• What are you interested in, generally?
  • What topics are you excited to talk about with your peers? What are your favorite classes? What do you love about your major?​
• What do you have a personal connection to?
  • What are you personally invested in learning more about over a sustained period of time? Is there a topic that has impacted your life in a meaningful way?
• What kind of work do you enjoy doing?
  • Reading archival materials? Creating films? Building interactive websites? Interviewing people? Performing data analysis? Dissecting animals?​

• What do you already know about this topic?
  • Take note of the elements or areas of this topic that you are most interested in developing further knowledge about.
• Look for gaps in the research.
  • Peruse secondary sources. What has already been said about this topic? What hasn’t been said?
  • Gaps in the research might look like:
    • Knowledge/content: we don’t know much about X (e.g., no one has collected data on this phenomenon).
    • Methods/framework: no one has looked at this problem from Y perspective (e.g., no one has applied a critical race framework to the study of this issue).
    • Connections: no one has made the connection between A and B (e.g., no one has examined the way this theme appears in both this novel and this film that came out in the same year).
• Identify your primary “text(s).”
  • What text(s) (artwork, book, theory, phenomenon) will be the focus of your analysis?
• Pose a research question.
  • What will you seek to discover through researching your primary text? What problem are you trying to solve?
  • A research question should be:
    • Answerable but complex
    • Specific
    • Concise

As the brief guide below indicates, there is a general pattern that is often very effective for communicating why your research matters. First, you establish what the conventional wisdom is about your subject—what “they” say—and then you contrast it with what “you” say that moves the field forward. 

• Start with the current state of knowledge. What do we know about your topic? 
• State the problem you will address. What gap is your research filling? 
• Explain your methodology: what did you or will you do to get your results or arrive at your conclusions?  
• Share your goals: what do you aim to learn/discover? (For an abstract summarizing a finished research project, this would be the place to share your findings — what you learned/discovered.)
• End with a conclusion and a statement of the larger implications of your project. 

Should be concise and specific, and should relate to your research question.

Provide an introduction to your topic. Think of this like the introduction you would write for a research paper. Remember to consider your audience: reviewers are not experts in your field, so make your summary of the topic accessible. What do we need to know about your topic so that we can understand your specific project?

What issue(s) will your research address? This is the place to state your research question.

Give a brief overview of trends in the scholarly conversation. You will need to explore secondary research on your topic in order to write this section. Very briefly summarize the work of a few key scholars.

Identify the gaps in the research. What hasn’t been studied yet? What do we not yet know? What needs more analysis? What frameworks/methodologies have not yet been applied to this topic? What connections have not yet been made?

Describe the anticipated outcomes of your project. Are you developing a novel medical device? Writing an original screenplay that will be performed at Hopkins? Producing an analysis of a literary work?

Describe your project’s future value. What are you contributing to the field? How will your work impact our understanding of or approach to your topic? What future research might come out of your project?

What materials, approaches, and frameworks will you use to conduct your research? Are you running experiments in the lab? Analyzing data? Applying a feminist framework to a literary analysis?

How are you engaging with current scholarship? Are you replicating an existing experiment? Are you building on another scholar’s ideas? Are you offering an alternative perspective on a dominant interpretation?

Cite sources you mention in your lit review or elsewhere in your proposal. You should have no more than five works cited in your proposal.

Use the URSCA budget template to itemize your expected expenditures for living expenses, travel costs, research materials, etc.

List the name of the internship position and the institution/organization hosting the internship.

Example: American Painting & Sculpture Intern, Baltimore Museum of Art

Provide an overview of the internship experience that you are seeking. Tell us about the institution/organization hosting the internship, the department/office you’ll be working in, the role you’ll be playing, etc.

Describe the anticipated outcomes of your internship experience. What do you hope to do, create, contribute to, achieve?

How does this internship experience align with your broader goals and ambitions (for graduate school, career, etc.)?

The goals section of your proposal should be at least one page long.

Please list other potential sources of funding (and dollar amounts) for this internship, and indicate which you have applied for, which you are planning to apply for, and which you have already been awarded.

Use the URSCA budget template to itemize your expected expenditures for living expenses, travel costs, and other needs related to participating in this internship.

An academic curriculum vitae (CV) is a comprehensive list of accomplishments, experiences, skills, and qualifications. CVs are most often requested for academic or research positions, grants and fellowships, and graduate programs. (Though some of these opportunities may request a résumé instead!) 

A résumé is a shorter document (one or two pages only) — a summary. Since it is not comprehensive, the résumé should be tailored to the specific position for which you are applying: it should capture the experiences and outcomes most relevant to that role. 

