EURēCA! Student Assistants

EURēCA! Student Assistants is an introductory program that leverages federal-work study dollars and grant funds to provide one year of entry-level salary support to undergraduates new to the research and creative enterprise. Follow the steps below to learn more about this program and see what opportunities are currently available. View currently available EURēCA! positions at bottom of page.

How to Pursue a EURēCA! Student Assistantship:

Click Here for Visual Guide: Applying for EURēCA! on Handshake

1. Learn about the EURēCA! program

• Complete the EURēCA! Workshop in Canvas
• Read the EURēCA! Student Handbook
• Attend upcoming info sessions

2. Find open positions in Handshake job postings

• Search 'eureca' in Handshake

3. Prepare your research-specific resume and cover letter

• View research-specific resume and cover letter tips
• Book a resume review with a LynxConnect Peer Advisor. Go through Handshake, and select: LynxConnect Drop-in: Appointment Type: Drop-in
  

4. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), submit a request for work-study from the CU Denver Financial Aid Forms Website, and download proof of work-study award from UCD Access Student Portal.*

• CU Denver FAFSA instructions
• How to apply for work-study
• How to check your work-study
• Request for work-study form (halfway down the page)
  

5. Book an individual advising appointment

• Schedule through Handshake. Select: Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities: ‘Undergraduate Research- Advising’.    
• Call the LynxConnect Front Desk: 303-315-4000
  

Have questions? Reach out to undergrad.research@ucdenver.edu. Full faculty instructions below

*Through additional funding from the URCA office, non-work-study eligible (after a denied work-study request form from the Financial Aid Office), international, and undocumented students may apply to receive up to $1,800 per semester covering up to 100 hours for about 5-8 hrs/week.

'Make it EURēCA!' is a way for students currently in an unpaid research position to jointly apply with their mentor for the EURēCA! Student Assistant Program. This is an introductory program that leverages federal-work study dollars and grant funds to provide entry-level salary support to undergraduates new to the research and creative enterprise. Application does not guarantee acceptance into the EURēCA! Student Assistant Program.

How to 'Make it EURēCA!':

Click Here for Visual Guide: Make it EURēCA! Application Process

1. Learn about the EURēCA! program

• Complete the required EURēCA! Workshop in Canvas
• Watch this video outlining the program (17min)
• Read the EURēCA! Student Handbook
• Attend upcoming info sessions

2. Book an individual advising appointment

• Schedule through Handshake. Select: Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities: ‘Undergraduate Research- Advising’.    
• Call the LynxConnect Front Desk: 303-315-4000

3. Work with your mentor to develop a project proposal and co-written mentoring plan.

• View examples proposals here
• View example mentoring plans here
• View mentoring plan template here

4. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), request works-study from the CU Denver Financial Aid Forms Website, and then download proof of work-study award from UCD Access Student Portal.*

• CU Denver FAFSA instructions
• How to apply for work-study
• How to check your work-study
• Request for work-study form (halfway down page)

5. Coordinate with your mentor who will submit the application and upload the PDFs of your proposal and co-written mentoring document.

• Full faculty instructions and application at bottom of page
• EURēCA! faculty info sheet

Have questions? Reach out to undergrad.research@ucdenver.edu to find details about 'Make it EURēCA!'.

*Through additional funding from the URCA office, non-work-study eligible (after a denied work-study request form from the Financial Aid Office), international, and undocumented students may apply to receive up to $1,800 per semester covering up to 100 hours for about 5-8 hrs/week.

Currently in a EURēCA! Student Assistant Position and looking to continue for an additional year? Since you are already working with a mentor, you would be applying for the 'Continuing' option. Click here for visual guide: Steps to continue with EURēCA!. You can also watch this video outlining the program (17min).

1. For that application, you would work with your mentor to develop a project proposal and co-written mentoring plan (you can update this from a previous research proposal)

• View examples proposals here
• View example mentoring plans here
• View mentoring plan template here

2.  While you send in your application, make sure you have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), request work-study on the CU Denver Financial Aid Forms Website, and then download proof of work-study award from UCD Access Student Portal.*

• CU Denver FAFSA instructions
• How to apply for work-study
• How to check your work-study
• Request for work-study form (halfway down page)

3. You will then coordinate with your mentor to submit the application. They will input their details in the application and upload the PDFs of your proposal and co-written mentoring plan for review.

• Full faculty instructions and application at bottom of page
• EURēCA! faculty info sheet

Have questions? Reach out to undergrad.research@ucdenver.edu. 

*Through additional funding from the URCA office, non-work-study eligible (after a denied work-study request form from the Financial Aid Office), international, and DACA students may apply to receive up to $1,800 per semester covering up to 100 hours for about 5-8 hrs/week.

The EURēCA! programs help match undergraduates with faculty mentors who are eager to engage them in research and creative scholarship. Through these collaborations, students have the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to their field, while learning skills needed to succeed in a professional setting.

• Entry-level positions available with both CU Denver or Anschutz faculty.
  
• Students can apply for new faculty-proposed positions via job platform, Handshake, or apply jointly with a current mentor.
• Starting salary is Denver minimum wage (currently $18.29 as of January 2024)
  
• Students can choose to apply this experience towards a for-credit academic internship as well.
  
• Students who have a work-study award as part of their financial aid package are able to put that entire amount towards their EURēCA! position.
  
• With a standard award of $3,250/semester, this normally allows for 175 hours per semester or approximately 10 hours per week.
  
• Students who do not have a work-study award are still eligible for these positions but are limited to 100 hours of URCA-funded work per semester, dependent on the availability of funds. 
• Student responsible for requesting work-study, tracking usage, and requesting additional funds before award exhausted.

