HURAY Information for Students
To read about program basics and student eligibility, see the main HURAY webpage. After reading this page in its entirety, please contact OURSD if you have any remaining questions about the program.
2024-2025 HURAY PROGRAM TIMELINE
Late July 2024 - September 3, 2024:
- OURSD screens interested students for eligibility
- On a first come, first served basis, OURSD will send faculty contact information to students so they can contact the faculty member of their first or second choice project for more information (until a position is no longer available based on demand)
- Faculty engage in conversations and (if applicable) interview students for project positions
9/3/24: Upon mutual agreement between the faculty member and student to pursue HURAY together, submit the HURAY registration form and faculty/student contract by this deadline. The completed form must be emailed by the faculty member to oursd-general@andrew.cmu.edu.
8/26/24: Earliest possible start date for HURAY research
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- Upon submission of the registration form, students will work with their mentor’s department business manager to be set up in Workday
- Once the student is set up in Workday, research work may begin
- Please note that timely submission of the registration form enables an earlier start date for your HURAY research.
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HURAY STUDENT FAQ:
Q: Will I be assigned to a project automatically or will I need to participate in an interview process?
A: Students will NOT automatically be assigned to a project. Rather, students who are eligible for HURAY will be contacted by OURSD during the summer to peruse available HURAY projects and rate their top choices for participation. Then, on a first come, first served basis, OURSD will send faculty contact information to students so they can contact the faculty member of their first or second choice project for more information (until a position is no longer available based on demand). Students who are interested in one of the available HURAY projects are responsible for emailing the faculty member to discuss potential HURAY participation (please contact OURSD if you would like help with this part!). From that point forward, the decision to pursue research via HURAY lies with both the faculty member and student. If both parties decide that research together is a good fit (through informal conversations, an interview process, etc.), the faculty member and student should complete the HURAY Registration Form & Faculty-Student Research Contract, which initiates the student's hiring process.
Q: Can I do research through HURAY with a faculty member outside of my major/department?
A: Yes! We do recommend that, if students choose to conduct research outside of their major/department, that they use the opportunity to explore a project related to their career goals or interests for the best outcome, but there is no rule stating that students must do research in a specific field. However, students who wish to participate in HURAY may ONLY work on the projects listed on the HURAY project list. At this time, participation on research projects outside of this list is not compatible with HURAY.
Q: Will I be able to work on research remotely or will I need to be in-person to participate in HURAY?
A: The expectation is that HURAY research will be conducted primarily in person.
Q: Is research training a component of HURAY?
A: In addition to the training that HURAY students will receive from their research advisor(s), OURSD will also provide an orientation session in September to prepare students to get the most out of their research experiences, and will offer accompanying researcher development workshops throughout the semester. HURAY students MUST attend at least 2 of the 3 workshops between October-December. Additional curricular requirements for the spring semester will be shared at a later date.
Q: How does this program differ from other current research programs?
A: HURAY is OURSD’s first work-study research program and its first academic year (e.g., spring/fall) program that offers hourly pay to student researchers. Other OURSD offerings include summer apprenticeships (SURA), summer fellowships (SURF), and year-round grants to help students purchase research supplies (SURG).
Q: Will I receive course credits for participation in HURAY?
A: HURAY students do not receive course credits for participation, but rather are paid hourly through both the federal-work study program and OURSD donor funds earmarked specifically for students with financial need. Students who are instead interested in participating in research via course credit should contact their academic advisor and/or their faculty research advisor.
Q: How will the HURAY program ensure active participation in research projects?
A: HURAY students are paid hourly and will only receive pay for the hours they actually work on their research. Additional accountability measures should be addressed through the OURSD Faculty-Student Research Contract, which must be completed and signed by both the student and research advisor prior to the student’s hiring. This contract allows for clear expectations to be laid out prior to the start of the research experience.
Q: Would I have to report hours through Workday to be paid through HURAY?
A: Yes, HURAY students will report their hours in Workday like other hourly employees at CMU as per federal work-study protocol. Students will be entered into Workday through the faculty’s departmental business manager and hours will be approved through the department.
Q: How do I know if I have work-study funds?
A: Students can view their most recent financial aid award letter in SIO to clarify work-study eligibility and amounts. Students with additional questions about financial aid and federal work-study should contact the Hub for more information.
Q: Am I eligible for HURAY if I had one semester of unpaid research before this program existed?
A: Yes, but because donor funds are limited, priority will be given to students who have not yet had the opportunity to participate in research. Additionally, students from disciplines traditionally underrepresented in undergraduate research are especially encouraged to apply for HURAY.
Q: How many hours of research related-work should I plan to conduct as a HURAY participant?
A: Each student who is accepted to work on an eligible HURAY project will receive enough funding to pay for up to 8-10 hours of research per week (up to 135 hours over each semester, or 270 hours of research total for the academic year). However, students’ research hours can also amount to less than 8 per week if both the faculty and student are amenable to such an arrangement.
Q: What are the outcome expectations for the HURAY experience?
A: All HURAY students are expected to present their research at the Meeting of the Minds in the May of their HURAY participation. Project-specific outcomes may differ depending on the goals of the individual student and/or faculty advisor. Outcomes should be addressed through the HURAY Registration Form and Faculty-Student Research Contract, which must be filled out and signed by both the student and research advisor prior to the student’s hiring. This contract allows for clear expectations to be laid out prior to the start of the research experience.
Q: What if I don’t solve a research question or problem before the end of the program?
A: This is a possibility with any research program, and it’s perfectly fine! Our main goal for HURAY is that it provides a meaningful introduction to research for students who have not yet had the opportunity to participate in extracurricular scholarship or creative inquiry. With this in mind, our intention is for students to participate in some aspect of original knowledge production as defined by the faculty research mentor, but we understand that the timeline of the overall research endeavor may exceed the length of the program.
Q: If I participate in HURAY in the fall, but choose not to continue into the spring, can I continue my HURAY research in the summer or following fall?
A: HURAY can only fund students for two consecutive semesters in the same academic year (fall-spring), meaning that students cannot receive HURAY funding for research after taking a break. However, students may continue working on research after their HURAY period ends at the discretion of their faculty research mentor. Students who are interested in participating in summer research at Carnegie Mellon should instead look into our Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship (SURA) or our Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) programs.