The AMS has secured an additional funding of $250,000 for undergraduate research to be be distributed across the faculties of Arts, Science and Land and Food Systems (LFS).
In an interview with The Ubyssey, VP Academic and University Affairs (AUA) Zarifa Nawar said the funding is from the UBC VP Research and Innovation Office (VPRI) and is built off the multidisciplinary undergraduate research fund (MURF) proposal. The MURF proposal, which was started by last year's AUA, aims to ensure undergraduate research opportunities across all faculties, specifically focusing on faculties that don’t usually have robust research opportunities, explained Nawar.
She said the original MURF proposal had $300,000 that would be split between both administrative support and funding undergraduate research opportunities — but she said now there is more funding available and $250,000 is being released entirely for student centric opportunities.
Launching this summer, Nawar said Arts and Science will receive $100,000 each, while $50,000 will be allocated to LFS.
Nawar said the funding aims to prioritize resources on expanding existing programs and creating new programs over replacing current allocations.
“At the heart of the original proposal … [is] the faculties that don't have tremendous amounts of undergraduate research opportunities, [so] even those faculties can feel like they're doing valuable research work in a diversity of areas,” said Nawar.
Additionally, Nawar said the three faculties receiving the funding will be required to create an annual report outlining plans on the use and impact of the funding and plans for student consultation.
Nawar also expressed hopes for students to be able to voice their interests and participate in the use of funding.
“This is a key opportunity for students to have a voice in how their funding is used.”
On what changes students can expect, Nawar said students will see more research opportunities which will “eliminate that level of scarcity that students might feel.”
Nawar noted the MURF proposal also included a mentorship program between graduate and undergraduate students to support them through starting research, but said this program couldn’t be launched by the summer, but conversations regarding its implementation are continuing with the VPRI office.
She said to increase student consultation, she would encourage constituencies presidents and VP academics to work with their faculties to ensure students are being consulted.
Nawar added for the Fall semester the AUA and VPRI office will be exploring expanding this to other faculties.
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