2025 Mentoring Undergraduates in Interdisciplinary Research (MUIR) Application

Through the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment’s MUIR program, faculty identify and submit an application on behalf of a Stanford undergraduate student who will work on a specific research project in support of the faculty member’s environmental research. MUIR fellowships allow faculty members to bring to their lab a funded undergraduate research intern who commits to working on their research full-time over the course of the summer (10 weeks).

The MUIR Program provides undergraduate fellows with a stipend of $8,000. Students with financial need are eligible for an additional supplement of up to $1,500, per VPUE's and the Office of Financial Aid's determination. The Stanford Woods Institute invites faculty from all departments/all schools to apply. Undergraduate researchers may also be from any department. Fund priority goes to proposals submitted by Stanford Woods Institute affiliated faculty and by faculty who identify a student in their application. Students wishing to initiate a project must approach a faculty member who is willing to apply on the student's behalf.

Please visit our website for additional information and guidelines, or reach out to Jen Chiu (jchiu24@stanford.edu) with any questions.

This application should be submitted by the faculty mentor with the undergraduate researcher pre-identified, and the deadline to apply is February 14, 2025.

Faculty Mentor's First Name

Faculty Mentor's Last Name

Faculty Mentor's Email

Faculty Mentor's Phone Number

Faculty Mentor's Department/Affiliation

Faculty Mentor's SUnet ID

example: bsmith

Faculty Mentor's Association with the Woods Institute

Fellow

Affiliate

None

Do you have a student identified for this project?

Faculty members are strongly discouraged from proposing research projects without first identifying a student with whom to work on the project. Applications with a student pr-identified receive priority consideration. If a faculty member cannot identify an undergraduate, the Stanford Woods Institute can assist in, but cannot guarantee, identifying potential applicants. The faculty mentor will make the actual selection of the student to work on the project.

Yes

No

Project Title

Description of interdisciplinary research planned

250 words or less

Please describe the tasks the undergraduate will perform for the project.

250 words or less

Please describe the benefits to the undergraduate.

What will the undergraduate learn and takeaway from working on this project? What skills or knowledge will they gain or enhance? What deliverables will be they be able to walk away with at the end of the experience?

250 words or less

Where will the research be conducted?

Please note that we discourage fully remote working environments, unless absolutely necessary and clearly defined.

In addition, If you are proposing a project with international travel, please be mindful of the undergraduate research policies and travel advisories outlined by Stanford Global Risk. Depending on the country, we may need to submit a travel exception prior to the commencement of research.

All on Main Campus

All at Hopkins Marine Station

Main Campus and Hopkins Marine Station

Main Campus and other field site (please describe)

All at other field site (please describe)

Other (please describe)

We hope this is not the case, but should Covid-19 and university restrictions necessitate the research work be completed remotely and/or without any travel to sites, what are your plans to ensure the student researcher will have a productive experience, gain the mentorship from you that they need, and be able to participate as a member of your lab? Or would such restrictions make this research assistantship not viable?

Name of Primary Mentor

Although the primary mentor may be different from the faculty mentor listed above, it is expected that faculty meet at least once every other week with the undergraduate researcher to advise and adjust the student's work plan as needed during the course of the summer.

Primary Mentor's Department/Affiliation

Primary Mentor's Email

Matching stipend funds: if you or your department can provide matching funds for the student research stipends, please list the dollar amount below.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

Please acknowledge below the expectations of being a mentor for the MUIR program.

The 10-weeks of the MUIR program, consistent with the other undergraduate research programs in SDSS, is from June 23, 2025 to August 29, 2025. You may work with your student on an alternate timeline, but this range closely aligns with our welcome/closing events and other planned activities for summer.

Provide mentored support for your undergraduate researcher throughout the summer, which should include meeting with the student at least once every other week (if not more) to advise and adjust the student's work plan and maintain progress toward project goals. You agree to be an active mentor to the undergraduate and to provide a research experience that includes application of research methods, analysis and synthesis of results.

MUIR students are required to enroll in a one-unit course, ESS 108, in spring quarter to prepare for the undergraduate research experience. You agree to assist and guide the student through literature reviews, summer work plan drafting, and other assignments as relevant.

Participate as a speaker in the spring quarter prep-course (ESS 108) and/or in the weekly summer lunch seminar series, if invited and your schedule allows.

Provide an adequate work environment for your student over the summer.

The Woods Institute does not provide work space for the undergraduate researcher, so please work with your department to create an adequate work environment for your student.

Complete program evaluations at the mid-point and at the end of the program.

Support the undergraduate researcher by attending the SDSS Undergraduate Research Symposium (in October) or SURPS/ASURPS where they will present a poster of their summer research.

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