF file and send the letter by email to osr@truman.edu.  Please put in the subject line of the email: "TruScholars Letter of Recommendation for xxx", where xxx is the applicant. In your letter please address the student’s maturity, motivation, and potential to benefit from the experience.

I am working with a student to prepare a TruScholars application. What are the expectations for me as faculty research mentor?

The TruScholars Program is designed to support faculty-student collaborative research over the summer.  You should think of the project as an effort undertaken by colleagues, not as strictly a student project.  The primary responsibility for the success of the project lies with the student, however.  As a mentor to a student in the TruScholars program, you are expected to be available to the student throughout the entire eight-week summer term to provide support and guidance, and to work with the student as necessary to advance the project and train the student in the appropriate research methods.  You are also expected to attend the required program meetings including the TruScholars Research Symposium on August 25, 2012.

I plan to be away from Kirksville for some or all of the summer. Can I still serve as a TruScholars research mentor?

Studies show unambiguously that the availability and involvement of the faculty research mentor is the single most important factor in the success of student research projects and in the overall experience for the student.  Therefore, it is expected that you will be present in Kirksville for the majority of the eight-week summer term.  Short vacations and trips out of town would be OK, provided that you have worked with the student to ensure that he/she is prepared to continue work on the project in your absence.

Students participants in the TruScholars Program are not allowed to take classes during the summer. May I teach a summer class and still be a TruScholars mentor?

It is reasonable to expect that faculty can more successfully balance the demands of a research project and other responsibilities than students.  Faculty mentors may teach classes of fulfill other responsibilities during the summer in addition to serving as a TruScholars mentor.  Each application will be evaluated in part on the availability of the mentor to the student during the eight-week summer term.  Teaching one class is certainly reasonable; teaching two or more classes will make it more challenging to be a successful mentor.  Faculty teaching in the Joseph Baldwin Academy make a significant commitment of time and mental effort to that program, and may find it difficult to work closely with a student at the same time.  There are no absolute requirements for the degree to which faculty mentors can be committed to activities outside the TruScholars Program during the summer; each application will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

As part of the TruScholars application, the mentor is required to write a Mentoring Plan.  What does this mean?

You should discuss in specific terms how you intend to mentor the TruScholars student participant in a way that will lead to a successful outcome to the project and provide a meaningful experience for the student. This might include steps you will take to prepare for the summer research project; a proposed schedule for meeting with or working alongside the student; a discussion of how you will accommodate any other summer responsibilities you have (teaching, Chair duties, etc.); and anything else you think might be relevant to the mentoring relationship.  Keep in mind that the entire application will be evaluated in part on your ability to demonstrate that you will be a successful mentor.

Can one TruScholars student participant have two research mentors? And can those two mentors split the mentor stipend?

Yes, this is possible.  However, both mentors are expected to be available to the student for the majority of the summer eight-week term, and both mentors should contribute equally to the success of the research project and to providing a positive experience for the student.  If the plan is to have two mentors on the same TruScholars project, you should jointly write the Mentoring Plan.