CVs typically follow a standard list format, whereas résumés are more flexible. Résumés focus on actions and include bulleted lists of tasks performed and accomplishments achieved under each role. Such details are typically absent from CVs, though undergraduate CVs can include brief descriptions. 

Your CV should be simple, neat, consistent, and easy to read:

• Margins should be 1″ all the way around
• Font size should be no smaller than 10 point and no larger than 12 point for the main text
• Font style and spacing should be consistent throughout the entire document
• Include page numbers (for everything after the first page) with your last name and the page number right-justified in the header

Your name and contact information should be clearly listed, center-justified at the top. Include your address, phone number, and email address. Your name should be in a larger font size (e.g., 14 point) and bolded.

The rest of the document should be organized into sections, formatted consistently:

• Heading in a distinct format (e.g., bold and all caps, or bold and 14 point font)
• Entries left-justified, with consistent spacing between entries
• Organized by date, in reverse chronological order (most recent at the top)

See CV Elements below for a list of sections to consider including.

The content sections of your CV may vary depending on your field, your level of experience, and your target position. Content sections may include:

• Summary or profile
  • One-sentence tagline about who you are/what you do as a scholar/researcher
• Education
  • List each institution and its location, the degree (B.A., B.S.), major(s), and graduation date or expected graduation date
    • Example:
      Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, expected May 2025
      B.A., History
  • Do NOT include high school!
  • You may include study abroad
    • Example:
      University of Oxford, Oxford, England, January-May 2024
      Coursework in European history and international relations
• Honors and Awards
  • List all fellowships, grants, and funding, as well as honors such as Dean’s List, Phi Beta Kappa, departmental awards, honor societies, etc.
  • Include award name, award-granting institution, and year(s)
  • Can include brief description
    • Example:
      Dean’s ASPIRE Grant, Johns Hopkins University, 2022-2023
      One of 10 undergraduates selected for this competitive award, which provides $5,000 of research funding for an independently designed and executed research project.
• Research Experience
  • List the name of the lab/department, institution, location, and advisor(s) if applicable
  • List the position held and the dates
  • Include a brief description of the project, your role, the methods, and/or the key findings
    • Example:
      Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Smith Lab, Baltimore, MD
      Independent Researcher, 2024-2025
      Advisor: Professor Professor
      Designed a study of tumor progression in glioblastoma cells using X method to determine Y outcome.
• Publications
  • List scholarly publications in bibliographic style
  • If the article/text is not yet published, give the status (e.g., under review, forthcoming)
    • Example:
      “Article Title,” Macksey Journal vol. 5, September 2023.
• Presentations
  • List the title of the presentation, the conference/symposium/event name, the location, and the date. Include the format (e.g., poster, oral presentation)
    • Example:
      “Presentation Title.” Oral presentation at the Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, April 2025.
• Leadership/Service
  • Include the organization, your position, the location, and dates.
  • Can include brief description.
    • Example:
      Undergraduate History Association, Johns Hopkins University
      Vice President, 2024-2025
      Organize lecture series and events to highlight different approaches to history research
• Professional Memberships
  • List professional organizations in your field to which you belong (e.g., Society for Neuroscience, Renaissance Society of America)
• Languages
  • List languages you speak/read/write and your level of proficiency in each
    • Example:
      English: native
      Spanish: near-native proficiency
      French: intermediate reading and writing; basic conversational speaking
      Farsi: beginner reading
• Skills
  • Focus on research-related skills
  • Can split into categories (e.g., computational, wet lab)
• Certifications
  • List any research-relevant certifications (e.g., CITI training, lab safety, etc.)
    

Remember, this is merely a suggestion of some common categories on CVs — but you are not expected to include all of them, and there may be additional categories that are appropriate for your field or experience. We recommend modeling your CV after those in your discipline. URSCA is happy to provide one-on-one guidance and feedback as you develop your CV.

Your resume should be simple, neat, consistent, and easy to read:

• Your resume should be one or two pages only
• Do not overcrowd the page(s) with text!
• Margins should be no smaller than 1/2″ and no larger than 1″ all the way around
• Font size should be no smaller than 10 point and no larger than 12 point for the main text
• Font style and spacing should be consistent throughout the entire document

Resumes have much more flexibility in terms of design, so you may opt to stick to a traditional format or adopt a graphic template.

Whatever you choose, be sure that your formatting is consistent and that your name stands out at the top of the document.

The rest of the document should be organized into sections, and should include:

• A clearly visible heading
• Entries organized by date, in reverse chronological order (most recent at the top)
• Bullet points under each entry with action verbs describing the work completed and/or accomplishments achieved
  • All verbs should be in the past tense
  • Keep it concise! Omit extraneous/repetitive words and phrases like “responsibilities included” or “assisted with”
  • Use strong verbs to emphasize what you accomplished, and vary your word choice

See Resume Elements below for a list of sections to consider including.

