Student Research
Information regarding training requirements for student researchers can be found at: http://research.udel.edu/training/
NSF Graduate Research
Fellowship Program Workshop
The program recognizes and supports outstanding U.S. graduate students pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science and engineering.
Undergraduate Research
The Undergraduate Research Program provides opportunities to work on a wide range of research and creative projects in disciplines across the entire campus. Collaborating with members of the UD faculty, students undertake traditional research in the library or laboratory or engage in creative projects and community-based research. Opportunities range from taking part in a larger project as part of a faculty-led team to exploring personal research/creative interests with support from a faculty mentor. Explore the opportunities below.
- Undergrad Research Home
- Internal Opportunities
- External Opportunities
- Undergrad Research Opportunities
- Research Abroad
- Summer Scholars Program
Graduate Research
The Office of Graduate and Professional Education works to support and heighten the visibility of our graduate students’ world-class research and scholarship. Explore the resources below to imagine the possibilities.
- Graduate and Professional Education
- Admissions
- Graduate Funding
- Graduate Programs
- UD Individual Development Plan (IDP)
- UD Individual Development Plan Assessment Form
- UD Online
Graduate Tuition Policy
- SCOPE OF POLICY
This policy sets forth graduate tuition requirements for proposals and awards, and applies to all departments, faculty, and staff involved in externally sponsored research at the University of Delaware.
- POLICY STATEMENT
The Research Office requires graduate tuition to be budgeted to grants and contracts at a minimum rate of 40% of the full-time tuition, per student proportional to effort, at the university base rate of $1,069 per credit hour for the fall and spring semesters. Exceptions to this policy may be granted under specific circumstances as outlined per this policy.
- POLICY STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES
- Budgeting Requirements
- Graduate tuition must be budgeted as a direct charge to all grants and contracts at a minimum rate of 40% of the full-time tuition, per student, at the university base rate of $1,069 per credit hour for the fall and spring semesters.
- Full tuition is considered 9 credit hours per semester at the university rate of $1,069 per credit hour.
- If a graduate student is being budgeted at less than 100% of their stipend, the rate of the tuition should be prorated proportionately across all proposals, if applicable.
- For example, for a student budgeted at 50% of their stipend, a minimum of 20% shall be and up to 50% of the tuition may be budgeted on the proposal. Or, for a student budgeted at 50% of their stipend on two proposals (25% on each proposal), a minimum of 10% shall be and up to 25% of the tuition may be budgeted on each proposal.
- If a sponsor provides a stated amount for cost of education, the full amount as stated by the sponsor may be budgeted.
- If a graduate student is being budgeted at less than 100% of their stipend, the rate of the tuition should be prorated proportionately across all proposals, if applicable.
- Budgeting Requirements
- Policy Exception Requests
- Exceptions to this policy may be granted with approval of both the PI’s Dean (or designee) and the Vice President for Research, Scholarship, and Innovation (or designee) in cases where:
- the funding organization has a written policy precluding or limiting the charging of graduate tuition to awards, or
- the total funding available to the PI(s) for the project is less than $75,000 per year.
- Exception Requests During Proposal Submission: A request for an exception to the graduate tuition policy should be processed via the Proposal Approval Summary Webform.
- If the request is due to a written sponsor policy, the sponsor policy should be attached to the UD Financials: PeopleSoft Proposal Attachments page using the naming convention “[ProposalID]_Tuition_other”. This will feed into the webform for review.
- If the request is for an exception is due to the PI project being less than $75,000, the Dean (or designee) and the Vice President for Research, Scholarship, and Innovation (or designee) will review and approve the exception via the proposal approval form routing prior to submission
- Exceptions Requests During Award Establishment: If a proposal that did not originally meet the exception criteria is subsequently awarded for less than $75,000 per year, an email approval from the Dean (or designee) should be routed to the Contract & Grant Analyst during award establishment. The request for an exception will be sent to Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Innovation (or designee) for review and approval.
- Exceptions to this policy may be granted with approval of both the PI’s Dean (or designee) and the Vice President for Research, Scholarship, and Innovation (or designee) in cases where:
- Post-Award Requirements
- The allocation of tuition costs must be allowable per the award guidelines and must not exceed the distribution of effort as reported through salary charges.
- Any re-budgeting of graduate student stipends should include the proportionate re-budgeting of tuition.
- Department/college research administrators should routinely reconcile tuition expenses for fiscal compliance.
