Submission navigation links for UROP Project Proposal Portal ‹ Previous submission Next submission › Submission information Submission Number: 1045 Submission ID: 19821 Submission UUID: 66c33104-a9d9-46e3-8e86-f0fae134797c Submission URI: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal Submission Update: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=X3KJGQ_tywm0OkwK_d9rGeNktUetwAOYWa2HG4y24-Q Created: Mon, 07/14/2025 - 09:37 PM Completed: Mon, 07/14/2025 - 09:37 PM Changed: Mon, 08/25/2025 - 01:56 PM Remote IP address: 73.129.212.28 Submitted by: Anonymous Language: English Is draft: No Webform: UROP Project Proposal Portal Submitted to: UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal * The submission deadline is EXTENDED to Friday, August 22, 2025 UROP Research Project Submission Form Information Thank you for your interest in submitting a UROP research project. To help guide your UROP project submission, you can view UROP projects from previous years here (you do not submit projects at the link below; you have to use the form below this year). Please refer to the UROP Research Mentor FAQs if you have any questions. 2022-2025 UROP Projects: https://cre.fsu.edu/urop-projects 2021-2022 UROP Projects:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xXghCi683JcbssfYl6UPtxf9mAwDqdtlWk7kmu2B81M/edit?usp=sharing 2020-2021 UROP Projects: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xjcxB3H-Ejmr8HsJp7C5brtQSgMOkUsV/view?usp=sharing 2019-2020 UROP Projects: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fniI_IZjWFi63pnlAYJfE5wdtimxgK28Y5wbzPUWnwA/edit?usp=sharing 2018-2019 UROP Projects: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YsImQOQZr6qotqSiPa4QtHv4UdwqB6pgYOPf2EO44dg/edit?usp=sharing Below you will enter information about your research project. Please note: - UROP is a program for 1st- and 2nd- year and transfer students at FSU. - Students accepted via a competitive admissions process into UROP will have access to the database of UROP projects at the start of the fall semester in late August/early September. - Students interested in working on your project will contact you in the early Fall semester. You may select the students with whom you would like to work. You do NOT have to select a UROP student if you do not find a suitable candidate, so there is no risk to upload a project to the UROP database. - Students have until October 7th to secure a UROP research position. Once you select the UROP student, you have to sign the student's contract form (deadline October 7th). Students will work with you in Fall and subsequent Spring to meet one of the UROP requirements (assistantship). Students typically work between 5 to 10 hours per week on their assistantship, so please keep this in mind while submitting your project. - If you are an FSU faculty/grad student/postdoc/campus partner participating as a UROP mentor, you are eligible to apply for the UROP Materials Grant. Community research mentors are not eligible at this time to receive the UROP Materials Grant. Material grant applications will be accepted in late fall and funds disbursed during the spring semester. -You must complete an evaluation survey in order to help us grade (S/U) the student for Fall and Spring UROP colloquium classes. -Graduate students may serve as the sole PI on a project and do not need to have their research listed under a faculty member's project. -You may submit multiple projects. Please do not submit multiple versions of the same project. If you have any questions, please contact CRE Senior Associate Director, Alicia Batailles, at alicia.batailles@fsu.edu or 850-645-0987. UROP Research Mentor Info Sessions Recording of UROP Research Mentor Hybrid Info Session If you are interested in requesting a presentation about UROP with potential research mentors you can use this link to request a presentation: https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cTOz2mk839ZmxY9 Research Mentor Information Primary Research Mentor Name Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific? Examples: Dr., Prof., Mx., Mr., Ms., etc. Please leave blank if you do not have a preferred honorific. Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) Position Title Please note: All graduate students must have the approval of their Faculty Advisor to be a UROP research mentor and must include their Faculty Advisor's name and email below. These options will appear if "Graduate Student" is selected. - Select -FacultyPost DocGraduate StudentFSU Staff/Campus PartnerCommunity/Industry Research Mentor Faculty Advisor Name Graduate students submitting a UROP Project Proposal are required to enter their Faculty Advisor's name. The Faculty Advisor will be emailed about the submission. Faculty Advisor's FSU Email Graduate students submitting a UROP Project Proposal are required to enter their Faculty Advisor's email. The Faculty Advisor will be emailed about the submission. FSU College (if applicable) - Select -Applied StudiesArts and SciencesBusinessCommunication and InformationCriminology and Criminal JusticeDedman College of HospitalityEducation, Health, and Human SciencesFAMU-FSU College of EngineeringFine ArtsJim Moran College of EntrepreneurshipLawMedicineMotion Picture ArtsMusicNursingSocial Sciences and Public PolicySocial WorkUndergraduate StudiesN/A FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation Headshot (optional) Upload Please provide a photo of yourself or something representing your research (optional) Upload requirementsOne file only.256 MB limit. Additional Research Mentor(s) Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above) Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific? Examples: Dr., Prof., Mx., Mr., Ms., etc. Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable) Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific? Examples: Dr., Prof., Mx., Mr., Ms., etc. Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) Overall Project Details Title of the Project Project Keywords Are you currently looking for research assistants? When submitting your project, please select "Yes." When you have signed contracts with close to the number of research assistants required for your project, you can change your selection to "Maybe one more." Once you are no longer looking for research assistants selecting "No" will hide your project from potential research assistants searching the database. - Select -YesMaybe one moreNo Number of Research Assistants Needed Faculty/Postdoc: Max - 6, Graduate student: Max- 2, Community Partners: to be discussed with CRE staff Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) If there is no preference for certain majors, please put "Open to all majors." Chemical Engineering; biomedical engineering; chemistry; mechanical engineering; materials science and engineering; food science Project Location: On FSU Main Campus Off of FSU Main Campus (please provide address) Enter other… If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? Yes No, the project is remote No, there is a public transportation option (please list below) Enter other… Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s): In-person Partially Remote Fully Remote Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work? Please keep in mind that the recommended number of hours for UROP is 5-10 hours a week. The final number of hours will be agreed upon during the contract signing. Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work? During business hours Outside of business hours Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.) Overall Research Project Description Many polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as Omega-3 fatty acid, play a pivotal role in human health. Convincing evidence has shown that lack of these PUFAs is often associated with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, etc. However, PUFAs belong to the type of ‘fragile oil’; and as the name suggested, they are prone to becoming rancid due to various oxidation processes. Thus, it is critical to protect the oils so that the chances of being exposed to oxidative species are reduced. This is the reason why commercially available fish oil supplements are often sold in the form of capsules. When developing materials and methods for PUFA encapsulation, one also needs to consider delivery efficiency and oil absorption by the human body. It’s known that fats need to be emulsified into small droplets in digestive tracts to allow enzymes to efficiently break them down for us to absorb. Therefore, compared with macro-encapsulation (e.g., supplement capsules), micron-sized (in the order of 10^-6 m) nutrient droplets are much easier for human digestion. This project concerns developing Pickering emulsion for PUFA encapsulation, with the ultimate goal being to extend PUFAs’ shelf life, facilitate delivery and absorption. For Pickering emulsions, oil droplets are dispersed in the water phase, stabilized by solid particles attached to the interface between oil and water. We will use two types of solid particles to create Pickering emulsion: 1) plant proteins extracted from soybean, sunflower, or silflower seeds, mimicking the oleosome structure of those oilseeds; and 2) cellulose nanocrystals (nano particles extracted from wood cell wall). These two stabilizing particles are “all natural”. Omega-3 fatty acids (rich in fish oils) will be used as a model compound. In addition, we will apply similar methods to encapsulate squalene, a polyunsaturated oil with significant benefits to cardiovascular and skin health. Emulsion morphology, texture, and stability will be examined. This is a collaborative work with Dr. Zi Teng at USDA-ARS, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research; Selected students will have chance to interact with USDA scientists in various aspects of agriculture, food and nutrition, and how they are associated with human well-being. Research Tasks Examples of tasks: literature review, data collection, data analysis, conducting interviews, etc. A) Preparing Pickering emulsion B) Emulsion characterization: structure and stability C) Data presentation Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Please specify "required" or "recommended." Motivation is THE most critical skill. General lab operation skills are recommended but not required. Students will be trained with the needed skills during the project. Mentoring Philosophy Please include your mentoring philosophy. We hope this helps expedite the matching process. Your mentoring philosophy is a statement that explains and justifies the way you approach personal and professional relationships with mentees as you guide their increasing development. Common Themes of Mentoring Philosophies Identifying mentees’ goals * Evaluating mentees’ understanding *Evaluating mentees’ talents and building on them * Developing a relationship founded on mutual respect * Giving mentees’ ownership of their work and promoting accountability * Sharing your own experience * Creating an interactive environment for learning * Identifying what motivates each mentee * Balancing belief with action and experience * Creating a safe environment in which mentees feel that is acceptable to fail and learn from their mistakes * Encouraging growth through challenges * Promoting learning through inquiry Mentoring Philosophy Resources University of Colorado Boulder: Developing a Mentoring Philosophy Oregon Health and Science University: Creating a Mentoring Philosophy Harvard University: Developing your Mentoring Philosophy Workshop Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis: Developing a Mentoring Philosophy Worksheet A) Task Modularization. Mentor and the student will discuss to understand the nature of the problem and divide a "big" problem into small pieces each manageable and with foreseeable boundary, allowing the student to see progress throughout the project. Students will feel achieved during the course and will have a presentable package when wrapping up the project. B) Working smart. The students will NOT be asked to conduct matrix experiments with multiple control parameters varying; rather, mentor will discuss with the student, identifying the key question that needs to be addressed, and performing critical experiments to attack. C) Learning by doing. The students will be encouraged to perform educated trial experiments to help understand the nature of the problem or test their hypothesis. Discussion with mentor is always encouraged, to avoid students “overthink”. Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable): Please add any additional information here (if applicable): Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable? The UROP Research Mentor Roundtable will take place virtually, on Tuesday, September 2 through Friday, September 5, between 12 and 8 pm each day. This is an opportunity to speak with students directly about your UROP project. If you choose to participate, we will reach out closer to the start of the fall semester so you can schedule your Zoom sessions and add them to your project information. If you change your mind about participating, you can access your project submission and edit your response. If you select "No", "Not participating in the Roundtable" will be displayed on your project profile. Yes No Roundtable times and Zoom links? Please add the day(s) and time(s) and zoom link(s) for your roundtable meeting(s) between the times of 12 and 8 PM on a day(s) between Tuesday Sept. 3 through Friday, Sept. 6. We recommend scheduling between one and three 30-minute zoom meetings during the timeframe of the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable. Ideally, we envision your zoom meetings starting at the top of the hour (0:00) or half hour (0:30). The goal of the Roundtable is for students to explore and learn about different research projects. This is not an interview opportunity. All students are expected to attend at least one zoom session and review five different projects as part of the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable assignment. Students should not start reaching out until after the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable on September 8 at 8 pm. You can review more detailed information here. Roundtable Information Please add the day(s) and time(s) and zoom link(s) for your roundtable meeting(s) between the times of 12 and 8 PM on a day(s) between Tuesday Sept. 2 through Friday, Sept. 5. We recommend scheduling between one and three 30-minute zoom meetings during the timeframe of the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable. Ideally, we envision your zoom meetings starting at the top of the hour (0:00) or half hour (0:30). The goal of the Roundtable is for students to explore and learn about different research projects. This is not an interview opportunity. All students are expected to attend at least two synchronous zoom sessions and review five different projects as part of the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable assignment. Students should not start reaching out until the Monday after the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable concludes on Monday, September 8 at 9 am. Click on the gold button at the right to add additional Zoom Roundtable times or the garnet button to remove Zoom Roundtable times. You can review more detailed information here. Roundtable Info × Information message No items entered. Please add items below. Add Add more items more items UROP Program Elements Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication By checking this box I confirm that I have read and understood the UROP Research UROP Research Mentor Handbook as well as the UROP Research Mentor Frequently Asked Questions. The UROP Project I am proposing will be available for both the fall and spring semesters (Oct 7 is the deadline to secure a position and submit the UROP Assistantship compact). Per the Handbook, I plan to meet with the research assistant(s) at least every other week and will create a communication plan with the research assistant(s). UROP Performance Evaluation By checking this box I understand that it is mandatory for me to complete a performance evaluation in the Fall and Spring in order for the CRE to assign the research assistant(s) a grade for the colloquium class. If necessary, the evaluation will be used to help develop an improvement plan for the research assistant(s). Materials Grant By checking this box I understand that I can apply for the UROP Materials Grant once I accept the UROP research assistant(s), sign the contract form, and submit the fall evaluation (late November/early December; deadline TBD) for all of my UROP research assistants. Materials grant applications will be due in the early spring semester and funds disbursed by mid-spring semester. I understand that community research mentors are not eligible to receive the Materials Grant at this time. UROP Poster Presentation By checking this box I understand that it is mandatory that my UROP research assistant(s) present their work at the FSU Undergraduate Research Symposium in the spring (early April). A member of my research team will assist my UROP research assistant(s) with the creation of a poster presentation, and I will review and approve the poster presentation for the FSU Undergraduate Research Symposium. An pdf of the poster and abstract of the project will be shared online via the Symposium program. Faculty Advisor Confirmation By checking this box I am confirming that my Faculty Advisor is aware that I have submitted a UROP Project Proposal and is supportive of me serving as a UROP Research Mentor. Are you interested in attending in a UROP Research Mentor Workshop Series? We have developed a virtual UROP Research Mentor workshop for graduate students! The workshop will cover salient practices that help develop strong and supportive mentoring relationships. Workshops are limited to 30 participants. The virtual summer workshop series will take place twice this summer, from June 9-11 and from July 7-9. Register to participate in the workshop series June Registration: https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eyZhAVUVzFj27S6 July Registration: https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_238I0RBOqJtlZLo If you are not available for these scheduled workshop series, please sign up to learn about future offerings here: https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4MUxhWmNHXwKb2K. Thanks! Yes No Submitting your UROP Project Proposal: When you click the submit button below, you and the research assistant supervisor (if applicable) will receive an email with a link to edit your project proposal. Please do not submit multiple versions of the same project. If you submit more than one project proposal, you will get an individual link for each project. This email may end up in your spam folder, so please keep an eye out for the submission confirmation email. Thank you again for supporting undergraduate research! Note on saving drafts: If you choose to save a draft, you will need to use the same computer to be able to open and edit a draft. However, you can submit your project proposal and continue editting it using the link that is sent after submission. CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Save