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the Research ApprenticeshiP PROGRAM


Schedule an Appointment

 Interested students must schedule an appointment with the Office of Undergraduate Research to enroll in RAP.

what is rap?

Smiling woman listening to a presenter presenting a research poster.

RAP is a two-semester program that allows ANY WVU undergraduate with limited or no research experience to gain course credit and earn federal work-study funds through undergraduate research apprenticeships with WVU research faculty. 

Undergraduates from all majors are welcome to enroll. Apprentices will:

  • carry out investigations and or creative inquiries alongside expert faculty mentors 
  • learn research and scholarly methods in their respective disciplines
  • make scholarly or artistic contributions to knowledge

Before the start of the program and with the help of the Office of Undergraduate Research, students need to secure a faculty mentor willing to supervise their progress throughout the semester.


Why should you join RAP?

  • To explore your passion and advance your career by partnering with a faculty mentor whose research aligns with your interests;
  • To gain access to real world applications of your studies;
  • To unlock opportunities throughout the the duration of your undergraduate experience; 
  • To join a community of peer researchers and play a role in advancing WVU's worldly impacts;
  • To learn how to present your research at local, national, and international research events.
  • To explore and appreciate the diversity of multidisciplinary research activities taking place across the university

Who can participate?

  • Undergraduates from ALL majors, starting in their freshman year.

How do you get started?

  1. Schedule an appointment with the Office of Undergraduate Research
    1.   We will meet with you individually to help you identify a research mentor. Once you are matched with a mentor, you will be able to enroll in  2 credit hours of HONR-297   for your first semester.
  2. Check your eligibility for Federal Work-Study (FWS)
    1. Please ensure that you are eligible for FWS before you start to enroll in RAP. You may do this by checking STAR or contacting the  Mountaineer HUB. (Also see  "How Do I Become Eligible for FWS?")
    2. Eligible students are paid $15.00 for their work in research.
  3. Contact the RAP team to know if you are eligible for  LSAMP or  First2 Network Academic Year Program.

Earning the Research Apprentice Badge

As a RAP participant, you are also eligible to earn a WVU Badge if you complete all coursework and research criteria.

summer immersion

Badge requirements:

1- Successful completion of the two RAP-accompanying honors courses. One course in each semester of the Program. 

2- Engage in research activities mentored by a faculty or a senior researcher weekly (minimum of 4 hours/week) during the two semesters of the program.



3- Attend one research event (WVU Undergraduate Research Symposium or any disciplinary research conference) in the first semester of the program.

4- Present the research at one of WVU's Annual Undergraduate Research Symposia or any disciplinary research event by the end of the second semester.

Badge


RAP-accompanying courses syllabi:
RAP accompanying course - First semester (HONR 297)
RAP accompanying course - Second semester (HONR 397)

Contact the Research Apprenticeship Program at RAP@mail.wvu.edu