As part of the EURēCA! Student Assistant Program, students must:

• Enroll in a “for-credit” or “not-for-credit” learning agreement through a Handshake Experience appointment during the semester in which the award is administered
  
• Attend at least two URCA events each semester (hosted regularly both in-person and virtually).
  
• Fulfill the tasks and responsibilities assigned by their mentor and outlined in a learning agreement.
• Conduct themselves in an ethical and professional manner, acting as a positive representative of CU Denver as outlined in the Code of Conduct.
• Complete the hours agreed upon with the mentor.
• Notify the Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities in a timely manner of any changes to their Learning Agreement or if any problems develop during their research experience.
• Complete the evaluation at the end of each semester (online evaluation form will be provided by URCA).
• Present outcomes of scholarly activity at the annual Research & Creative Activities Symposium (RaCAS) each spring.

To be eligible to hold a EURēCA! position, a student must:  

• hold degree-seeking CU Denver undergraduate status  
  
• submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and request a work-study award as part of their financial aid package  
  
• complete a University of Colorado Background Request Form, pursuant to the CU Denver | Anschutz Background Investigations Policy  
  
• be enrolled part-time or full-time (at least 6 credit hours) throughout the semester, including summer semesters (see CU Denver | Anschutz Student Employment Handbook for details)  
  
• maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress assessed at the end of each semester based upon grade point average, completion rate, and overall attempted credit hour limit  
  
• have relevant coursework and demonstrated skills, which will vary with the proposed scholarly activity  
  

The goal of this program is to connect CU Denver students to faculty mentors who will help them take their learning beyond the classroom and out into the real world. Our office promotes your positions to undergraduates and reviews applications on a first-come first-serve basis.

We provide interested students with advising and professional development opportunities, allowing you to focus on field-specific scholarship when working with your EURēCA! Mentee. 

Zero Cost
Even better, there's no cost to you! When you hire a work-study eligible student, the EURēCA! program pays a quarter of their hourly wage with the federal government covering the rest. Support for non-work-study eligible students may be available on a first-come first-served basis. Throughout the process, our office covers all administrative responsibilities including hiring and payroll support.

• View Student Visual Guide: Applying for EURēCA! on Handshake
• View Student Assistant Introduction Video (10min)

Be a Mentor
We are seeking mentors from both CU Denver and CU Anschutz Medical Campus in all disciplines, and preference will be given to positions that are suitable to undergraduates in their first year or two at the university.

• View EURēCA! faculty info sheet here
• View EURēCA! mentor handbook here

Student Assistant Job Role Examples

• Conduct a preliminary literature search
• Download, clean, and align DNA sequence data
• Transcribe interviews
• Digitize archived media collections

• View example job descriptions here
• View example mentoring plans here

Questions about sponsoring a EURēCA! Student Assistant or about the application? Please view resources below and email Program Coordinator, Liz Evans, Elizabeth.Evans@ucdenver.edu.

'Make it EURēCA!' is a way for students currently in an unpaid research position to jointly apply with their mentor for the EURēCA! Student Assistant Program. This is an introductory program that leverages federal-work-study dollars and grant funds to provide entry-level salary support to undergraduates new to the research and creative enterprise.

• View EURēCA! faculty info sheet here
• View EURēCA! mentor handbook here
• View Student Visual Guide: Make it EURēCA! Application Process
• View Student Instruction Video (17min)

CU Denver faculty members develop a co-written proposal with a currently unpaid research assistant or student mentee pursuing a mentored research project. The faculty member submits an application to the URCA Office outlining the proposed EURēCA! Student Assistant position, including project abstract, student details, and a co-written, signed mentoring plan. Mentors can utilize this option with returning EURēCA! students to apply for an additional year of funding.

• View example proposals here
• View example mentoring plans here
• View mentoring plan template here

In the meantime, student must Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), request Work-study from the CU Denver Financial Aid Forms Website, and download proof of work-study award from UCD Access Student Portal.*

• CU Denver FAFSA instructions
• How to apply for work-study
• How to check your work-study
• Request for work-study form (halfway down the page)

Questions about applying jointly with a current student mentee? Please view resources below and email Program Coordinator, Liz Evans, Elizabeth.Evans@ucdenver.edu.

*Through additional funding from the URCA office, non-work-study eligible (after a denied work-study request form from the Financial Aid Office), international, and undocumented students may apply to receive up to $1,800 per semester covering up to 100 hours for about 5-8 hrs/week.

Currently working with a EURēCA! Student Assistant and looking to continue for an additional year? Since you are already working with a student, you will be applying for the ‘Make it EUReCA!’ option. Click Here for Student Visual Guide: Make it EURēCA! Application Process. You can also watch this video outlining the program (17min).

1. For that application, you would work with your student to develop a project proposal and co-written mentoring plan

• View examples proposals here
• View example mentoring plans here
• View mentoring plan template here

2.  While you draft the proposal, make sure your student has completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), requested work-study on the CU Denver Financial Aid Forms Website, and downloaded proof of work-study award from UCD Access Student Portal.*

• CU Denver FAFSA instructions
• How to apply for work-study
• How to check your work-study
• Request for work-study form (halfway down the page)

3. You will then submit the application as the mentor and upload the PDFs of your proposal and co-written mentoring plan for review.

• EURēCA! faculty info sheet

Questions about applying jointly with a current student assistant? Please view resources below and email Program Coordinator, Liz Evans, Elizabeth.Evans@ucdenver.edu.

*Through additional funding from the URCA office, non-work-study eligible (after a denied work-study request form from the Financial Aid Office), international, and undocumented students may apply to receive up to $1,800 per semester covering up to 100 hours for about 5-8 hrs/week.