UROP Project
APPLES: Academic Progress in Phonological Learning in Elementary School
speech production, literacy, spelling, reading, special education, elementary school
Research Mentor: Dr. Farquharson Kelly Farquharson, she/ her/ hers
Department, College, Affiliation: School of Communication Science and Disorders, Communication and Information
Contact Email: kfarquharson@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: School of Communication Science and Disorders, Communication and Information
Contact Email: kfarquharson@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 6
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors, but particularly suited for: communication science and disorders (speech path, or audiology), early childhood, early childhood special education, special education, teacher education, elementary education, psychology, school psychology, biostatistics, social work.
Project Location: 201 W. Bloxham Street, Tallahassee, FL 32308
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 6
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors, but particularly suited for: communication science and disorders (speech path, or audiology), early childhood, early childhood special education, special education, teacher education, elementary education, psychology, school psychology, biostatistics, social work.
Project Location: 201 W. Bloxham Street, Tallahassee, FL 32308
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Wednesday, September 3
Start Time: 5:00
End Time: 6:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93602257913?jst=3 - Day: Thursday, September 4
Start Time: 4:00
End Time: 5:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93602257913?jst=3
Project Description
APPLES is a 4-year project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). The 2025-26 academic year will mark year 2 of 4. This project takes place in the Children's Literacy and Speech Sound (CLaSS) Lab, which is in room 512 of the Warren building. The Warren building is an FSU building, but is technically considered off campus, so it does help to have a car. We have free and ample parking available. Largely, you will make your own schedule and share it with us using a shared Google calendar. We are constrained by the hours that the Warren building is open (8:30 - 4:30 Monday - Thursday and 8:30 am - 1:30 pm on Fridays). Students must begin work during a time that the building is open, but can stay in the building once it's closed.For APPLES, we are working with school-based speech-language pathologists and several children from their caseload who have speech sound disorders (SSDs). SSDs are marked by difficulty making certain speech sounds (like /w/ instead of "r", lisps, etc). SSDs can impact reading and spelling. We are testing 100 children per year on a battery of speech, language, reading, spelling, working memory, and speech perception meaures. We have a team of assessors who go to the schools to directly test children (Kindergarten, first, and second grade). The UROP students have the opportunity to work in the lab on scoring and processing those data, after they have been collected. UROP students will not be expected to test kids in schools.
Research Tasks: Training will be provided for all tasks which includes, but is not limited to: scoring standardized measures administered to Kindergarten, first, and second grade children; entering data into REDCap databases; developing and/ or following detailed research administration protocols; downloading large audio and video files, and naming them according to project naming conventions; filing; back up of electronic files;
There will also be opportunities for data analysis, depending on the student and the research question - this would be particularly suitable for biostatistics or psych majors.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: quick learner; proficient in Word, Excel, and Powerpoint; willing and able to learn new software programs (REDCap; Sharepoint; Teams; Audacity); willing and able to respond within 12 hours via Microsoft Teams during the work week and within 48 hours during weekends; team player, works well with others; takes feedback and instruction well.
Recommended: prior experience with one or more of the following: REDCap, Sharepoint, Teams, Audacity, Qualtrics, SPSS