Meliora Psychology Research Fellowship

2023-2024 Academic Year

The Meliora Psychology Research Fellowship (MPRF) was created to support undergraduate students, particularly those with backgrounds underrepresented in science, in facilitating, enhancing, and extending their research training with mentorship from faculty members and graduate students in the Department of Psychology. As part of this 10-week, full-time summer program, Meliora Fellows work closely with a graduate student and faculty mentor on a research project over the summer, attend a series of professional development workshops (e.g., applying to graduate school), and present an end-of-the summer talk on their research activities to other Meliora Fellows and the department. The program is funded by a generous gift from University President Sarah Mangelsdorf and Psychology and BCS Professor Karl Rosengren.

Program Details

• Full-time, 10-week summer program beginning in June.
• Fellowship recipients are expected to complete a research project in clinical, developmental, or social psychology, involving a greater degree of independence than a typical undergraduate research assistant position. Projects may take place on River Campus or affiliated sites (e.g., Mount Hope Family Center). In-person, online, and secondary data collection and analyses are all acceptable.
• Fellows are provided with a $5,000 stipend; graduate student mentors are provided with a $1,000 stipend. Fellowship funds are intended to support students directly and should not be applied to project expenses.
• Fellows are expected to attend regular summer professional development meetings and present findings from their project at the end of the summer.

Timeline

• Applications open: January 17, 2024
• Application deadline: February 26, 2024 (11:59 p.m.)
• Results announced: March 15, 2024
• Fellowship start date: June 3, 2024
• Fellowship end date: August 2, 2024
• End-of-summer research talk session: Date TBD in late August/early September

Eligibility

• Strong preference for students from backgrounds underrepresented in science, as defined by the NIH.
  • Students who are Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander.
  • Students with disabilities, and/or
  • Students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including first-generation college students and students who come from families with income below established low-income thresholds
  • Students who identify with other aspects of diversity (e.g., sexual and gender minorities, neurodiversity, immigration status, etc.)
• Current University of Rochester student in their first, second or third year.
• Psychology major or intended psychology major.
• Feasible summer project supported by a faculty mentor and graduate student mentor.
  • You must identify a prospective faculty mentor, contact them well in advance of the application deadline, confirm their willingness to support your application, and obtain guidance from them in developing your research proposal. It is important to propose a project that is a good fit for your mentor’s research area. This fellowship supports new research experiences. Proposed projects cannot duplicate work that you are already doing (e.g., honors thesis).
• No existing summer funding provided by another summer research funding mechanism (e.g., Discover Grant).

Application

To apply, please provide the following information in the online application form.

• 300-word personal statement describing how you meet eligibility for the MPRF, including how you identify with a group(s) underrepresented in science (see above), and how the MPRF fits into your post-graduation plans (e.g., pursuing a graduate degree in psychology) and will contribute to your academic and professional goals.
• 300-word project proposal describing the project background/rationale, aims and hypotheses, approach, and project timeline.
• CV/Resume.
• Your GPA in psychology.
• Letter of recommendation from your faculty mentor speaking to the feasibility of the project and how they’ll support you during the award period.

To submit a letter of recommendation for an applicant, please use this online submission form.

Application Evaluation

A committee in the Department of Psychology will conduct holistic evaluations of complete applications, taking into account all of the materials listed above.

Past Winners

Check out a list of past MPRF winners!