- The Research Office will review tuition expenses during the closeout process for the fall and spring semesters referencing the following student salary expense account codes:
- 122600 GRADUATE ASSISTANT (O/H CHARGE)
- 122610 GRADUATE TRAINEES
- 122700 GRADUATE FELLOW
- 126900 GRAD STDT-ENROLLED < 1/2 TIME
Graduate Students as Principal Investigators
The Research Office acknowledges the importance of permitting graduate students to lead sponsored projects where appropriate. There are several sponsors who offer pre-doctoral grants whereby the work is conceived of and carried out entirely by a graduate student. In these cases, a faculty member is identified as a mentor and oversees the project nominally. (examples: NASA: Harriett G. Jenkins Predoctoral Fellowship Program (JPFP), NIH: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F31) to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research, NIH: Predoctoral Training at the Interface of the Behavioral and Biomedical Sciences, DOE: The National Methane Hydrates R&D Program - Graduate Fellowship Program).
To that end, the eligible PI approval form may be used at the time of proposal routing to permit the graduate student to have this role. Also, please have the department administrators ensure the graduate student’s supervisor code is associated with a chair and dean code. This will allow the proposal approval web form to be routed appropriately. The required completed form must be sent to the Research Office at least ten (10) working days before the deadline for submittal of the proposal to the funding agency.
There are still other sponsors for whom the need for submission and approval from an Authorized Representative of the University is not required. The student may submit these applications directly to the sponsor without coordination with the Research Office or a PI eligibility form (examples include: NSF Fellowship, Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships for Achieving Excellence in College and University Teaching).
If there are questions concerning which type of funding the grad student is applying, contact the Research Office for guidance.
Principal Investigators Eligibility
Principal Investigators and Co-Principal Investigators have primary institutional responsibility for providing scientific/technical leadership and administrative and financial management of sponsored projects. As such, the University has designated the following personnel as eligible to serve as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on sponsored projects*
- All full-time faculty regardless of academic rank
- Visiting faculty/visiting scientists during the time they draw salary support for the performance of the sponsored project through the University
- Adjunct faculty during the time they draw salary support for the performance of the sponsored project through the University
- Full-time, academic non-administrative professionals in classified positions at or above Level 31E
- All full-time postdoctoral fellows* and researchers
- Under exceptional circumstances documented in writing, other qualified individuals may be designated as a PI. Such designation requires the approval of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Innovation, and must be endorsed by the chair of every unit and the dean of every college in which the research project is to be performed. If granted, this PI designation is limited to the proposed research project under consideration, i.e. it does not afford blanket status to serve as a PI on other proposals. To qualify for an exception, the following criteria must be met:
- Only individuals identified to the external sponsor as a PI or CPI in the submitted proposal need to have the PI eligibility approval form completed
- The proposed research must be a programmatic priority of the University
- There must demonstrably be no qualified member of the UD faculty who is capable of serving or available to serve as the PI
- The proposed PI must possess the academic and experiential qualifications that are prerequisite to service as a PI at UD, and his or her participation as the PI must be demonstrably necessary for the successful funding and execution of the research project
- The proposal PI must enter into a signed contract with the University assuring that (a) the work will be conducted in accordance with the high standards of quality expected of all PIs; (b) the PI will comply with all University policies relating to the conduct of research; and (c) the research project will be conducted consistent with all federal laws, rules, and regulations relating to the conduct of research
- Completion of the Research Office PI approval form and submission of a curriculum vitae (CV)
- Completion of the Proposal Development Assistance Request Form if you are requesting proposal development assistance.
Process for submission of PI Eligibility Form:
- Form should be completed and all signatures obtained
- CV must be included with form
- Email the completed form and CV to your Contract & Grant Analyst who will obtain the required Research Office approval signature
- Contract & Grant Analyst will return executed form to department administrator
* Principal Investigator/Co-Principal Investigator status may be rescinded for cause.
*A PI approval form is required to permit postdoctoral fellows to serve this role
*A Proposal Development Assistance Request Form is required to to be submitted for proposal development assistance.
If an exception is made to make someone an eligible PI and that person isn't a full-time University employee, the chair or dean must be a co-PI on all proposals for that person.
Responsibilities of a Principal Investigator
Serving as a Principal Investigator (PI) at the University of Delaware brings significant rewards & confers concomitant responsibilities. PIs are responsible for the intellectual direction of research and scholarship and for the education and training of students. In carrying out these critical tasks, PIs are also responsible for compliance with laws and regulations that touch on all aspects of the research enterprise.
To ensure compliance with applicable rules, regulations, and contract requirements the University of Delaware requires all PIs to receive training in the financial management of sponsored projects. Developed for PIs already at the University, the University's training program focuses on stewardship of funds, mandatory reporting requirements and particularized training in the fundamentals of federal grant and contract accounting. PIs must complete mandatory training before the University will release project funding.