The content sections of your resume will vary depending on your field, your level of experience, and your target position. Because a resume is a summary document and is limited to two pages, you must be selective in determining what to include. Remember that the resume should be tailored to each position you are applying for, and different sections — as well as the entries and bullet points within them — should be selected based on their relevance to that position. Content sections may include:

• Contact information
  • Address, email, phone number, link to professional website or LinkedIn profile
• Summary or Profile
  • One sentence summarizing your experience, strengths, and goals
• Education
  • List each institution and its location, the degree (B.A., B.S.), graduation date or expected graduation date, major(s), minor(s). Can include relevant coursework, but keep the list brief and do not include course numbers — just titles.
    • Example:
      Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, expected May 2025
      B.S., Molecular and Cellular Biology
      Relevant coursework: Introductory Biology, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry
  • Include study abroad, community college, dual degree programs, etc.
    • Example:
      Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville, MD, May 2023
      A.A., Liberal Arts
  • Do NOT include high school unless you are a first-year or sophomore
• Experience
  • Include work, internships, volunteer positions, military service, student organizations, athletic teams, etc.
  • List the institution/site and location, your position, and the dates of your employment/involvement
    • Example:
      Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
      Medical Volunteer, Emergency Department (Jan-May 2024)
      – Collected patient intake forms and input data into computer system
      – Transported patients from waiting room to exam rooms
      – Checked patients’ vitals and recorded health data in patient charts
      – Maintained patient privacy and data protection in accordance with HIPAA
• Honors and Awards
  • List scholarships, fellowships, grants, Dean’s List, etc., and include the date(s)
    • Example:
      Albstein Research Scholar, Johns Hopkins University (2024-25)
      National Honor Society, Andrews High School (2019-2021)
• Skills
  • Organize by type (e.g., language, computer, lab, etc.)
    • Example:
      Computer: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Adobe (Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator)
      Language: Intermediate Mandarin
• Leadership/Activities
  • List clubs/organizations/teams you’re involved in — but do not duplicate any that you’ve already listed in the Experience section
    

Remember, this is merely a suggestion of some common categories on resumes — but you are not expected to include all of them, and there may be additional categories that are appropriate for your field, experience, or target position. We recommend modeling your resume after those in your discipline and line of work. URSCA is happy to provide one-on-one guidance and feedback as you develop your resume.

URSCA defines three main categories of allowable research expenses:

• Research Costs
  • Lab materials (e.g., reagents, fly traps, mice)
  • Research materials (e.g., books, art supplies)
  • Technology (e.g., software, film equipment, laptop)
  • Research site access (e.g., museums, archives)
  • Subscriptions (e.g., databases, software, memberships)
  • Research subject compensation (e.g., gift cards for survey participants)
• Living Expenses for Periods of Full-Time Research (e.g., summer or Intersession)
  • Lodging
  • Utilities
  • Food
  • Incidentals
• Travel to Research Sites and/or Conferences
  • Airfare and ground transportation
  • Lodging
  • Food
  • Incidentals
  • Conference registration fees
    

This list is not exhaustive, but covers the most common categories of expenses. Please see the rules and restrictions below for further detail.

When designing your budget, please adhere to the following policies:

• No capital purchases for the lab
  • Any grant funds allocated for lab materials must be for expendable items (e.g., reagents) or items that will belong to the student researcher. URSCA grant funds may not be used to purchase permanent equipment for the lab (e.g., a microscope that will remain in the lab after the completion of the student researcher’s project).
• For Woodrow Wilson Fellows, lab materials may not exceed 35% of the total budget
  • This rule does not apply to other URSCA awards, though all applicants should be careful to allocate sufficient funds for non-lab expenses — e.g., summer living expenses, conference travel.
• Budgeting for travel must adhere to JHU travel policies and related travel rates
  • To calculate appropriate allocations for lodging, meals, and incidentals, search the government per diem rates for the location in question (General Services Administration for domestic travel; State Department for foreign travel)
• Living expenses may only be covered during periods of full-time research
  • You may not use your URSCA award to cover your rent, utilities, or food during the academic year.
• Living expenses must fall within the allowable amount determined by URSCA, based on the estimated cost of living in the city in question.
  • We follow the JHU Financial Aid Office’s estimate for the cost of living off-campus in Baltimore to set the monthly allowable rate each year. This rate includes rent, utilities, food, and incidentals.
• Technology purchases must be approved by URSCA staff and faculty mentor
  • Laptop purchases will not be approved unless the student’s existing laptop is at least four years old or irreparably damaged.
  • No laptops or other major technology may be purchased in the awardee’s final semester of senior year.