Junior & Senior Scholars Program

The Office of Undergraduate Research is thrilled to announce the Junior & Senior Scholars Program!

The Junior & Senior Scholars Program is an advanced continuation of the First-Year and Sophomore Scholars Programs, designed to support upper-level undergraduate students as they deepen their research experience and expertise. This program provides funding for students to continue their research project alongside the Primary Investigator (PI) from their previous years of study, with a focus on promoting academic excellence, professional development, and preparation for post-graduation success. 

Student with goggle sitting in science laboratory

 

Program Requirements

Requirements for Students

Selected students will be required to:

  1. Work 7-10 hours per week on the research.
  2. Attend two (2) Professional Development Activities per semester.
  3. Complete the mid-year and year-end assessment surveys.
  4. Submit an abstract and present at the Fall OR Spring Symposium of Student Scholars.
  5. Complete two more additional dissemination activities:
    • Present at a disciplinary conference or an undergraduate research conference;
    • Submit a manuscript for publication to a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal.

Requirements for Primary Investigators (PIs)

As this program provides a funding resource for the accepted research projects, the Office of Undergraduate Research maintains these requirements for all Primary Investigators (PIs) accepted into the program. 

The PIs will be required to:

  1. Supervise the student(s) on research over the next academic year.
  2. Complete the mid-year and year-end evaluation surveys for each matched student.
  3. Guide the student(s) on an abstract submission for a presentation at the Fall OR Spring Symposium of Student Scholars.
  4. Commit a minimum of 1-hour to judge at the Symposium of Student Scholars, each semester.
  5. Guide the student(s) on two more additional dissemination activities:
    • Present at a disciplinary conference or an undergraduate research conference;
    • Submit a manuscript for publication to a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal.

These requirements, particularly the progress reports and surveys, are vital to collecting data on how the funding is being utilized, as we rely on the PIs to relay this information to us. Should an audit of Office of Undergraduate Research funding usage be requested, this is our current reporting method.

Failure to fulfill these requirements will result in ineligibility for 1-year of future funding from the Office of Undergraduate Research.

Please email our@kennesaw.edu if you have any questions. 

The program is competitive and highly selective, offering an opportunity for students who have demonstrated exceptional progress in their research to extend their studies and make impactful contributions to their research fields. 

In order to be eligible, the following requirements must be met: 

  1. The student and Primary Investigator (PI) worked together in the First-Year Scholars and Sophomore Scholars Programs.
  2. The student has completed all required activities, including all assessment surveys, as part of both the First-Year and Sophomore Scholars Programs.
  3. The student presents at the Symposium of Student Scholars for the Fall OR Spring Symposium of Student Scholars.
  4. The student remains enrolled at Kennesaw State University for the full academic year.
  5. The student has a 3.0 GPA or higher.
  6. Both the student and PI have a strong track record of successfully completing program requirements for participation in any other Office of Undergraduate Research funding programs within the last academic year. 
  • Junior & Senior Scholars receive $1,000 in the Fall and $1,000 in the Spring. They are expected to work on the research project for 7-10 hours per week, attend professional development workshops and complete mid-year and year-end surveys.
  • Primary Investigators (PIs) receive $1,000 per student. These funds must be used to support the Junior & Senior Scholars Program project.
    • PIs will create a budget for their project in the application. Please contact us at our@kennesaw.edu with questions regarding allowable expenses.
    • Funding that cannot be used for the purposes described in the application will be forfeited.

Application Process

The application process is to be initiated by the Primary Investigator (PI), by logging into InfoReady and filling out the initial application (please use your KSU credentials) by Friday, August 15, 2025 at 11:59pm. 

Once submitted, the student section will be automatically routed to the student for completion by Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 11:59pm. 

PI's may list one student per application. If the project included more than one student in the First-Year and Sophomore Scholars Programs from previous consecutive years, and the PI would like for each of them to be considered, a separate application for each student is required. 

The application for the 2025-2026 academic year opens on July 7, 2025.

