Moore Undergraduate Research Appretice Program

MURAP strives to foster the entrance of talented students from diverse backgrounds into graduate school and faculty positions within the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts .At a broader level, the program seeks to increase the number of minorities and others who demonstrate a commitment to eradicating racial disparities, and who will pursue graduate work and faculty appointments within the academy. MURAP works to achieve its mission by identifying and supporting students of great promise and helping them to become scholars of the highest distinction.

Each summer, the program brings a cohort of 18-22 undergraduates (rising juniors and seniors) to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus for an intensive, ten-week research experience. Students are expected to develop a 20-page research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor with whom they are paired according to areas of study and research interests. In addition to meeting several times a week with faculty mentors, students will:


1. attend weekly seminars where they will present their research and discuss that of the faculty and other students in the program
2. receive required biweekly instruction in preparation for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
3. attend biweekly writing workshops/consultations
4. attend a weekly presentation and networking skills workshop
5. attend a weekly professionalizing workshop
6. participate in a variety of social events and an academic conference

All of the above are designed to expose students to the broad aspects of the graduate experience and prepare them for successful application to graduate programs. Participants will submit various drafts of their final research paper according to fixed deadlines (please see a sample calendar that includes required activities and deadlines) and must receive approval through the signature of their faculty mentor. For a student to complete the program successfully and receive each portion of the stipend, participation in all of these activities, including satisfactory completion of the GRE course and the practice GRE post-test, approval of their drafts through their mentor's signature, and completion of the research paper are required.

Program applicants should be mindful that MURAP offers an intensive research experience which requires a substantial commitment of time, intellectual resources and effort. Therefore, students may not be employed or take classes while enrolled in the program. For their participation in the program, student fellows will receive a generous stipend of $3500 (students holding Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowships will receive the difference between their summer stipend and MURAP's), an allowance for meals of $1450 and travel allowance up to $500 to cover the cost of transportation to and from Chapel Hill. Additionally, students will be provided on-campus housing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Students are expected to remain on campus during the duration of the program but travel on weekends, while not encouraged, is allowed as long as the student's mentor and the program staff are notified in advance.

The deadline to apply is Feb. 5, 2010.