SURE Program

Student Eligibility

Students eligible to participate in the SURE program include:

• All UHM undergraduate students with little to no faculty-mentored^° research and creative work experience or are already participating in faculty-mentored^° research and creative work
• Any non-UHM undergraduate student doing research or creative work with a UHM faculty mentor^°

Students do not need to be funded by UROP Project funding or a Faculty Mentoring Grant to participate.

Mentor Eligibility

• Any UHM faculty member^° who is mentoring a UHM or non-UHM undergraduate student is encouraged to have the student join the SURE program
• Any non-UHM professionals (e.g. postdoctoral researcher at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]) mentoring a UHM undergraduate student is also encouraged to have the student join the SURE program.

Additional eligibility requirements^* apply to UHM faculty members mentoring UHM undergraduate students applying for Project or Presentation funding, as well as to UHM faculty members applying for a Faculty Mentoring Grant.

Participation is not mandatory. Students may choose which modules to attend. Students are encouraged to attend the end-of-summer symposium, at a minimum.

• Week 1, June 8, 1-2 pm: Best Practices to Jump-Start Your Summer of Research or Creative Work

During this SURE module, UROP discusses critical ways to start research or creative work off on the right foot. The first hour of the module covers topics like ways to find your place in UG research/creative work, working with faculty mentors, staying organized and time management. The second hour includes the library’s online educational resources, how to conduct literature searches, and more.

• Week 1, June 9, 9-10:30 am: Untold Stories of Mānoa: Huaka’i (Campus Tour)

This SURE module serves as a huakaʻi (campus tour), where participants can learn about Mānoa through a Hawaiian lens. The 1.5-hour tour helps students to learn about many of the largely untold histories of Mānoa and how UHM can work toward becoming a Hawaiian place of learning. Meet up for the campus tour will be at the steps of Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies. Bringing a hat or umbrella and your own water bottle is highly recommended.

• Week 2, June 15, 1-2 pm: Responsible Conduct of Research – Importance and Case Studies

During this SURE module, a resource speaker gives an overview of UH’s policies on Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) to help get students acquainted with both the conceptual and practical aspects of RCR. Students can gain insights from real-life case studies that model ethical research practices as well as illustrate the consequences of research misconduct.

• Week 3, June 20, 1-3 pm: Zotero: Collect, Organize, Annotate, Cite, and Share Research

During this SURE module, students are given hands-on training on Zotero, a free program that helps researchers efficiently organize and properly cite references. Students can expect to gain practical knowledge on managing and using references effectively as one of the first steps in the responsible conduct of research. Participants are requested to bring their own computers and must have Zotero and the browser connector already installed before the event. In-person seating is limited but remote participation via Zoom will be made available.

• Week 4, June 29, 1-2 pm: Panel on Identifying and Exploring Graduate Schools

During this SURE module, UROP staff will discuss basic considerations when thinking about graduate school. Students can gain insights on topics like the benefits and tradeoffs of entering graduate school, different program types and possible career paths, finding an advisor, and more. The second part of the discussion includes a panel of guest speakers from different disciplines who each will provide their unique perspectives and experiences on topics like why they chose their respective schools and programs, what their experience was like in applying for and after finishing graduate school, what makes for a successful application in graduate school programs, and more.

• Week 5, July 6, 1-2 pm: Résumé and Cover Letter Writing

During this SURE module, a resource person discusses ways to build and organize content of successful résumés and cover letters. Students will learn how to describe responsibilities and accomplishments both academic and professional on their résumé. The discussion can cater to students at all stages, whether first-time job seekers or experienced employees.

• Week 7, July 20, 1-2 pm: Best Practices for Oral and Poster Presentations

During this SURE module, UROP will introduce students to two different formats for professional presentations: oral and poster. The discussion will cover basic formatting, best practices, and what to expect during a presentation. Students will learn how to effectively create their first professional presentation or learn skills for refining existing presentations.

• Week 9, August 4, 9 am – 1 pm: SURE Symposium

The symposium is an end-of-summer event where undergraduate students conducting faculty-mentored research and creative work in all disciplines get to showcase their projects.