The application process is to be initiated by the Primary Investigator (PI), by logging into InfoReady and filling out the initial application, as detailed below:

  1. Your name
  2. Your KSU email address
  3. Your KSU organization
  4. Academic Year Commitment Acknowledgment
  5. If applicable, list any co-PIs on the project
    • Co-PI name
    • Co-PI KSU email
    • Co-PI college affiliation
    • Co-PI department affiliation
  6. Student Name
  7. Student KSU ID
  8. Student major
  9. Office of Undergraduate Research Funding Received in the last Three (3) Fiscal Years.
    • Please select and add all sources of funding you and/or your students received from the Office of Undergraduate Research for the past three fiscal years.
  10. Previous Funding Outcomes
    • What outcomes emerged from the three years of funding noted on the previous page?
  11. Project Title
  12. Project Description
  13. Student Outcomes
  14. PI Research Portfolio
  15. Does this research project align with any of the Research Communities?
  16. Budget Table Submission

Once the PI completes their section, students are required to fill out all questions included in the InfoReady application as follows:

  1. What will be your student status as of Fall 2025?
  2. Student Interest Essay (300 words maximum)
    • Describe your experiences in the First-Year and Sophomore Scholars Programs. What do you hope to gain by continuing the experience? For example, what did you learn last year and what do you hope to learn this year? How will the Junior & Senior Scholars experience assist you in achieving your goals, both in the next few years and after graduation?
  3. Other Dissemination of Research (500 words maximum)
    • As part of the Junior & Senior Scholars Program, students are required to disseminate their work in the following ways: present at the Symposium of Student Scholars; present at a disciplinary conference or undergraduate research conference; submit a manuscript for publication to a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal. In consultation with your mentor, describe your research dissemination plans and specific targets for the upcoming year. For the manuscript, please include a month-to-month timeline of completion

Upcoming Dates and Deadlines

  • Date Time Location Topic
    Fall 2025 TBD Academic Learning Center (ALC) 5500 (Kennesaw Campus) Junior & Senior Scholars Orientation
    Fall 2025 TBD TBD (Marietta Campus) Junior & Senior Scholars Orientation
    Fall 2025 TBD Academic Learning Center (ALC) 5500 (Kennesaw Campus) Effective Mentoring Strategies
    Fall 2025 TBD TBD (Marietta Campus) Effective Mentoring Strategies
    Fall 2025 TBD Academic Learning Center (ALC) 5500 (Kennesaw Campus) All things Grad School: Is it for me? Next steps?
    Fall 2025 TBD TBD (Marietta Campus) All things Grad School: Is it for me? Next steps?
    Spring 2025 TBD Academic Learning Center (ALC) 5500 (Kennesaw Campus) Career Planning: Resumes + Cover Letters
    Spring 2025 TBD TBD (Marietta Campus) Career Planning: Resumes + Cover Letters
    Spring 2025 TBD Academic Learning Center (ALC) 5500 (Kennesaw Campus) (Inter)National Scholarships
    Spring 2025 TBD TBD (Marietta Campus) (Inter)National Scholarships
  • Date Event/Activity
    By Friday, October 10, 2025 Fall Stipends should be received
    Friday, December 12, 2025 at 11:59pm Student and PI Mid-Year Surveys due
    By Friday, February 6, 2026 Spring Stipends should be received
    Friday, May 8, 2026 at 11:59pm Student and PI Year-End Surveys Due

Available Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year, the Office of Undergraduate Research will be launching this highly requested program as a pilot initiative. In the future, we plan to develop separate programs that will serve as a comprehensive pipeline allowing for seamless matriculation from the first to final year.
  • You will have to re-apply for your senior year. Despite the conjoined name, the Junior & Senior Scholars Program still functions as our other programs in which you will be evaluated each year on your completion of previous participation.
  • The goal of the Junior & Senior Scholars Program is to empower students to take greater responsibility of their research, enhance their critical thinking and analytical skills, and make a meaningful contribution to academic discourse. By fostering a higher level of responsibility, the program aims to prepare students for the next stages of their academic or professional careers, whether in graduate school, industry, or other research-related roles.  
  • We encourage long-term participation with the same PI so that students may have the opportunity to learn different skills and roles which will lead to a more in-depth experience in their field.
  • Students will gain valuable experience in leadership, collaboration, communication, and overall professionalism, with opportunities to present their research at conferences, publish, and network with experts in their disciplines. Workshops aim to promote this kind of leadership and is meant to continuously develop students academically & professionally.